ERIE, Pa. – The Erie Bayhawks, NBA G League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club, announced its selection of former Dutchmen, Deshon Burgess, in the 2017 NBA G League Draft.

Burgess went in the fourth round as the 85^th overall pick to the BayHawks. Burgess had a successful four-year playing career at Union College, where he appeared in 102 games (76 starts) and averaged 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals in his tenure. He was the Liberty League Player of the Year in 2016 and helped lead Union to winning the Liberty League conference title in 2017, where he had 33 points in the championship game. During his senior campaign, Burgess averaged 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.

"I am extremely excited and this opportunity means the world to me," Burgess said. "I would like to thank my family for supporting me along the way and believing in me. I'm looking forward to a great training camp, and I'm honored to work with such a great coaching staff, strength and conditioning trainers, and General Manager Malik Rose."

Burgess, who graduated in May 2017 with a psychology degree, will join the NBA's official minor league, formerly known as the NBA Development League, or D-League. There are 26 teams in the G League, all of which are singly affiliated with an NBA team.

"The league has had a long history of being a testing laboratory, if you will, for the NBA," said Mark Tatum, NBA deputy commissioner.

Burgess is the first of only two Division III players to be selected in the G League Draft.

The BayHawks open up the season next Friday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. (EST) against the Grand Rapids Drive in Grand Rapids, Michigan.