By: Jace Frederick

Trevor Mbakwe and Rodney Williams both had the opportunity to be the first Gophers player taken in the NBA draft since 2004.

But after 60 selections in the June 27 draft, all 30 NBA teams passed on the two forwards.

Now Mbakwe and Williams face a difficult path to making NBA rosters.

Both will play on the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers’ summer league team, the Pioneer Press reported Sunday.

Mbakwe was projected to be a second-round selection by numerous mock draft websites, while Williams’ stock appeared to lose steam as the draft neared. He was projected to go undrafted in many mock drafts.

Going undrafted isn’t necessarily a death sentence for NBA hopefuls. Players such as Ben Wallace, John Starks and David Wesley went undrafted before having long, successful careers. Undrafted forward Udonis Haslem played a large role on the Miami Heat team that won the NBA championship last month.

Former Gophers center Colton Iverson, who transferred to Colorado State following his junior season in 2011, was drafted 53rd overall by the Indiana Pacers before being acquired by the Boston Celtics in a trade.

Only first-round selections are guaranteed NBA contracts. Second-round selections and undrafted players must earn spots on rosters through the NBA summer league and team training camps.