It may not have happened the way many fans and analysts expected, but it happened nonetheless.

Isaiah Canaan was drafted by the Houston Rockets as the 34th overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft on Thursday night.

Canaan, joined by family and friends, watched the draft on TV from Biloxi High School in his Mississippi hometown. He was projected as a mid to late first-round selection.

Though the first round ended without his name being called, he was atop many of the Best Available lists. Canaan did not have to wait long during the quick second round, as his was the fourth name announced.

“It was a long wait and a lot of people were disappointed they didn’t hear my name for a while,” Canaan told Murray State Sports Information. “But I’m going to go down there (to Houston) and do the best I can. I’m just looking forward to getting down there and show that I belong.”

Canaan is not going to let the late pick dampen his spirits. If anything, he will use it to fuel his hard work.

“That is motivation because I was always the underdog,” he said. “I went to a mid-major school so this doesn’t change anything. I’ve got the opportunity to show them that I’m as good as anyone, and I’m going to show that.”

Steve Prohm, Murray State men’s basketball head coach, agreed that being picked in the second round will not slow Canaan down.

“He’s got a great future ahead of him in the NBA no matter if he was the fourth pick or the 34th pick,” Prohm told Sports Information. “He’s going to make all us and his family extremely proud.”

Canaan will be joining a familiar offense with the Houston Rockets. With a fast-paced, spread offense that encourages shooting both pull-up jumpers and the long ball, he should fit in well.

New teammates immediately sent words of welcome upon his selection. NBA star James Harden, as well as other members of the Rockets’ organization, tweeted encouragement and congratulations toward Canaan.

In a press conference after the selection, Rockets’ General Manager Daryl Morey expressed satisfaction with the pick. He said Canaan was a big target for his ability to shoot the 3 as well as drive past defenders.

Arturas Karnisovas, Director of Global Scouting for the Rockets, said in a press conference that Houston feels they drafted an experienced point guard in Canaan. He called a Canaan a playmaker, great shooter and solid defender. During scouting, they studied his speed, explosiveness and shooting ability. Karnisovas said Canaan was polished, mature and NBA ready due to playing four years at the collegiate level.

With Houston’s pick, Canaan became the 21st player in Racer history to be drafted, and the first since 1996 when Marcus Brown was the chosen by the Portland Trail Blazers as the 46th overall pick.

The complete results of the 2013 NBA Draft can be found here. This list shows only the picks, not the results of any approved or pending trades.

Information compiled by Ryan Richardson, Sports Editor.

Information gathered from goracers.com, nba.com and twitter.com.