NEW YORK (AP) – Rudy Gay was the first of four Connecticut players chosen in the first round of Wednesday’s NBA draft, going to the Houston Rockets with the No. 8 pick.

The New Orleans Hornets took Hilton Armstrong with the 12th pick, while Marcus Williams and Josh Boone both went to the New Jersey Nets with the 22nd and 23rd picks, respectively.

Other UConn players still in the mix to be drafted included Denham Brown and Rashad Anderson.

UConn tied North Carolina and Duke for the most players taken in the first round. Four Tarheels were chosen last year, while four Duke players were picked in 1999.

Gay left Connecticut after two years at the school. He was named to the Big East First Team as a sophomore, averaging 15.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and two assists. Gay also was placed on the AP’s All-America Second Team last season, when he helped the Huskies reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament.

The 6-foot-9 forward was named the National Freshman of the Year by the Sporting News and was the Big East Rookie of the Year, averaging 11.8 points and nearly two blocks a game. He shot 47 percent from 3-point range his freshman year, hitting 28 of 60.

Surrounded by talented offensive players, the 6-foot-11 Armstrong anchored Connecticut’s defense at center and had the most blocks during Big East Conference play last season.

He averaged 9.7 points as a senior, more than double his output the previous year, in addition to 6.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocks and was named the Big East defensive player of the year.

Still, Hornets coach Byron Scott came away impressed with Armstrong’s offensive ability after a workout earlier this month.

“We love his size, his scoring ability, his shot-blocking,” Hornets general manager Jeff Bower said Wednesday night.

The Nets picked up a backup for point guard Jason Kidd and a shot-blocker missing in the middle of their defense.

Williams was considered one of the top two or three point guards in the draft, and some experts had projected that he would be taken in the top 10.

Boone, who like Williams left Connecticut after his junior season, is a 6-foot-10 forward-center who started 100 of 103 games for the Huskies. He can rebound, block shots and run the floor, which should easily fit into the Nets’ style of play.

Williams had his problems off the court in his three seasons under coach Jim Calhoun. The Los Angeles native was suspended from the team for the first half of last season after being charged with trying to sell laptop computers stolen from campus dorm rooms. He missed most of his freshman season because of poor grades.

However, when he slipped to No. 22, the Nets didn’t hesitate to take him.

Williams averaged 12.3 points this past season and finished his three seasons with a school-record 7.3 assists per game.

“I stepped into a great situation,” Williams said on a television interview. “I am playing with some great wings and one of the best point guards I watched when growing up.”

Boone averaged 10.3 points this past season, finishing his career with an average of 9.3 points and 7.0 rebounds. He also averaged 2.0 blocks this past season, which really wasn’t his best with the Huskies.

AP-ES-06-28-06 2246EDT