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The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have picked up the option for the 2012-13 season for guards Xavier Henry and Greivis Vasquez.
Henry (6-6, 220), is in his second NBA season after being selected 12th overall by the Grizzlies in the 2010 NBA Draft out of the University of Kansas. He has not appeared in a game this season for New Orleans due to a resolving ankle sprain. Last year, in 38 games (16 starts) for Memphis, Henry averaged 4.3 points and 1.0 rebound in 13.9 minutes of action. The 20-year-old from Oklahoma City played just one collegiate season at Kansas, becoming the first player in KU history to leave for the NBA after his freshman campaign, posting averages of 13.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in 36 games. Henry was named to the 2010 All Big 12 Rookie Team and was a 2010 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. Henry joins San Antonio Spurs’ point guard Tony Parker as the only current Belgium-born players in the NBA.
Vasquez (6-6, 211), is in his second NBA season after being drafted 28th overall by the Grizzlies in the 2010 NBA Draft out of the University of Maryland. In 17 games with the Hornets this season, he is averaging 5.6 points and 3.1 assists in 18.6 minutes of play. Last season he averaged 3.6 points and 2.2 assists in 12.3 minutes of action over 70 games (one start) for Memphis. He is the first Venezuelan-born player ever selected in the NBA Draft and only the third Venezuelan to play in the NBA, joining Carl Herrera (1991-99) and Oscar Torres (2001-03). Vasquez was named the ACC Player of the Year and won the Bob Cousy Award as the best point guard in the nation in 2009-10 while at Maryland. He is the only player in ACC history to record at least 2,000 points (2,171), 750 assists (772) and 600 rebounds (647) in a career.
