With the 17th pick in the NBA Draft, the 76ers selected Jrue Holiday, a point guard from UCLA.

Most mock drafts had Holiday as a Top 10 selection, but he dropped. Sixers General Manager Ed Stefanski had said all along they would take the highest rated player left on the board. And they did. Holiday -- who played only one season at UCLA and averaged 8.5 points a game -- is considered more of a project than UNC's Ty Lawson.

Here's the running copy of tonight's first 15 picks.

The NBA Draft is underway at Madison Square Garden. And each pick influences who the 76ers might draft at the 17th spot. Here's what we know so far: 

1.) Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers: This was expected. Not much more to write.

2.) Hasheem Thabeet, Memphis Grizzlies: Again, this was the guy everyone had penciled in as the Grizzlies' choice, and his selection does not rock the boat.

3.) James Harden, Oklahoma City: A little bit of a surprise at the 3 spot as most folks thought Ricky Rubio would be taken at this spot, but Rubio and Harden would both be gone in the Top 5-6 anyway.

4.) Tyreke Evans, Sacramento: Rubio is slipping, which is surprising, because I think most folks had Rubio at 3 or 4.

5.) Ricky Rubio, Minnesota: So here lands Rubio, probably a spot or two later than expected, but still gone in the Top 5.

So there are the Top 5, really no shocking surprises, and nothing that changes anything the Sixers might do. Just keeping it updated. Check back to this same blog after the 10th pick because I'll just be updating within this blog.

6.) Johnny Flynn, Minnesota: So Flynn worked his way up this Draft. At the start there was speculation he might be available when the Sixers picked, but quickly he worked into the Top 10. And now has worked his way past Stephen Curry in the draft order.

7.) Stephen Curry, Golden State: I think there are a lot of upset Knicks fans in NY, as most folks thought Curry would be their selection at the 8th spot. Still nobody taken that was thought to -- possibly -- slip.

8.) Jordan Hill, New York: So the Knicks take a forward. Reaction seem luke warm in MSG, but still nobody taken that has been in the Sixers core group of guys.

9.) DeMar DeRozan, Toronto: The Raptors always do some wacky stuff on Draft Day, but this was seems like a solid young guy they're taking from USC. So it seems there are plenty of the Sixers guys still on the board: Jeff Teague, Gerald Henderson, Ty Lawson, Eric Maynor, Terrence Williams, Wayne Ellington ... almost enough to get them to their pick with one of their guys still on the board ...

10.) Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee: We could say this impacts the Sixers a little bit because there was some speculation that his stock was dropping and very well could be available at the 17th, leading to discussion if the Sixers would take him even without seeing him in a workout. But he's gone, taking away that speculation. Six picks left before the Sixers.

11.) Terrence Williams, New Jersey Nets: There we go, off the board a guy you would think was in the Sixers' core group. But Williams being gone means little to the Sixers as Williams skills overlapped far too much with the some of the players in their lineup. And his outside shooting is suspect.

12.) Gerald Henderson, Charlotte: Henderson is off the board, too. Although there was only a slim chance that Henderson would be on the board at the 17th spot, there was still an outside chance.

13.) Tyler Hansbrough, Indiana: Well, I think most thought Hansbrough wouldn't be taken until late in the first round, but the Pacers took a flyer on his NBA ability.

14.) Earl Clark, Phoenix: Big guy from Louisville was not on the Sixers radar.

15.) Austin Daye, Detroit: Forward from Gonzaga also wasn't somone the Sixers were supposedly interested in.

Plenty of the Sixers guys still remain on the board. Here are the relevant guys still on the board with only 1 pick before the Sixers: Ty Lawson, Eric Maynor, Jeff Teague, Wayne Ellington ...And, of course, Ohio State center B.J. Mullens ...

We'll be blogging about the Sixers pick as soon as it happens ...

--Kate