If someone were to update Virginia Commonwealth University’s history in the NBA draft, an apt title might be “From Bodine to Bones.”

A total of 21 Rams have been picked in the annual NBA draft, starting with native Richmonder Jesse “Bodine” Dark in 1974.

About to enter the honor roll is Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland, who is leaving VCU after two sparkling seasons with an eye on becoming a pro.

The 75th annual NBA draft, involving two rounds and 60 picks, will be held Thursday, July 29, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

While mock drafts differ wildly, Hyland has been predicted to go as high as 14th overall (by USA Today), and as low as the top of the second round.

The 6-foot-3, 169-pound native of Wilmington, Del., was Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year this past season, averaging 20 points, five rebounds and two assists while hitting 37 percent from beyond the arc.

Hyland led the Rams to a 19-7 record and a berth in the NCAA.

His most memorable game came at a key moment. In the A-10 quarterfinals on March 5, Hyland scored 30 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, passed for two assists and made two steals in a 73-68 win.

Some consider it the greatest game in the annals of VCU postseason action.

After deciding to enter the draft, Hyland was selected to showcase his talents at the NBA Combine in Chicago. He dazzled the scouts with a single game performance of 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in just 23 minutes.

His Chicago stats while facing top competition from the United States and abroad, may have triggered a move for him from the second round to the first round.

VCU has come to be a regular in the NCAA Tournament and challenges for its conference lead most seasons. In 2011, the Rams reached the NCAA Final Four.

It wasn’t that way in 1974 when Dark, who played at Maggie L. Walker High School before enrolling at VCU, heard his name called by the New York Knicks.

The Rams were a fledgling program in those days, just removed from NAIA affiliation. Dark was little known out- side of campus, except by the NBA scouts. He never had the opportunity for postseason play.

Still, Dark was chosen as the 32nd overall pick in the second round of the NBA draft and spent one season in New York playing behind the likes of guards Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe.

Dark, unlike the spindly Hyland, was a broad-shouldered 6-foot-4, 210-pound big guard who looked like he might have been an NFL selection.

VCU Coach Chuck Noe once said “Bodine” was so popular around town he might one day become the mayor. The nickname likely stems from the burly, fun-loving character Jethro Bo- dine of the TV sitcom “The Beverly Hillbillies.”

Hyland dazzles with his exceptional range on his three-ball and what has been labeled “blow by” speed. He is also a quick, aggressive defender. “Bones” is a protégé of former Virginia Union University star A.J. English, who helped coach Hyland in his formative years in Wilmington. The nickname “Bones” comes from an

early nickname “Bizzy Bones.” Hyland figures to become VCU’s first NBA pick since Larry Sanders went to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2010 as the 15th overall draft pick.