NO. 1 BOGUT BUCKS TREND UCLA'S THOMPSON TO KNICKS, THEN SUNS; ACKER IS A PISTON.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

The 2005 NBA Draft will be remembered for firsts and lasts, four North Carolina Tar Heels and a talented trio of point guards who boldly called themselves the leaders of their new teams.

Although two high school players were selected in the top 10, of the final draft before the 19-year-old age limit takes effect, the NBA returned Tuesday night to the college court for stability.

Milwaukee a bit of suspense by taking Andrew Bogut, the outspoken 7-foot center from Australia by way of the University of Utah, who became the first player from his country to be taken No. 1 overall and the first college player to be chosen No. 1 in five years.

Bogut, 20, was the first of three foreigners taken in the lottery, representing another wave of international players into the league.

Bogut's No. 1 selection gave Utah a double-double. The San Francisco 49ers picked quarterback Alex Smith No. 1 overall in April's NFL Draft.

But the collegiate story of the night belonged to the Tar Heels, who had four players selected among the top 14 picks. North Carolina's chief rival, Duke, was the last team to have four players chosen in the first round, in 1999.

Marvin Williams, the 6-foot-9 forward who was the sixth man on the North Carolina championship team as a freshman, was selected No. 2 by the Atlanta Hawks. Williams, who turned 19 this month and who averaged 11.3 points and 6.6 rebounds, was widely considered the most athletic player in the draft.

The Charlotte Bobcats took the Tar Heels' 6-foot-1 guard Raymond Felton at No. 5 and then the 6-foot-9 forward Sean May at No. 13. Rashad McCants was picked by the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 14.

Martell Webster, a 6-foot-7 swingman, was the first high school senior (Seattle Prep) taken in the last draft before the NBA's rules change - going to Portland at No. 6 - after the Trail Blazers traded their No. 3 pick to Utah earlier in the day.

``I'm going to give it my best,'' he said. ``If I turn some heads my rookie year, then maybe they'll look on it as a bad decision.''

Last year there were four high school players selected in the lottery and eight in the first round. This year there were only three in the first round.

Utah traded with the Blazers to select the 6-3 Deron Williams of Illinois at No. 3. New Orleans chose 6-foot point guard Chris Paul of Wake Forest at No. 4.

Utah also sent its No. 27 pick, along with the draft rights to a first-round 2006 selection, to Portland for Williams.

The Knicks made the key first-round trade of the night. In order to complete the trade of Kurt Thomas with the Suns, Phoenix offset the insurance issue with Quentin Richardson's previous back injury by giving the Knicks their No. 21 pick, Nate Robinson, a 5-9 guard out of Washington. The Knicks also gave the Suns their 54th pick, UCLA's Dijon Thompson.

Thompson (6-8, 215) averaged 18.9 points and 7.9 rebounds for the Bruins last year and helped them make the NCAA Tournament.

Pepperdine guard Alex Acker was the final pick of the draft (60th overall), taken by the Detroit Pistons.

``I worked out with Detroit,'' Acker said. ``... I got to talk to (Pistons president of basketball operations) Joe Dumars. He told me, 'When our pick is up, we'll take you.' He didn't lie.''

Jill Painter contributed

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Andrew Bogut reacts after he was the No. 1 overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in Tuesday's NBA Draft in New York.

Henny Ray Abrams/Associated Press