WASHINGTON -- Like Kwame Brown before him, Jared Jeffries is already talking trash to Michael Jordan. As for local hero Juan Dixon, he has a "Michael Jordan kind of heart," at least according to his new coach.

Wizards coach Doug Collins says Juan Dixon has a 'Michael Jordan kind of heart.'(AP)

"We're ecstatic," coach Doug Collins said. "You sit there and you hope that things fall for you. We felt very good about how things fell for us tonight."

Jeffries could fill a hole at small forward, although his 6-foot-10 height and 7-1½ wingspan make him a prospect at power forward or even center. He might want to consider toning down his act, though: Minutes after he was chosen, he spoke on national television about tying Jordan in a shooting contest during his workout at the MCI Center.

"I'm going to get him when I get back," Jeffries said. "Best-out-of-five shots, I hit three, he hit three. We had to cancel it at that, so I've got something for him tomorrow."

And Jordan's reaction?

"He shook his head," assistant general manager Rod Higgins said.

It was reminiscent of a similar boast made by Brown a year ago when the Wizards made him the first high school player chosen No. 1 overall. Brown spoke of his dream of beating Jordan one-on-one and his disdain for having to work out twice for M.J. when he felt once was enough.

It was the last great brag heard from Brown, who struggled his rookie season and became a non-factor sitting at the end of the bench.

Jeffries, who left the Hoosiers after his sophomore year to enter the draft, is hoping for a different outcome -- despite his audacious opening statement.

"I had to say that," Jeffries said. "If I go in saying he's going to kill me, I won't have any confidence."

Jeffries led Indiana in scoring (15 points) and rebounds (7.6) last season and finished second in total steals (31) and blocks (46). The Wizards wanted either Jeffries or Connecticut's Caron Butler, so the war room cheers came when Phoenix took Amare Stoudemire at No. 9, leaving Butler for Miami at No. 10 and Jeffries for the Wizards.

Jeffries' Hoosiers lost to Dixon's Terrapins in the NCAA title game in April. Dixon essentially takes the place of shooting guard Courtney Alexander, who was traded to the New Orleans Hornets on Tuesday for the No. 17 pick.

"He has a Michael Jordan kind of heart," Collins said. "He wants the ball. ... The game is slipping away and he hits a big 3 from the corner. He wants that shot. Our phone has rung already wanting to know if we want to trade him. Twice."

Dixon, the ACC player of the year, averaged 20.4 points last season and 25.8 in the NCAA tournament. Dixon, 6-3, is Maryland's all-time leading scorer (2,269 points) and No. 2 in steals (333).

Jordan, calling the shots for his third consecutive Wizards draft, kept a low profile in an unofficial capacity. He had to resign his front office job when he unretired as a player last fall, and he has yet to announce his intentions for next season.

Jordan was not available for comment during the draft. He has not spoken publicly since April 2, the day before his battered knee forced him to go on the injured list for the rest of the season.

Higgins said the draft was conducted as if Jordan won't be playing, but the Wizards' advertisements for ticket sales have Jordan back in uniform.

"This can't be the Michael Jordan watch all summer long," Collins said, "about whether Michael's going to come back and save the franchise and play next year. If Michael's going to play, we want it to be that we've got enough guys around him that make his life easier."

The Wizards had back-to-back picks in the second round. At No. 39, they chose 6-8 Alabama guard Rod Grizzard, who entered the draft after his junior season despite breaking his leg during a workout in Philadelphia last month.

"We felt Grizzard had first-round talent if he hadn't hurt his leg," Collins said.

At No. 40, the Wizards looked well into the future by selecting 6-3 Spanish guard Juan Carlos Navarro, who is under contract to F.C. Barcelona. Collins said he doesn't expect Navarro to join the NBA next season, which is just as well considering the Wizards are running out of roster spots.

"We knew four guys weren't going to make our team," Collins said.