Because the NBA draft’s inception in 1947, round 1,500 gamers have been drafted within the first spherical. About 90 p.c of these gamers got here from a Division I college. Likelihood is, if you happen to picked one at random, they’d have worn blue in faculty.
The 2024 NBA draft was on Wednesday, June 26. The Atlanta Hawks chosen French standout Zaccharie Risacher with the first-overall choice. Alex Sarr was the second total choose by the Washington Wizards, whereas Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard grew to become the primary NCAA participant chosen at No. 3 total by the Houston Rockets.
The San Antonio Spurs started the 2023 draft by deciding on French star Victor Wembanyama with the first-overall choose. Alabama’s Brandon Miller was the primary NCAA participant chosen in that draft and second total off the board going to the Charlotte Hornets. In 2022, Duke’s Paolo Banchero went No. 1 total to the Orlando Magic
In 2021, the Detroit Pistons led off the night time drafting Oklahoma State sensation Cade Cunningham because the first-overall choose. It is the very best choice in Cowboy basketball historical past and the primary time since Bob Fenimore in 1947 that an Oklahoma State athlete went No. 1 total in knowledgeable draft.
In 2020, Georgia star Anthony Edwards went No. 1 total to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Edwards was the primary participant from UGA to go No. 1 total and the Bulldogs’ ninth first-round choose.
Right here’s how the highest 20 faculties stack up:
Faculty basketball groups with essentially the most NBA first-round draft picks
Rank
Faculty
Convention
First-round picks
1
Kentucky
SEC
60
2
Duke
ACC
56
3
North Carolina
ACC
54
4
UCLA
Pac-12
43
5
Kansas
Huge 12
36
6
Michigan
Huge Ten
30
7
Indiana
Huge Ten
28
8
Arizona
Pac-12
26
9
Ohio State
ACC
25
10
Louisville
Atlantic Coast
24
10
Syracuse
Atlantic Coast
24
12
Connecticut
Huge East
23
13
Michigan State
Huge Ten
21
13
Notre Dame
ACC
21
15
Maryland
Huge Ten
20
16
Georgia Tech
ACC
19
16
Texas
Huge 12
19
16
Alabama
SEC
19
19
LSU
SEC
17
21
North Carolina State
ACC
16
21
Minnesota
Huge Ten
16
21
St. John’s (NY)
Huge East
16
No massive surprises there. The highest 10 faculties account for greater than half of the NCAA championships alone.
No faculties have seen extra No. 1 picks than Duke, which has seen 5.
Duke’s 5 are Artwork Heyman (1963, New York Knicks), Elton Model (1999, Chicago Bulls), Kyrie Irving (2011, Cleveland Cavaliers), Zion Williamson (2019, New Orleans Pelicans) and Paolo Banchero (2022, Orlando Magic)
In all, 46 faculties have had not less than one No. 1 choose taken.
Right here’s how the highest faculties rank:
Rank
Faculty
Convention
No. 1 total picks
1
Duke
ACC
5
2
Kentucky
SEC
3
3
North Carolina
ACC
2
3
UCLA
Pac-12
2
3
Kansas
Huge 12
2
3
Indiana
Huge Ten
2
3
Michigan
Huge Ten
2
3
Maryland
Huge Ten
2
3
UNLV
Mountain West
2
3
LSU
SEC
2
3
Georgetown
Huge East
2
3
Utah
Pac-12
2
3
Houston
AAC
2
3
Cincinnati
AAC
2
3
Purdue
Huge Ten
2
3
Kansas State
Huge 12
2
3
West Virginia
Huge 12
2
3
UTEP
Convention USA
2
3
Duquesne
Atlantic 10
2
Having North Carolina second in total picks, and Duke with essentially the most No. 1 picks, ought to clue you in to which convention reigns supreme within the NBA draft.
By way of 2022, the Atlantic Coast Convention has had a formidable 285 gamers drafted within the first spherical, roughly 20 p.c of all Division I gamers drafted. The Huge Ten, Pac-12 and SEC are proper behind the ACC.