10 colleges with most 2024 NBA draft picks ft. Duke
With last night's closure of the NBA Draft, another crop of college draft picks has made its way to the professional side of the game. The draft is a momentous moment in the career of any player, as it's the first step into the dream of becoming a staple of the NBA.
However, nowadays, not only college players but also international ones get drafted. No better proof of that than this year's top-two draft picks: Zaccharie Risaccher and Alex Sarr, both of them French.
However, we are recapping the American schools with the most picks in draft history.
Ten colleges with most 2024 NBA draft picks in history
#10 - UConn, Louisville, Syracuse (24)
The No. 10 spot is a three way tie between the Huskies, Cardinals and the Orange. The Huskies joined the draft after Stephon Castle's and Donovan Clingan's pick this year.
#9 - Ohio State Buckeyes (25)
The 2000s were a good time for Buckeyes basketball, with six first-round selections and three top-five picks. Ever since, they have just managed four first-round picks and one top-five selection.
#8 - Arizona Wildcats (26)
Since 2015, the Arizona Wildcats have produced two first round picks in the same draft three times. Not only that, but also eight Wildcats have won the NBA title, and two more have won it as coaches.
#7 - Indiana Hoosiers (29)
When the Miami Heat picked Kel'el Ware with the 15th overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, the Hoosiers cemented their place in the No. 7 spot of this list.
Ware was also the first Indiana player to be picked in the first round of the draft in a decade.
#6 - Michigan Wolverines (30)
John Beilein has much to do with the high number of draft picks at Ann Arbor, as almost a third of the picks happened during his 12 year tenure at the head of the Wolverines basketball program.
#5 - Kansas Jayhawks (36)
This season, the Jayhawks ended a four-year streak of first-round picks, as none of its players were among the top-30 picks. Despite a very successful 2010s, the Jayhawks are still far away from the top-3.
#4 - UCLA Bruins (43)
During John Wooden's tenure at the helm of the Bruins, the program's legacy was created. An important part of that legacy were the 11 first-round picks he helped create. Seven of those 11 picks were top-three picks.
#3 - North Carolina Tar Heels (53)
For a long time, the North Carolina Tar Heels led this list. Athough they don't anymore, they still hold the most combined NBA championships won by their alumni (37) a record for which they are tied with the UCLA Bruins.
#2 - Duke Blue Devils (56)
It was a tale of two eras during Mike Krzyzewski tenure at Duke. During the first half of Krzyzewski's time at Durham, he produced only one first-round pick. In the one and done era, the coach produced 29 first-round picks.
#1 - Kentucky Wildcats (60)
During 14 seasons, the Wildcats have had at least one player being picked in the first round of the draft.
In the first season of that record, John Calipari produced an outstanding five first-round picks in the 2010 NBA Draft. This year, the top-ranked American in the draft, Reed Sheppard, was a product of the Lexington school.