Top 5 all-time No. 1 NBA draft picks from SEC ft. Shaquille O'Neal
The Southeastern Conference is tied with the Atlantic Coast Conference for the most number of No. 1 NBA picks since 1992 with six.
The first SEC player to become the top pick was the 7-foot-1 center from LSU named Shaquille O'Neal in 1992. Then, it took 18 years before Kentucky guard John Wall went No. 1 in 2010.
Wall kick-started the surge wherein five SEC players were chosen as the top pick from 2010-2020. The others were Anthony Davis (2012), Karl-Anthony Towns (2015), Ben Simmons (2016) and Anthony Edwards (2020).
With this in mind, here are the top five all-time No. 1 NBA draft picks from the SEC.
Top five all-time No. 1 NBA draft picks from the SEC
#5, Anthony Edwards, Georgia
The 6-foot-4 Edwards, the top shooting guard in the 2019 class, picked Georgia over offers from Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina. The 2019 McDonald's All-American played 32 games with the Bulldogs, averaging 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
Edwards was the nation's top scorer among freshmen and earned second-team All-SEC and SEC Freshman of the Year honors. In March 2020, he declared for the NBA draft and was picked No. 1 by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In his first game with the Timberwolves, Edwards showed his potential right away as he tallied 15 points, four rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes. On March 18, 2021, he became the third youngest player to score 40 points in NBA history when he dropped 42 against the Phoenix Suns. In 72 games, he averaged 19.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.9 apg and 1.1 spg to be named All-Rookie first team.
From his excellent rookie season, he gradually took over the scoring reins for the Timberwolves and became the leader of the young squad under coach Chris Finch. In the 2023-24 season, Edwards led Minnesota to a 56-26 record, averaging 25.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 5.1 apg and 1.3 spg.
#4, John Wall, Kentucky
Wall picked Kentucky over Duke, Georgia Tech and Kansas after an eventful high school stint where he was rated as a five-star guard by Rivals, Scout and 247 Sports. He played 37 games for Kentucky, averaging 16.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 6.5 apg and 1.8 spg.
His talent and playmaking skills led Washington to pick him as the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA draft. In his rookie season, he played 69 games, tallying 16.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 8.3 apg and 1.8 spg. He finished second behind Blake Griffin in the Rookie of the Year and won the All-Rookie first-team honors.
Wall played the next eight seasons with Washington, where he averaged a double-double in points and assists three times. He led the Wizards to four playoff appearances between 2014 and 2018 and was a four-time All-Star.
Washington traded Wall and a 2023 lottery-protected first-round pick to Houston in 2020 in exchange for Russell Westbrook. He appeared in 40 games for the Rockets, and in June 2022, his contract was bought out.
He signed with the LA Clippers for the 2022-23 season and was traded back to the Rockets in February.
#3, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky
Towns committed to play for Kentucky in December 2012 and played for the Wildcats two seasons later. The center played under a platoon system employed by John Calipari to give enough playing time to his one-and-done recruits.
He appeared in 39 games in the 2014-15 season, tallying 10.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.1 apg and 2.3 bpg. It's worth mentioning that he played just 21.1 minutes per game thanks to Calipari's system that limited playing time.
The lack of production did not faze Minnesota as he was picked No. 1 in the 2015 draft. Towns had a splendid rookie season, playing all 82 games and averaging 18.3 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.0 apg and 1.7 bpg as the league's Rookie of the Year.
KAT is part of Minnesota's strong core alongside Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley and he's one of the best shooting big men in the league in the current era, as he is a 39.8% shooter from the 3-point line.
#2, Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Anthony Davis played for a season under Calipari in Kentucky in 2011-12 and set various national records during his one-season stint with the Wildcats. He held the NCAA freshman record for blocked shots in a season (186) and tied for the most blocks in a national championship game with six.
Davis led the Wildcats to their last NCAA championship in 2012 and was the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player. His achievements in college were enough for him to be picked No. 1 by the New Orleans Hornets in the 2012 NBA draft.
Davis played for seven seasons with the Hornets/Pelicans as the team's main man. He was shipped to the LA Lakers in 2019 in exchange for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round picks.
His trade to the Lakers proved to be fruitful as he helped LeBron James win the franchise's 17th title. They also won the 2023 In-Season Tournament.
Davis has career averages of 24.1 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 2.5 apg, 2.3 bpg and 1.3 spg.
#1. Shaquille O'Neal, LSU
Shaquille O'Neal was a monster in the paint in three seasons with LSU. He appeared in 90 games for the Tigers and averaged 21.6 ppg, 13.5 rpg, 4.6 bpg and 1.7 apg before being picked No. 1 by the Orlando Magic in the 1992 NBA draft.
O'Neal helped the Magic win 41 games as the 1992-93 Rookie of the Year, averaging 23.4 ppg, 13.9 rpg and 3.5 bpg. He was also the first rookie to be voted as All-Star starter since Michael Jordan in 1985. It was in 1996 that he signed as a free agent with the LA Lakers, where he formed a partnership with Kobe Bryant.
The tumultuous partnership gave O'Neal three titles and three NBA Finals MVP awards between 2000 and 2002. He was a champion again in 2006 with the Miami Heat alongside Dwyane Wade.
He retired in 2011 with a ton of awards, including eight All-NBA first-team selections, three NBA All-Star Game MVPs and the 1999-2000 regular season MVP award.