The 2023 NBA Draft takes place Thursday night in Brooklyn as we'll see a new wave of stars joining the league. In an interesting twist this year, a number of the top prospects didn't play college basketball. That said, a ton of college stars will be selected in the first round, giving their respective programs bragging rights in the process. Here's a look at the schools that have produced the most first-round picks since the NBA started the draft back in 1950.
Not surprisingly, the team with the most first-round picks is Kentucky. The blue blood SEC program has produced 57 first-rounders, including two in 2022 (Shaedon Sharpe and TyTy Washington).
Coming in just behind Kentucky are basketball's fiercest rivals tied in second. Yes, North Carolina and Duke have both churned out 53 first-rounders. Duke should get an edge here because the Blue Devils have produced the most No. 1 overall picks with five -- the last being Paolo Banchero in 2022. Kentucky has the second-most No. 1 overall selections with three.
UCLA lays claim to 40 first-rounders, Kansas is at 35, Michigan has 28, Indiana and Arizona have 26 and Louisville, Syracuse and Ohio State have all produced 24.
This article was originally published on thebiglead as Which College Has the Most First-Round Picks in NBA Draft History?.
