When it comes to sending players to the league, Kentucky isn’t playing around. With 29 active NBA players, they lead the charge in 2025 — and not just as role players. These are straight-up stars.
Right behind them? Duke, with 24 players showing out in the league. Sure, Kyrie Irving is sidelined with a torn ACL, but his resume—18,433 career points, 4,364 assists, nine All-Star selections — still sets the standard.
UCLA has been feeding the league elite talent for decades, and 2025 is no different. Russell Westbrook is still breaking physics with his triple-doubles, and Jrue Holiday’s resume is all class: an NBA title with the Bucks in 2021 and another with the Celtics just last season.
If you haven’t been watching Lauri Markkanen, you’re missing a clinic in stretch-big evolution. The 7-footer is second only to Dirk Nowitzki in career three-pointers among 7-footers. DeAndre Ayton and Bennedict Mathurin are also carrying the Wildcats’ torch, mixing size with finesse and a bit of swagger.
Want hustle and heart? Bobby Portis is your guy. The Razorback-turned-Bucks cult hero is still grinding in Year 10, averaging 19 points and 11 boards per 36 minutes. His high motor is matched by a deep group of Arkansas talent quietly thriving across the league.
Gonzaga might’ve ditched the “mid-major” label years ago, but in the NBA? They’re thriving. Domantas Sabonis is a double-double machine—384 of them since 2016, fifth-most in that span. Chet Holmgren and Rui Hachimura round out a roster of Zags turning heads on NBA courts.
Joel Embiid is the ultimate “what if” player. When healthy, he’s a top-three talent. The problem is, health has been a cruel enemy. He’s missed his first two seasons and averaged just 50 games per year since. But when he’s on? Kansas’ NBA rep goes from good to elite real quick.
DeMar DeRozan is knocking on the door of 25,000 career points — a feat only 26 other players have pulled off. That alone makes him USC’s GOAT in the NBA, miles ahead of guys like Nikola Vucevic. Not bad for a school better known for football than hoops.
Franz Wagner is making serious noise. Still just 22, he already has 121 games with 20+ points and is posting monster lines this season—13 games with 25+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists. Throw in Jordan Poole and Duncan Robinson, and Michigan’s NBA clout is growing fast.
Kevin Durant isn’t just a Longhorn legend — he’s a living, breathing bucket. One of only eight players ever to score 30,000 points, he’s a 15-time All-Star and former MVP. Say what you want, KD owns the Texas-to-NBA pipeline.
Baylor has come a long way. Seventeen of its 31 NBA players have debuted in just the last decade. Taurean Prince, with his 38% career clip from downtown, has quietly become a trusted vet across six teams. What used to be a defense-first program now pumps out real-deal pros.
