The NBA Draft is finally here, and Duke’s Cooper Flagg has become this year’s No. 1 overall pick, getting selected by the Dallas Mavericks. This raises the question: Which school has produced the most No. 1 draft picks?
While several schools have produced just one No. 1 draft pick, some have never produced even one. Schools that have produced more than one, however, are considered the elite.
Top 10 Schools That Have Produced the Most No. 1 Draft Picks Heading into the 2025 NBA Draft
3. 16 schools tied for third place — 2 No. 1 Draft Picks
There is a 16-school tie for third place with the most No. 1 NBA draft picks. These are North Carolina, UCLA, Kansas, Indiana, Michigan, Maryland, UNLV, LSU, Georgetown, Utah, Houston, Cincinnati, Purdue, Kansas State, West Virginia, and Duquesne.
Duquesne had No. 1 selections for two years in a row, with Dick Ricketts in 1955 and Sihugo Green in 1956. West Virginia also had two in the 1950s — Mark Workman in 1952 and Hundley in 1957. Kansas State, which is still considered a powerhouse school, had Howie Shannon in 1949 and Bob Boozer in 1959.
The Purdue Boilermakers also had two, with John Barry Carroll in 1980 and Glenn Robinson, an NBA All-Star, in 1994. Cincinnati produced Kenyon Martin (2000) and Oscar Robertson (1960), while Houston produced Elvin Hayes (1968) and two-time NBA champion Hakeem Olajuwon (1984). Utah, on the other hand, had Bill McGill (1962) and Andrew Bogut (2005).
Georgetown produced two greats in Patrick Ewing (1985) and Allen Iverson (1996), while LSU produced Shaquille O’Neal (1992) and Ben Simmons (2016). UNLV had Larry Johnson (1991) and Anthony Bennett (2013), while Maryland had Joe Smith (1995) and John Lucas (1976). Meanwhile, Michigan had Cazzie Russell (1966) and Chris Webber (1993).
Indiana gave the NBA Walt Bellamy (1961) and Kent Benson (1977), while Kansas had Danny Manning (1988) and Andrew Wiggins (2014). UCLA produced two greats in Lew Alcindor (1969) and Bill Walton (1974), while North Carolina had James Worthy (1982) and Brad Daugherty (1986).
2. Kentucky — 3 No. 1 draft picks
The Kentucky Wildcats is the only team to have produced three No. 1 draft picks, and all of them became NBA All-Stars. They are John Wall (2010), Anthony Davis (2012), and Karl-Anthony Towns (2015).
1. Duke — 5 No. 1 Draft Picks
It comes as no surprise that the team with the most No. 1 NBA draft picks is the Duke Blue Devils. Five, and soon possibly six, No. 1 draft picks came from Durham. They are Art Heyman (1963), Elton Brand (1999), Kyrie Irving (2011), Zion Williamson (2019), and Paolo Banchero (2022). Right now, Duke’s Cooper Flagg is the favorite to be the No. 1 draft pick by the Dallas Mavericks.
