College basketball programs produce some aspiring and professional players, most of whom attend the National Basketball Association (NBA). Earlier, the top-performing players could enter the NBA draft fresh out of high school, but the rule was altered in 2006, suggesting the players should be at least 19 years old before declaring for the draft.
However, most players compete for at least one year at the college level, validating their abilities against some of the elite players in the U.S. while competing for an NCAA championship.
Getting back to the point, the University of Kentucky has the most current NBA players. The first round of the NBA draft will be held on June 25, 2025, and the second round will occur on June 26, 2025. In the wake of this, let’s have a look at the Top 5 Most NBA-loaded college basketball programs of all time.
No. 5. Arkansas Razorbacks
The Arkansas Razorbacks have produced 11 current NBA players. Bobby Portis is the team’s key player. While competing for the Razorbacks, he was recognised as one of the top players in the program’s history. During his sophomore season, he became the first player in the history of the NCAA tournament to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.
No. 4. University of Arizona
Arizona has drafted 12 current NBA players, including the only 7-foot player in the NBA’s history, Lauri Markkanen. Markkanen is a key player to look up to. While playing at Arizona, the 7-footer was a third-team All-American in 2017 and a finalist for the Wooden Award, including the Karl Malone Award.
No. 3. UCLA
UCLA has produced 14 current NBA players; the team stands in the 5th position in the 2024-25 Big Ten Conference. Russell Westbrook and Jrue Holiday are the key players to look for in the tournament. During the year of 2017, Westbrook won the MVP award and became the only player to average a triple-double since Oscar Robertson 55 years ago, and he eventually continued it to register for three more seasons.
The Philadelphia 76ers selected Holiday in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft. They were also a member of the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
No. 2. Duke University
Duke University has the second-most current NBA players with the No. of 24, including the key players like Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum, Duke is the all-time fourth in wins of any NCAA men’s basketball program.
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No. 1. University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, or the Kentucky Wildcats, is the top stop on the list. The program has produced the current 29 NBA players, including some key players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Davis.
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