Being selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft is one of the most exclusive honors in professional basketball. Not every great player has received this designation—Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown were never selected first overall. The list of colleges that have produced even one No. 1 NBA pick is much smaller. Since the draft began in 1947, only 46 schools have achieved this distinction.
The NBA Draft’s first overall selection has frequently come from a Division I college basketball program, with the first-ever pick, Clifton McNeely, coming from Texas Wesleyan in 1947. Since then, college programs have continued to supply elite talent to the NBA. Here is a breakdown of every college that has produced a No. 1 overall pick in NBA Draft history.
- Duke has produced the most No. 1 NBA Draft picks with five: Art Heyman (1963), Elton Brand (1999), Kyrie Irving (2011), Zion Williamson (2019), and Paolo Banchero (2022).
- Only 46 colleges have had a No. 1 NBA Draft pick, with Kentucky producing three, and 16 schools tied with two each, including Kansas, UCLA, and LSU.
- The last three NCAA No. 1 picks were Paolo Banchero (Duke, 2022), Cade Cunningham (Oklahoma State, 2021), and Anthony Edwards (Georgia, 2020), while France produced the top picks in 2023 and 2024.
Duke: The Only Program With Five No. 1 Picks
Duke University leads all schools with five No. 1 NBA Draft picks, more than any other program. The school’s first No. 1 selection was Art Heyman, drafted in 1963 by the New York Knicks. Elton Brand was selected first overall in 1999 by the Chicago Bulls. In 2011, the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted Kyrie Irving at No. 1. Zion Williamson went first in 2019, selected by the New Orleans Pelicans, and Paolo Banchero was picked No. 1 in 2022 by the Orlando Magic.
Among these players, Irving is the only one who has led his team to an NBA Championship, winning with the Cavaliers. Collectively, Duke’s No. 1 picks have received three NBA Rookie of the Year awards and 13 NBA All-Star selections. All five were named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Duke’s next possible addition is Cooper Flagg, who is widely projected as the No. 1 pick for the 2025 NBA Draft.
The school’s long-standing success, especially under high-profile coaches and in nationally televised games, has also made Duke games a regular favorite for fans engaged in New York sports betting, where interest in college basketball and NBA draft odds keeps rising.
Kentucky: Three First Overall Picks from a Powerhouse Program
The University of Kentucky has produced three No. 1 picks: John Wall in 2010, Anthony Davis in 2012, and Karl-Anthony Towns in 2015. Wall was drafted by the Washington Wizards, Davis by the New Orleans Hornets, and Towns by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Each of these Kentucky players earned a spot on the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Towns won the NBA Rookie of the Year award for the 2015–16 season. Davis won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
Colleges With Two No. 1 NBA Draft Picks
Sixteen schools have produced exactly two No. 1 overall NBA Draft picks. These are:
- Cincinnati: Oscar Robertson (1960), Kenyon Martin (2000)
- Duquesne: Dick Ricketts (1955), Si Green (1956)
- Georgetown: Patrick Ewing (1985), Allen Iverson (1996)
- Houston: Elvin Hayes (1968), Hakeem Olajuwon (1984)
- Indiana: Walt Bellamy (1961), Kent Benson (1977)
- Kansas: Danny Manning (1988), Andrew Wiggins (2014)
- Kansas State: Howie Shannon (1949), Bob Boozer (1959)
- LSU: Shaquille O’Neal (1992), Ben Simmons (2016)
- Maryland: John Lucas (1976), Joe Smith (1995)
- Michigan: Cazzie Russell (1966), Chris Webber (1993)
- North Carolina: James Worthy (1982), Brad Daugherty (1986)
- Purdue: Joe Barry Carroll (1980), Glenn Robinson (1994)
- UCLA: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969), Bill Walton (1974)
- UNLV: Larry Johnson (1991), Anthony Bennett (2013)
- Utah: Bill McGill (1962), Andrew Bogut (2005)
- West Virginia: Mark Workman (1952), Hot Rod Hundley (1957)
Schools With One No. 1 Pick in NBA History
Thirty-one schools have produced one No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick. These are:
- Arizona: Deandre Ayton (2018)
- Bowling Green: Chuck Share (1950)
- Bradley: Gene Melchiorre (1951)
- Davidson: Fred Hetzel (1965)
- DePaul: Mark Aguirre (1981)
- Furman: Frank Selvy (1954)
- Georgia: Anthony Edwards (2020)
- Illinois State: Doug Collins (1973)
- LIU Brooklyn: Ray Felix (1953)
- Louisville: Pervis Ellison (1989)
- Loyola Chicago: LaRue Martin (1972)
- Marshall: Andy Tonkovich (1948)
- Memphis: Derrick Rose (2008)
- Michigan State: Magic Johnson (1979)
- Minnesota: Mychal Thompson (1978)
- Navy: David Robinson (1987)
- NC State: David Thompson (1975)
- Notre Dame: Austin Carr (1971)
- Ohio State: Greg Oden (2007)
- Oklahoma: Blake Griffin (2009)
- Oklahoma State: Cade Cunningham (2021)
- Pacific: Michael Olowokandi (1998)
- Providence: Jimmy Walker (1967)
- Seattle: Elgin Baylor (1958)
- St. Bonaventure: Bob Lanier (1970)
- Syracuse: Derrick Coleman (1990)
- Texas Wesleyan: Clifton McNeely (1947)
- Texas Western: Jim Barnes (1964)
- Virginia: Ralph Sampson (1983)
- Wake Forest: Tim Duncan (1997)
- Washington: Markelle Fultz (2017)
Conferences Producing the Most NBA Talent
Based on draft history through 2022, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) had 285 first-round picks, representing about 20 percent of all Division I players selected in that span. Other top-performing conferences include the Big Ten, SEC, and Pac-12.
As of 2024, Kentucky leads all schools in total first-round NBA Draft picks with 60, followed by Duke with 56, and North Carolina with 54. UCLA has had 43, Kansas 36, and schools like Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio State each fall between 25 and 30.
Recent No. 1 Picks and Trends
The most recent No. 1 NBA Draft pick, selected in 2024, was Zaccharie Risacher, a French prospect chosen by the Atlanta Hawks. This marked the second consecutive year that a French player was selected first overall. In 2023, the San Antonio Spurs drafted Victor Wembanyama, also from France.
In 2022, Paolo Banchero from Duke was selected No. 1 by the Orlando Magic. Cade Cunningham from Oklahoma State went No. 1 in 2021, and Anthony Edwards from Georgia was the top pick in 2020, selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Cunningham and Edwards were the first No. 1 picks in their respective schools’ histories.
