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The NBA Draft had a format change in the 1989 edition of the NBA, when the competition established the current two-round Draft we know today.
It is no secret that there are great basketball college programs that attract highly-talented amateur players and hone their skills before they enter the NBA. In this article, we will have a look at the five colleges to have produced the most NBA Draft picks since the draft's format change in 1989.
5 colleges to have produced the most NBA Draft picks since 1989
Well-known college basketball programs like Duke and Kentucky have been known to produce solid NBA talent and highly-rated players in the NBA Draft for years.
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Before 1989, the NBA Draft format had several rounds, with teams selecting eligible players until the talent pool got exhausted. From 1985 to 1988, the NBA Draft comprised of seven rounds while the league's early decades saw more than 20 rounds more than once.
So, without further ado, let us take a look at the five colleges to have produced the most NBA Draft picks in the last 31 years.
#T4 North Carolina - 41
The University of North Carolina has produced incredible NBA players like Hall-of-Fame members Michael Jordan, Bob McAdoo, Billy Cunningham and James Worthy throughout its history.
Since 1989, when the two-round format of the NBA Draft was introduced, 41 players from North Carolina have been selected by NBA teams, which is the fifth-most draft picks produced by any college during this period.
Out of these picks, only eight have been second-round selections while 33 were first-round picks (which is the third-most by any college since 1989).
Despite ranking third among colleges with most NCAA championships with six (behind UCLA's 11 and Kentucky's eight), only two UNC players have been selected first overall in the NBA Draft: James Worthy in 1982 and Brad Daugherty in 1986.
#T4 Arizona - 41
The University of Arizona basketball program has had 72 players selected in the NBA Draft overall, with 41 of them selected on NBA Draft night since 1989.
Arizona, along with UCLA, ranks in the top five among first-round draft picks selected since 1989, with 21 apiece. They have produced 20 second-round picks during this period, which ranks them second among colleges to have produced the most NBA Draft picks since 1989 (UCLA leads the list with 22).
In the 2018 NBA Draft, Deandre Ayton, who was selected with the first overall pick by the Phoenix Suns, became the first player in the history of Arizona's men's basketball program to be selected as the top pick in an NBA Draft.
Since the 2004 NBA Draft, eight players from Arizona have been picked in the Top 10 of the first round.
Steve Kerr, Andre Iguodala, Richard Jefferson, Damon Stoudamire, Gilbert Arenas and Mike Bibby are among prominent former Arizona players who went on to have success in their NBA careers.
Arizona has reached the National Championship game twice in their history (1997 and 2001), winning one National Championship (1997).
#3 UCLA - 43
The University of California Los Angeles basketball program ranks third among colleges to have produced the most NBA Draft picks (43) since the two-round draft format was introduced in 1989.
Of these picks, 21 were selected in the first round (which is tied for fifth-most with Arizona). UCLA's 22 second-round draft picks are the most by any college since 1989.
Arizona has the most NCAA championships with 11, but only one of them came after 1989, which might have had an effect on the number of NBA Draft picks produced by the college during this period.
UCLA has had two players selected first overall in the NBA Draft: centers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor) in 1969 and Bill Walton in 1974.
Only three UCLA players have been selected in the top five of the NBA Draft since 2008: Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook and Lonzo Ball.
#2 Duke - 53
Duke ranks second among colleges to have produced the most NBA Draft picks (53) since 1989; 39 of these players were chosen in the first round, which is the second-most by any college in the last 31 years.
Three players from Duke - Elton Brand, Kyrie Irving and Zion Williamson - have been selected first overall in the NBA Draft since 1989. Only Kentucky has had as many first overall NBA Draft picks during this period.
Mike Krzyzewski has coached Duke since 1980. He has imbibed a winning culture in players to have attended the college's basketball program. That is especially evident in the multiple players from Duke who have got selected in the NBA Draft since 2011.
Duke has won five NCAA titles with Krzyzewski at the helm; so it is not surprising to see the school produce a significant number of NBA players over the years.
#1 Kentucky - 54
The University of Kentucky has produced incredible NBA talent in recent years, especially since 1989.
NBA teams have selected 54 players from Kentucky in the NBA Draft since 1989, which is the highest from any college during this period.
Of these picks, 40 have been first-round selections, and three - John Wall, Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns - have been first overall picks in the NBA Draft. Kentucky are tied with Duke for the most number one picks since 1989.
Kentucky has had a storied basketball legacy; their tally of eight NCAA championships, which is the second-most by any college, is ample proof of the same.
Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rajon Rondo, Devin Booker, Bam Adebayo, DeMarcus Cousins, Tyler Herro and De'Aaron Fox are some of the current NBA players who honed their basketball skills in Kentucky.
Also read: NBA Draft - A deep-dive into the history of international players.
