Colleges That Have Produced the Most NBA Draft Picks in the Last Decade

One beautiful part of the NBA draft is how diverse basketball stories converge in one place.

There are prospects from outside the United States. There are players who chose a less traditional path, spending time in training grounds such as the G League or Overtime Elite. And then, most popularly, there is the college route.

Duke and Kentucky are two of several programs that have become known as NBA pipelines. Since the 2013 draft, both schools have celebrated at least 28 selections.

Five others, though, have a dozen-plus picks.

The list is based solely on the total number of NBA draft selections. Neither pro production nor undrafted players—as valuable as some may be—are considered.

Honorable Mentions

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Domantas Sabonis

Gonzaga headlines the teams that are closest to the cutoff of 12 draft picks in the last decade. Four more programs have reached double-digit selections, while seven schools have eight or nine choices.

• 11: Gonzaga
• 10: Florida State, Louisville, Michigan State, Oregon
• 9: Syracuse, Tennessee, Villanova
• 8: LSU, Maryland, Virginia, Washington

North Carolina Tar Heels

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Cole Anthony

North Carolina is a bit of a good news/bad news situation.

On the bright side, 12 former Tar Heels headed to the NBA as draft picks—including 10 first-rounders. That is objectively impressive.

However, the proud program hasn't really developed a star lately. Coby White, Cameron Johnson and Cole Anthony are important players for their squads, though not necessarily go-to options.

Reggie Bullock has carved out a decade-long career as a perimeter threat. But beyond him, UNC is basically pointing to reserves Justin Jackson, Nassir Little or Day'Ron Sharpe.

It's fair to suggest the Heels both remain a valued team and hope to begin producing All-Star talent again.

Kansas Jayhawks

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Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid

Kansas, meanwhile, boasts one of the league's best players. Joel Embiid is a six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection and the recently crowned MVP of the 2022-23 season.

Embiid headlines the Jayhawks' list of 13 draft selections, though the group also features Andrew Wiggins.

The top overall selection of the 2014 draft, Wiggins has enjoyed a late-career breakout with the Golden State Warriors. He earned an All-Star nod while helping the Warriors win an NBA title during the 2021-22 campaign.

Christian Braun also played a complementary role for the Denver Nuggets en route to their championship in 2022-23.

Other notable former Jayhawks are Ben McLemore, Kelly Oubre, Devonte' Graham, Svi Mykhailiuk and Ochai Agbaji.

UCLA Bruins

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Zach LaVine

What the Bruins lack in high-end talent, relatively speaking, they atone for it with a deep group of key rotational players.

Zach LaVine is the brightest of the 13-man bunch, owning a pair of All-Star selections during his time on the Chicago Bulls. Through the 2022-23 season, he's averaged 23.7-plus points in five straight years.

After him, UCLA has longtime contributors Kyle Anderson, Kevon Looney and Norman Powell. Each one has played in 449 games or more, and Looney has played a valuable role on two championship teams in Golden State. Aaron Holliday also has 308 appearances.

The wild card of the group is Lonzo Ball, who's been a quality player when healthy but missed 27-plus games—including the entire 2022-23 campaign—in five of his six seasons to date.

Michigan Wolverines

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Jordan Poole

From the 2001 draft through 2012, the Maize and Blue only had a pair of second-round NBA draft choices.

That trend has changed in a substantial way lately.

Among the 14 selections of the last decade, Michigan has developed nine opening-round picks. The biggest names are Tim Hardaway Jr, Caris LeVert and Jordan Poole, along with brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner. Poole won a championship with Golden State in 2021-22.

Nik Stauskas and Glenn Robinson III—both members of the 2014 draft cycle— also tallied 300-plus NBA appearances.

After that quiet 12-year stretch, Michigan is well-represented around the league once again.

Arizona Wildcats

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Lauri Markkanen and Deandre Ayton

Several players from Arizona had an excellent 2022-23 campaign.

Aaron Gordon started and shined for the title-winning Nuggets, while Lauri Markkanen earned Most Improved Player Award. Benn Mathurin also landed a first-team nod in All-Rookie voting, and Deandre Ayton averaged a double-double for the fifth straight year.

For good measure, Zeke Nnaji—although he didn't play much—celebrated a title with Gordon in Denver.

Ultimately, the Wildcats have enjoyed 15 draft picks in the last decade. Solomon Hill, Stanley Johnson and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson all surpassed 300 appearances, and Josh Green seems headed that direction.

Duke Blue Devils

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RJ Barrett and Jayson Tatum

Considering the profile of the Duke program, you're likely not surprised to read the Blue Devils have 28 draftees.

Jayson Tatum is among the game's top players. Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson are All-Stars, and Paolo Banchero may be tracking that direction after winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2022-23.

RJ Barrett, Tre Jones, Wendell Carter Jr., Grayson Allen and Mason Plumlee held starting jobs last season. Gary Trent Jr., Marvin Bagley III, Cam Reddish, Tyus Jones, Luke Kennard, AJ Griffin and Jalen Johnson each, at the very least, worked into rotational spots.

In short: Duke's fingerprints are all over the NBA.

Other recent familiar names are Jabari Parker, Rodney Hood, Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow.

Kentucky Wildcats

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The gold standard of talent production, though, is Big Blue. Kentucky has racked up 30 draft picks in our timeline.

During the 2022-23 season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander earned first-team All-NBA recognition. Julius Randle and De'Aaron Fox grabbed third-team honors. That trifecta went to the All-Star Game alongside Bam Adebayo, and Jamal Murray ushered the Nuggets to a title.

Devin Booker and Karl-Anthony Towns are three-time All-Stars. Keldon Johnson and Tyrese Maxey were 20-point scorers last season, and Tyler Herro won Sixth Man of the Year in 2021-22.

That is an exceptional list of standout talents.

So, hey, here's 10 more recognizable NBA regulars: Nerlens Noel, Willie Cauley-Stein, Trey Lyles, Malik Monk, Kevin Knox, Jarred Vanderbilt, Hamidou Diallo, PJ Washington, Immanuel Quickley and Shaedon Sharpe.