Arizona Leads Nation in NBA Draft Picks Since 1988 - ARIZONAWILDCATS.COM - The University of Arizona Wildcats Official Athletic Site

Arizona Leads Nation in NBA Draft Picks Since 1988

15 of 34 picks have been first-rounders

NBA Commissioner David Stern (left) regularly has welcomed Arizona Wildcats to the draft stage. He is pictured with 2011 draftee Derrick Williams.

June 29, 2012

TUCSON, Ariz. - For a generation, no school's name has been called more often than the University of Arizona when it comes to the National Basketball Association Draft.

Since 1988, Arizona leads the nation with 34 selections in that span. That figure amounts to more than half of the 63 players in Arizona history to be drafted by NBA organizations.

Most NBA Draft Choices since 1988

1.  ARIZONA	     34
    Kentucky	     34
    Duke	     34
4.  Kansas	     31
5.  North Carolina   30
    UCLA	     30

Since 1988, Arizona has had at least one player selected in 20 of those 24 seasons. Of those picks, 15 were first-rounders and 11 were Lottery Picks.

Three of Arizona's last four NBA Draft picks have been first-round picks (Jerryd Bayless/11th/2008; Jordan Hill/8th/2009; Derrick Williams/2nd/2011) and nine of UA's last 10 first-round selections have been Lottery Picks.