List of Illinois Fighting Illini in the NBA Draft
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The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, has had 68 players drafted into the National Basketball Association (NBA) since the league began holding the yearly event in 1947. Each NBA franchise seeks to add new players through an annual draft. The NBA uses a draft lottery to determine the first three picks of the NBA draft; the 14 teams that did not make the playoffs the previous year are eligible to participate. After the first three picks are decided, the rest of the teams pick in reverse order of their win–loss record. To be eligible for the NBA Draft, a player in the United States must be at least 19 years old during the calendar year of the draft and must be at least one year removed from the graduation of his high school class.
The drafts held between 1947 and 1949 were held by the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The BAA became the National Basketball Association after absorbing teams from the National Basketball League in the fall of 1949. Official NBA publications include the BAA Drafts as part of the NBA's draft history. From 1967 until the ABA–NBA merger in 1976, the American Basketball Association (ABA) held its own draft.
Through the 2013 NBA draft, a Fighting Illini has been chosen first round of the draft 15 times in the history of the event with Meyers Leonard being the latest in 2012.
Key
G | Guard | F | Forward | C | Center |
* | Selected to an NBA/ABA All-Star Game | ||||
† | Won an NBA/ABA championship | ||||
‡ | Selected to an All-Star Game and won an NBA/ABA championship |
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Players selected in the BAA and NBA drafts
Year | League | Round | Pick | Overall | Name | Position | Team | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1947 | BAA | — | — | — | Phillip, AndyAndy Phillip‡ | G, F | Chicago Stags | Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee (1961) NBA Champion (1957) NBA All-Star (1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955) |
— | — | — | Vance, GeneGene Vance | G, F | Chicago Stags | — | ||
1948 | BAA | — | — | — | Burmaster, JackJack Burmaster | G | St. Louis Bombers | — |
1950 | NBA | — | — | — | Erickson, BillBill Erickson | G | Tri-Cities Blackhawks | — |
2 | 18 | — | Osterkorn, WallyWally Osterkorn† | F, C | Chicago Stags | 1955) | NBA Champion (||
1951 | NBA | 1 | 9 | — | Sunderlage, DonDon Sunderlage* | G | Philadelphia Warriors | 1954) | NBA All-Star (
7 | 73 | — | Beach, TedTed Beach | F | Indianapolis Olympians | — | ||
1952 | NBA | — | — | — | Fletcher, RodRod Fletcher | G | Minneapolis Lakers | — |
1953 | NBA | — | — | — | Bemoras, IrvIrv Bemoras | G, F | Milwaukee Hawks | — |
— | — | — | Bredar, JimJim Bredar | G | Ft. Wayne Pistons | — | ||
— | — | — | Peterson, BobBob Peterson | F | Baltimore Bullets | — | ||
1954 | NBA | 1 | 9 | — | Kerr, JohnnyJohnny Kerr‡ | C, F | Syracuse Nationals | 1955) NBA All-Star (1956, 1959, 1963) NBA Coach of the Year (1967) | NBA Champion (
1956 | NBA | — | — | — | Judson, PaulPaul Judson | G | Syracuse Nationals | — |
1957 | NBA | 1 | 7 | — | Bon Salle, GeorgeGeorge Bon Salle | F | Syracuse Nationals | |
2 | - | 11 | Schmidt, HarvHarv Schmidt | F | Minneapolis Lakers | |||
1958 | NBA | 5 | - | 36 | Ohl, DonDon Ohl* | G | Philadelphia Warriors | 1963, 1964, 1965), 1966), 1967) | NBA All-Star (
1959 | NBA | 5 | 5 | - | Taylor, RogerRoger Taylor | G | Syracuse Nationals | — |
1961 | NBA | 8 | 8 | - | Wessels, JohnJohn Wessels | C | Chicago Packers | - |
1963 | NBA | 3 | - | 24 | Burwell, BillBill Burwell | G | St. Louis Hawks | — |
4 | - | 30 | Downey, DaveDave Downey | F | San Francisco Warriors | - | ||
5 | - | 40 | Small, BillBill Small | G | Detroit Pistons | — | ||
1965 | NBA | 2 | 4 | 12 | Brody, TalTal Brody | G | Baltimore Bullets | |
5 | - | - | Thoren, SkipSkip Thoren | C | Baltimore Bullets | — | ||
6 | 7 | 50 | Redmon, BogieBogie Redmon | F | Baltimore Bullets | — | ||
1966 | NBA | 3 | - | 29 | Freeman, DonnieDonnie Freeman‡ | G | Philadelphia 76ers | 1973) ABA All-Star (1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972) All-ABA First Team (1972) | ABA Champion (
1967 | NBA | 16 | - | - | Dawson, JimJim Dawson | G | Chicago Bulls | — |
1968 | NBA | 2 | 5 | 19 | Dunlap, RonRon Dunlap | C | Chicago Bulls | - |
1969 | NBA | 4 | - | 52 | Kuberski, SteveSteve Kuberski | F/C | Boston Celtics | 1974, 1976) | NBA Champion (
4 | - | 56 | Scholz, DaveDave Scholz | F | Philadelphia 76ers | |||
15 | 6 | - | Harrison, JodieJodie Harrison | G | Baltimore Bullets | — | ||
1970 | NBA | 1 | 17 | - | Price, MikeMike Price | G | New York Knicks | — |
1971 | NBA | 9 | 16 | - | Howat, RickRick Howat | G | Milwaukee Bucks | — |
1973 | NBA | 1 | 13 | - | Weatherspoon, NickNick Weatherspoon | F | Capital Bullets | 1974) | NBA All-Rookie First Team (
8 | 11 | - | Dawson, JeffJeff Dawson | G | Golden State Warriors | — | ||
10 | 2 | - | Connor, NickNick Connor | F, C | Buffalo Braves | - | ||
1975 | NBA | 6 | - | 91 | Schmidt, RickRick Schmidt | F | New Orleans Jazz | — |
1976 | NBA | 5 | - | 69 | Williams, NateNate Williams | G | Chicago Bulls | |
10 | - | 169 | Tucker, OthoOtho Tucker | G | Boston Celtics | — | ||
1978 | NBA | 4 | – | 86 | Adams, RichRich Adams | F | San Antonio Spurs | - |
6 | - | 117 | Matthews, AudieAudie Matthews | F | Detroit Pistons | — | ||
1978 | NBA | 6 | - | 117 | Bresnahan, NeilNeil Bresnahan | F | Golden State Warriors | — |
1981 | NBA | 2 | 7 | 29 | Johnson, EddieEddie Johnson | F | Kansas City Kings | NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1989) |
3 | 4 | 50 | Holcomb, DerekDerek Holcomb | C | Portland Trailblazers | — | ||
3 | 18 | 64 | Smith, MarkMark Smith | F | Milwaukee Bucks | — | ||
1982 | NBA | 3 | – | 57 | Tucker, CraigCraig Tucker | G | New York Knicks | - |
4 | - | 80 | Griffin, JamesJames Griffin | C | New Jersey Nets | — | ||
7 | - | 143 | Range, PerryPerry Range | G | Kansas City Kings | — | ||
8 | - | 181 | Leonard, BrianBrian Leonard | F | Milwaukee Bucks | — | ||
1983 | NBA | 1 | 11 | - | Harper, DerekDerek Harper | G | Dallas Mavericks | NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1987, 1990) |
1985 | NBA | 2 | 15 | 39 | Montgomery, GeorgeGeorge Montgomery | C | Portland Trail Blazers | - |
1986 | NBA | 3 | - | 57 | Douglas, BruceBruce Douglas | G | Sacramento Kings | - |
3 | - | 62 | Welch, AnthonyAnthony Welch | F | Dallas Mavericks | - | ||
4 | - | 74 | Meents, ScottScott Meents | F | Chicago Bulls | — | ||
4 | - | 88 | Winters, EfremEfrem Winters | F | Atlanta Hawks | — | ||
1987 | NBA | 1 | 19 | - | Norman, KenKen Norman | F | Los Angeles Clippers | - |
6 | - | 125 | Altenberger, DougDoug Altenberger | G, F | Chicago Bulls | — | ||
1989 | NBA | 1 | 11 | - | Anderson, NickNick Anderson | G, F | Orlando Magic | 1995) | NBA Eastern Conference Champion (
1 | 27 | - | Battle, KennyKenny Battle | F | Detroit Pistons | — | ||
1989 | NBA | 1 | 5 | - | Gill, KendallKendall Gill | G, F | Charlotte Hornets | 1991) | NBA All-Rookie First Team (
2 | - | 41 | Bardo, StephenStephen Bardo | G | Atlanta Hawks | — | ||
2 | - | 42 | Liberty, MarcusMarcus Liberty | F | Denver Nuggets | — | ||
1994 | NBA | 2 | - | 28 | Thomas, DeonDeon Thomas | F | Dallas Mavericks | — |
2002 | NBA | 1 | 25 | - | Williams, FrankFrank Williams | G | Denver Nuggets | — |
2 | 3 | 32 | Archibald, RobertRobert Archibald | C, F | Memphis Grizzlies | — | ||
2003 | NBA | 1 | 24 | - | Cook, BrianBrian Cook | F, C | Los Angeles Lakers | — |
2005 | NBA | 1 | 3 | - | Williams, DeronDeron Williams* | G | Utah Jazz | United States Olympic Gold Medalist (2008, 2012) NBA All-Star (2010, 2011, 2012) NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge (2008) All-NBA Second Team (2008, 2010) All-NBA Rookie First Team (2006) |
1 | 24 | - | Head, LutherLuther Head | F | Houston Rockets | 2006 | All-NBA Rookie Second Team (||
2006 | NBA | 2 | 11 | 41 | Augustine, JamesJames Augustine | F, C | Orlando Magic | — |
2 | 16 | 46 | Brown, DeeDee Brown | G | Utah Jazz | — | ||
2012 | NBA | 1 | 11 | - | Leonard, MeyersMeyers Leonard | C | Portland Trail Blazers | — |