With Cooper Flagg’s selection in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks at No. 1, Duke now boasts six top overall picks in draft history (since 1947) — the most of any NCAA school.
Flagg joins Paolo Banchero (2022), Zion Williamson (2019), Kyrie Irving (2011), Elton Brand (1999) and Art Heyman (1963) as Blue Devils to hear their names called to start off draft night.
After Duke, Kentucky has the next most top picks with three — Karl Anthony-Towns (2015), Anthony Davis (2012) and John Wall (2010).
📊 DRAFT DATA: College basketball schools with the most NBA 1st-round draft picks, all time
The Cleveland Cavaliers have selected first overall a league-high six times, most recently selecting Andrew Wiggins out of Kansas in 2014. The Cavs have also taken Anthony Bennett out of UNLV (2013), Irving (2011), LeBron James from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School (2003), Brad Daugherty of UNC (1986) and Austin Carr of Notre Dame (1971).
See the full history of No. 1 overall picks in the NBA Draft since 1947 below:
| DRAFT YEAR | NBA TEAM | PLAYER | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Dallas Mavericks | Cooper Flagg | Duke |
| 2024 | Atlanta Hawks | Zaccharie Risacher | N/A (France) |
| 2023 | San Antonio Spurs | Victor Wembanyama | N/A (France) |
| 2022 | Orlando Magic | Paolo Banchero | Duke |
| 2021 | Detroit Pistons | Cade Cunningham | Oklahoma State |
| 2020 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Anthony Edwards | Georgia |
| 2019 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson | Duke |
| 2018 | Phoenix Suns | DeAndre Ayton | Arizona |
| 2017 | Philadelphia 76ers | Markelle Fultz | Washington |
| 2016 | Philadelphia 76ers | Ben Simmons | LSU |
| 2015 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Karl Anthony-Towns | Kentucky |
| 2014 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Andrew Wiggins | Kansas |
| 2013 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Anthony Bennett | UNLV |
| 2012 | New Orleans Pelicans | Anthony Davis | Kentucky |
| 2011 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Kyrie Irving | Duke |
| 2010 | Washington Wizards | John Wall | Kentucky |
| 2009 | Los Angeles Clippers | Blake Griffin | Oklahoma |
| 2008 | Chicago Bulls | Derrick Rose | Memphis |
| 2007 | Portland Trail Blazers | Greg Oden | Ohio State |
| 2006 | Toronto Raptors | Andrea Bargnani | N/A (Italy) |
| 2005 | Milwaukee Bucks | Andrew Bogut | Utah |
| 2004 | Orlando Magic | Dwight Howard | N/A (High school) |
| 2003 | Cleveland Cavaliers | LeBron James | N/A (High school) |
| 2002 | Houston Rockets | Yao Ming | N/A (China) |
| 2001 | Washington Wizards | Kwame Brown | N/A (High school) |
| 2000 | New Jersey Nets | Kenyon Martin | Cincinnati |
| 1999 | Chicago Bulls | Elton Brand | Duke |
| 1998 | Los Angeles Clippers | Michael Olowokandi | Pacific |
| 1997 | San Antonio Spurs | Tim Duncan | Wake Forest |
| 1996 | Philadelphia 76ers | Allen Iverson | Georgetown |
| 1995 | Golden State Warriors | Joe Smith | Maryland |
| 1994 | Milwaukee Bucks | Glenn Robinson | Purdue |
| 1993 | Orlando Magic | Chris Webber | Michigan |
| 1992 | Orlando Magic | Shaquille O’Neal | LSU |
| 1991 | Charlotte Hornets | Larry Jackson | UNLV |
| 1990 | New Jersey Nets | Derrick Coleman | Syracuse |
| 1989 | Sacramento Kings | Pervis Ellison | Louisville |
| 1988 | Los Angeles Clippers | Danny Manning | Kansas |
| 1987 | San Antonio Spurs | David Robinson | Navy |
| 1986 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Brad Daugherty | North Carolina |
| 1985 | New York Knicks | Patrick Ewing | Georgetown |
| 1984 | Houston Rockets | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston |
| 1983 | Houston Rockets | Ralph Sampson | Virginia |
| 1982 | Los Angeles Lakers | James Worthy | North Carolina |
| 1981 | Dallas Mavericks | Mark Aguirre | DePaul |
| 1980 | Golden State Warriors | Joe Barry Carroll | Purdue |
| 1979 | Los Angeles Lakers | Magic Johnson | Michigan State |
| 1978 | Portland Trail Blazers | Mychal Thompson | Minnesota |
| 1977 | Milwaukee Bucks | Kent Benson | Indiana |
| 1976 | Houston Rockets | John Lucas | Maryland |
| 1975 | Atlanta Hawks | David Thompson | NC State |
| 1974 | Portland Trail Blazers | Bill Walton | UCLA |
| 1973 | Philadelphia 76ers | Doug Collins | Illinois State |
| 1972 | Portland Trail Blazers | LaRue Martin | Loyola Chicago |
| 1971 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Austin Carr | Notre Dame |
| 1970 | Detroit Pistons | Bob Lanier | St. Bonaventure |
| 1969 | Milwaukee Bucks | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | UCLA |
| 1968 | San Diego Rockets | Elvin Hayes | Houston |
| 1967 | Detroit Pistons | Jimmy Walker | Providence |
| 1966 | New York Knicks | Cazzie Russell | Michigan |
| 1965 | San Francisco Warriors | Fred Hetzel | Davidson |
| 1964 | New York Knicks | Jim Barnes | UTEP |
| 1963 | New York Knicks | Art Heyman | Duke |
| 1962 | Chicago Zephyrs | Bill McGill | Utah |
| 1961 | Chicago Packers | Walt Bellamy | Indiana |
| 1960 | Cincinnati Royals | Oscar Robertson | Cincinnati |
| 1959 | Cincinnati Royals | Bob Boozer | Kansas State |
| 1958 | Minneapolis Lakers | Elgin Baylor | Seattle |
| 1957 | Cincinnati Royals | Hot Rod Hundley | West Virginia |
| 1956 | Rochester Royals | Si Green | Duquesne |
| 1955 | Saint Louis Hawks | Dick Ricketts | Duquesne |
| 1954 | Baltimore Bullets | Frank Selvy | Furman |
| 1953 | Philadelphia Warriors | Ernie Beck | Pennsylvania |
| 1952 | Milwaukee Hawks | Mark Workman | West Virginia |
| 1951 | Baltimore Bullets | Gene Melchiorre | Bradley |
| 1950 | Boston Celtics | Chuck Share | Bowling Green |
| 1949 | Providence Steamrollers | Howie Shannon | Kansas State |
| 1948 | Providence Steamrollers | Andy Tonkovich | Marshall |
| 1947 | Pittsburgh Ironmen | Clifton McNeeley | UTEP |
