Colleges with the Most NBA Players in the League at the Moment

Colleges in the US highly value students with sports achievements. In addition to good study results, essay writing online, and extracurricular activities, sports results are a common reason for scholarships and university perks. Look through the US colleges that own the most NBA players across the country – it may be that college to NBA success is your path!

Top Colleges with the Most NBA Players

In general, there are 30 NBA teams, each with 17 players. Thus, there are 510 NBA players in the country. Let’s see their distribution.

University of Kentucky

• 26 active players
• 127 players, in general

The University of Kentucky NBA players are indeed legendary. Imagine having 127 NBA players under your roof throughout history! The University was founded in 1865 and offers strong programs in various fields. It includes business, engineering, law, medicine, and the humanities. But there is something more about Kentucky– basketball. The university has produced 127 NBA players since the year of its foundation. Its basketball team clinched 8 NCAA National Championships –, however, the most recent was back in 2012, more than 10 years before. They also secured 2 NIT Championships. Want some more amazing facts? The team has participated in the NCAA Tournament a staggering 56 times.

Duke University

• 25 active players
• 94 players, in general

Duke University NBA alumni have also entered history. The college has 95 NBA players in general, but what is most amazing, 25 of them are active right now!

What did they achieve during these years? The Duke Blue Devils, its basketball team, secured 5 NCAA National Championships, with the most recent in 2015. The team has made it to the Final Four 15 times. Duke has clinched 21 ACC regular season championships and 20 ACC tournament championships.

University of North Carolina

• 12 active players
• 92 players, in general

The University of North Carolina at Chapel is the oldest public university in the US. It was established back in 1789. Who could guess that it will become the basketball center of the state?

Its team claimed 6 NCAA National Championships – the most recent was in 2017. The team has made an impressive 20 Final Four appearances, securing 18 ACC regular season championships.

University of North Carolina NBA stars are known worldwide.

University of Kansas

• 12 active players
• 81 players, in general

Established in 1865, the University of Kansas boasts a renowned men’s basketball team known as the Jayhawks. The team has achieved three NCAA National Championships, 14 appearances in the Final Four, and fifteen regular-season Big 12 Conference championships.

The University of Kansas NBA prospects are no less promising. There are 12 active members of the NBA in 2023. The Jayhawks play their home games at the iconic Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence.

University of Michigan

• 12 active players
• 76 players, in general

The University of Michigan is one of the oldest educational institutions in the USA. It was founded long ago, in 1817. As for educational means, it offers 250 programs in different disciplines. But the University of Michigan NBA legacy is what makes it a star. Currently, 12 NBA members represent the University of Michigan. As for historical numbers, there were 76 players throughout history. Its basketball team, the Michigan Wolverines, became an NCAA champion in 1989 and won 1,702 games in total.

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

• 11 active players
• 99 players, in general

Established in 1919, the University of California, Los Angeles is a major public research university located in Los Angeles, California. It’s the second oldest among the ten campuses of the University of California system. The UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team has a stellar record in college basketball:

• 11 NCAA National Championships, with the latest in 1995
• 18 Final Four appearances are the most in NCAA history

The Bruins play their home games at Pauley Pavilion on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles.

University of Arizona

• 11 active players
• 65 players, in general

Founded in 1885, the University of Arizona is a respected institution in the Southwest. Home to the Wildcats men’s basketball team, the university has achieved notable success in NCAA competitions.

The Wildcats clinched the NCAA National Championship in 1997 and made impactful appearances in the NCAA Final Four in 1988 and 2001. Additionally, they reached the Elite 8 on three separate occasions.

The Wildcats play their home games at the McKale Center on the Arizona campus in Tucson, drawing support from their enthusiastic fan base, known as “The ZonaZoo.”

Indiana University

• 5 active players
• 65 players, in general

Established in 1820 in Bloomington, Indiana University is a well-respected public research university. It’s known for being among the top 100 nationally, grace to its excellent educational system. But that’s not all!

Their basketball team, the Indiana Hoosiers, has been successful in NCAA Division I. They’ve won five NCAA National Championships and reached the Final Four eight times. The team has also achieved 20 Big Ten Conference regular season championships and 11 Big Ten Conference Tournament championships. Fans, known as “Hoosier Nation,” enthusiastically support them at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall during their games.

University of Louisville

• 7 active players
• 61 players, in general

The University of Louisville (UofL), among Kentucky’s oldest universities, was founded in 1798. The UofL Cardinals Men’s Basketball team, competing in NCAA Division I, has a rich history. Over the years, they’ve secured two NCAA National Championships and reached the Final Four three times. The team boasts 13 Conference USA regular season championships, 9 Conference USA Tournament championships, and three ACC RS championships.

Factors Contributing to Their Success

First things first, the NBA is the only national association that requires its members to be at least one year post-graduate. That’s what makes people who are already interested in basketball enter the universities. Studying there, they develop their skills and are ready to apply to the NBA a year later. That is why colleges try to accept applications from students who are already fond of basketball and show their talents in school.

Also, extracurricular sports classes prepare students to show their talents in local competitions. Entering the college with most NBA players, you will get high-quality classes with professional coaches.

Notable Players from These Colleges

Focus on the best! These players went down in history as representatives of their alma mater:

• Kentucky: coaches like J. Calipari and A. Rupp, along with standout player Anthony Davis
• Duke: C. Laettner, G. Hill, J.J. Redick, Z. Williamson, J. Tatum
• North Carolina: M. Jordan, V. Carter, J. Worthy, R. Williams, and D. Smith
• Kansas: P. Pierce, W. Chamberlain, D. Manning
• Michigan: T. Hardaway, Poole, M. Diabate
• UCLA: K. Abdul-Jabbar, K. Anderson, B. Walton, R. Miller, L. Ball, and J. Holiday
• Arizona: S. Elliott, D. Stoudamire, S. Kerr, L. Walton, and M. Bibby
• Indiana: M. Woodson, C. Cheaney, I. Thomas, K. Benson, and C. Zeller
• Louisville: D. Crum, T. Williams, R. Pitino, P. Siva, and D. Mitchell

Interested in sports from a young age, these players contributed to their universities and became true stars.

College Basketball Legends in the NBA

College basketball players quite often make statements as legendary NBA players. How to select the best of them? Probably,  the best way is to select the top players during the last several years since the industry changed in the 21st century. Here are the best college students who went down in history as basketball legends.

Kevin Durant

• School: Texas
• Years: 2006-07
• Rewards: Wooden Award recipient, First-team AP All-American
• Position: Forward

Kevin Durant showed extraordinary shooting precision – that’s what made him so necessary to the team. An excellent 40% success rate from beyond the arc, a 50% accuracy inside the arc, and an impressive 82% from the free-throw line. These are truly amazing numbers, especially for the students. Unfortunately, he fell short in the NCAA tournament. However, his performance during the 2006-2007 season remains a memorable performance. It is one of the most significant events in the last 15-20 years of basketball history.

Anthony Davis

• School: Kentucky
• Years: 2011-12
• Rewards: National Champion, Wooden Award recipient, Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA tournament
• Position: Forward

Bet you already noticed that Kentucky shows college basketball recruiting success. It has the largest number of NBA players in history. One of them is definitely Anthony Davis. First things first, he helped John Calipari’s team win their only NCAA title. Davis was good at both offense and defense – a good feature for his future career. He made 65% of his shots close to the basket and blocked 186 shots! It is more than anyone else in the country. His team, the Wildcats, only lost two games that season. Finally, they won by an average of 11.8 points in the NCAA tournament.

Jalen Brunson

• School: Villanova
• Years: 2015-18
• Rewards: Two-time National Champion, Wooden Award recipient, First-team AP All-American
• Position: Guard.

Jalen Brunson studied at Villanova for three years. Apart from the academic aspect, he was really into basketball! He started as a supporting player in 2016 but showed his skills, and gained more significant roles in further matches. In 2018, he became the leader of the national title-winning team. This year, he scored an average of 18.9 points per game, his highest ever. He was good at shooting from far away, making 40% of his shots from beyond the arc.

Buddy Hield

• School: Oklahoma
• Years: 2012-2016
• Rewards: First-team AP All-American, Big 12 Player of the Year, All-Big 12 First Team
• Position: Guard

What makes him so famous? Buddy had a remarkable impact on Oklahoma’s NCAA tournament appearances. He participated four times and helped his team to reach success. Want details? The team reached the Final Four in 2016. Buddy got 25.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Sad but true, the team lost to eventual champion Villanova. However, the event itself was Hield’s standout year – he showed exceptional shooting skills. Just imagine – 46% success rate of his 3-point attempts and 88% of his free throws.

Are you interested in sports? Those notable NBA players from colleges are good role models. Fond of sports from their mother’s lap, they made their dreams come true. You also have a chance to apply to colleges with promising basketball teams. Who knows, it may be the beginning of your career someday!