List of Illinois Fighting Illini in the NBA draft

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 Fighting Illini during a warm-up.

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 2024 NBA draft, a Fighting Illini has been chosen first round of the draft 16 times in the history of the event with Terrence Shannon Jr. being the latest in 2024.

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
 
Deron Williams was drafted third overall by the Utah Jazz in 2005.
 
Luther Head was drafted 24th overall by the Houston Rockets in 2005.
 
Robert Archibald was drafted 32nd overall in 2002 by the Memphis Grizzlies.
 
Tal Brody was drafted in the third round of the 1965 draft by the Baltimore Bullets, but instead chose to play in Israel for Maccabi Tel Aviv.
 
Brian Cook was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers 24th overall in 2003.
 
James Augustine was drafted in the second round of the 2006 draft by the Orlando Magic.
 
Dee Brown was drafted in the second round of the 2006 draft by the Utah Jazz.
 
Meyers Leonard was drafted 11th overall in 2012 by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Players selected in the BAA and NBA drafts

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Illinois Fighting Illini players drafted
Year League Round Pick Overall Name Position Team Notes
1947 BAA Andy Phillip G, F Chicago Stags Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee (1961)
NBA Champion (1957)
NBA All-Star (1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955)
Gene Vance G, F Chicago Stags
1948 BAA Jack Burmaster G St. Louis Bombers
1950 NBA Bill Erickson G Tri-Cities Blackhawks
2 18 Wally Osterkorn F, C Chicago Stags NBA Champion (1955)
1951 NBA 1 9 Don Sunderlage* G Philadelphia Warriors NBA All-Star (1954)
7 73 Ted Beach F Indianapolis Olympians
1952 NBA Rod Fletcher G Minneapolis Lakers
1953 NBA Irv Bemoras G, F Milwaukee Hawks
Jim Bredar G Ft. Wayne Pistons
Bob Peterson F Baltimore Bullets
1954 NBA 1 9 Johnny Kerr C, F Syracuse Nationals NBA Champion (1955)
NBA All-Star (1956, 1959, 1963)
NBA Coach of the Year (1967)
1956 NBA Paul Judson G Syracuse Nationals
1957 NBA 1 7 George Bon Salle F Syracuse Nationals
2 - 11 Harv Schmidt F Minneapolis Lakers
1958 NBA 5 - 36 Don Ohl* G Philadelphia Warriors NBA All-Star (1963, 1964, 1965), 1966), 1967)
1959 NBA 5 5 - Roger Taylor G Syracuse Nationals
1961 NBA 8 8 - John Wessels C Chicago Packers -
1963 NBA 3 - 24 Bill Burwell G St. Louis Hawks
4 - 30 Dave Downey F San Francisco Warriors -
5 - 40 Bill Small G Detroit Pistons
1965 NBA 2 4 12 Tal Brody G Baltimore Bullets
5 - - Skip Thoren C Baltimore Bullets
6 7 50 Bogie Redmon F Baltimore Bullets
1966 NBA 3 - 29 Donnie Freeman G Philadelphia 76ers ABA Champion (1973)
ABA All-Star (1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972)
All-ABA First Team (1972)
1967 NBA 16 - - Jim Dawson G Chicago Bulls
1968 NBA 2 5 19 Ron Dunlap C Chicago Bulls -
1969 NBA 4 - 52 Steve Kuberski F/C Boston Celtics NBA Champion (1974, 1976)
4 - 56 Dave Scholz F Philadelphia 76ers
15 6 - Jodie Harrison G Baltimore Bullets
1970 NBA 1 17 - Mike Price G New York Knicks
1971 NBA 9 16 - Rick Howat G Milwaukee Bucks
1973 NBA 1 13 - Nick Weatherspoon F Capital Bullets NBA All-Rookie First Team (1974)
8 11 - Jeff Dawson G Golden State Warriors
10 2 - Nick Connor F, C Buffalo Braves -
1975 NBA 6 - 91 Rick Schmidt F New Orleans Jazz
1976 NBA 5 - 69 Nate Williams G Chicago Bulls
10 - 169 Otho Tucker G Boston Celtics
1978 NBA 4 86 Rich Adams F San Antonio Spurs -
6 - 117 Audie Matthews F Detroit Pistons
1978 NBA 6 - 117 Neil Bresnahan F Golden State Warriors
1981 NBA 2 7 29 Eddie Johnson F Kansas City Kings NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1989)
3 4 50 Derek Holcomb C Portland Trail Blazers
3 18 64 Mark Smith F Milwaukee Bucks
1982 NBA 3 57 Craig Tucker G New York Knicks -
4 - 80 James Griffin C New Jersey Nets
7 - 143 Perry Range G Kansas City Kings
8 - 181 Brian Leonard F Milwaukee Bucks
1983 NBA 1 11 - Derek Harper G Dallas Mavericks NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1987, 1990)
1985 NBA 2 15 39 George Montgomery C Portland Trail Blazers -
1986 NBA 3 - 57 Bruce Douglas G Sacramento Kings -
3 - 62 Anthony Welch F Dallas Mavericks -
4 - 74 Scott Meents F Chicago Bulls
4 - 88 Efrem Winters F Atlanta Hawks
1987 NBA 1 19 - Ken Norman F Los Angeles Clippers -
6 - 125 Doug Altenberger G, F Chicago Bulls
1989 NBA 1 11 - Nick Anderson G, F Orlando Magic NBA Eastern Conference Champion (1995)
1 27 - Kenny Battle F Detroit Pistons
1990 NBA 1 5 - Kendall Gill G, F Charlotte Hornets NBA All-Rookie First Team (1991)
2 - 41 Stephen Bardo G Atlanta Hawks
2 - 42 Marcus Liberty F Denver Nuggets
1994 NBA 2 - 28 Deon Thomas F Dallas Mavericks
2002 NBA 1 25 - Frank Williams G Denver Nuggets
2 3 32 Robert Archibald C, F Memphis Grizzlies
2003 NBA 1 24 - Brian Cook F, C Los Angeles Lakers
2005 NBA 1 3 - Deron 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 - Luther Head F Houston Rockets All-NBA Rookie Second Team (2006)
2006 NBA 2 11 41 James Augustine F, C Orlando Magic
2 16 46 Dee Brown G Utah Jazz
2012 NBA 1 11 - Meyers Leonard C Portland Trail Blazers
2021 NBA 2 8 38 Ayo Dosunmu G Chicago Bulls All-NBA Rookie Second Team (2022)
2024 NBA 1 27 - Terrence Shannon Jr. SG Minnesota Timberwolves

References

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