It's March Madness, so I was wondering.....

frankhardy

...which NCAA team in history (one year, not entire college history) had the most players to make it to the NBA. I am a Kentucky fan, and I was thinking about the 1996 championship team and did some research (I think this is pretty impressive). There were 9 players on that team to see NBA action - Antoine Walker, Ron Mercer, Derek Anderson, Jeff Sheppard, Tony Delk, Wayne Turner, Nazr Mohammed, Mark Pope, and Walter McCarty.

Granted, none of them were superstars by any means, but they did make it to the NBA. I find it hard to believe that there was another team that had more players than 9 to make it to the NBA.

Anybody want to challenge this?

gosteelers

This one isn't for total team makeup, but the '81-'82 UNC Tar Heels boasted Michael Jordan, James Worthy, and Sam Perkins. Jordan and Worthy went on to make the NBA's greatest 50 players list. Those old UCLA Bruins teams with Alcindor and Walton having two of the greatest 50 ever, as well...

CDsNuts

The 02 Maryland team had Juan Dixon and Steve Blake who keep getting traded, as well as Chris Wilcox who has a decent career and Lonny Baxter who took out his gun and shot bullets at the White House.

Lee

julen23

i was listening to radio this morning and (supposedly) the guy who won $100k ESPN bracketology game last year won by accident. He apparently thought george mason was GW, so that was only reason he won!

yikes
julen

daveryan2001

This team had at least 6 - All of whom played in the championship game. There may have been a couple subs who didn't play
1975 UCLA

Meyers 9-18 6-7 11 4 24
Johnson 3-9 0-1 7 2 6
Washington 12-23 4-5 12 4 28
Trgovich 7-16 2-4 5 4 16
McCarter 3-6 2-3 2 1 8
Drollinger 4-6 2-5 13 4 10

IU's 1975 team had at least 6 NBA players - Steve Green, Scott May, Kent Benson, Tom Abernathy, Quinn Buckner, Bob Wilkerson.

daveryan2001

Then I got to thinking of the fab 5 of Michigan, all 5 were in the NBA, who knows how many non starters eventually made it.

Duke in the 80's and 90's had numerouse NBA players.

I've been web searching though for an hour and can't top the 9 from UK.

Sheamaster

2004-05 North Carolina had 7:
Sean May
Rashad McCants
Raymond Felton
Marvin Williams
Jawad Williams
Jackie Manuel
David Noel

UNC played in National Championship game against Illinois who had 5:
Deron Williams
Dee Brown
James Augustine
Luther Head
Roger Powell

All 10 starters in championship game played at least one NBA game.

larryallen73

UCLA had a team about 1992 that probably had 7 or 8 get an NBA paycheck. They were a loaded team and made it to about the Elite 8 I think. Off the top of my head: Tracy Murray, Don MacLean, Gerald Madkins, Darrick Martin, Mitchel Butler, Ed O'Bannon, Tys Edney and I think one other but I can't think who it may have been!?

Estil

Well, there was that magical 1996 Kentucky Wildcats team which when they played, often gave NBA-like performances. They could've beat an average NBA team that year. GO CATS!! Good luck in the NCAAs!

RemynSkyler

<< <i>UCLA had a team about 1992 that probably had 7 or 8 get an NBA paycheck. They were a loaded team and made it to about the Elite 8 I think. Off the top of my head: Tracy Murray, Don MacLean, Gerald Madkins, Darrick Martin, Mitchel Butler, Ed O'Bannon, Tys Edney and I think one other but I can't think who it may have been!? >>



It was George Zidek.

Mark

frankhardy

<< <i>Well, there was that magical 1996 Kentucky Wildcats team which when they played, often gave NBA-like performances. They could've beat an average NBA team that year. GO CATS!! Good luck in the NCAAs! >>




I agree! They could have beaten some NBA teams that year. I got to see them in person that year. They dominated nearly everybody they played. The cool thing about that team was that their second string could have made the Final Four that year - and that's no joke.

stormsurge

Go IU!