From Lennie Rosenbluth to Cole Anthony: All 53 UNC First Round NBA Draft Picks
With Cole Anthony’s selection in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft, he joins a rich history of Tar Heel players whom have gone before him. With that in mind, it’s an appropriate moment to pause and remember the scores of other Carolina players also selected in the NBA Draft’s First Round.
According to the UNC men’s basketball Fact and Records Book, before Wednesday night’s draft, Carolina led the nation in most all-time NBA First Round Draft Picks with 52. Kentucky (51) and Duke (48) each trailed closely, with UCLA (39) a distant fourth, and Kansas (32) the only other team in the 30s.
Following the 2020 draft, UNC and Kentucky are now tied at 53 apiece after Tar Heel Cole Anthony was drafted 15th overall by the Orlando Magic and Wildcats Tyrese Maxey (21st to Philadelphia 76ers) and Immanuel Quickley (25th to the Oklahoma City Thunder) were also chosen in the first round.
Neither Duke or UCLA made up any ground, but Kansas added to their first round total when Udoka Azubuike went 27th to the Utah Jazz.
Here’s an opportunity to look back at all 53 Carolina first round draft picks, from Lennie Rosenbluth in 1957 to Cole Anthony this week. We’ll display the list in three different ways: first will be chronological order, then alphabetical order by surname, and finally by draft pick order.
Chronological Order
| Year | Player | Draft Spot | NBA Team |
|---|---|---|---|
1957 | Lennie Rosenbluth | 6 | Philadelphia Warriors |
1958 | Pete Brennan | 4 | New York Knicks |
1960 | Lee Shaffer | 5 | Syracuse Nationals |
1965 | Billy Cunningham | 4 | Philadelphia 76ers |
1972 | Robert McAdoo | 2 | Buffalo Braves |
1974 | Bobby Jones | 5 | Houston Rockets |
1976 | Mitch Kupchak | 13 | Washington Bullets |
1977 | Walter Davis | 5 | Phoenix Suns |
1977 | Tommy LaGarde | 9 | Denver Nuggets |
1978 | Phil Ford | 2 | Kansas City Kings |
1979 | Dudley Bradley | 13 | Indiana Pacers |
1980 | Mike O'Koren | 6 | New Jersey Nets |
1981 | Al Wood | 4 | Atlanta Hawks |
1982 | James Worthy | 1 | Los Angeles Lakers |
1984 | Michael Jordan | 3 | Chicago Bulls |
1984 | Sam Perkins | 4 | Dallas Mavericks |
1986 | Brad Daugherty | 1 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
1987 | Kenny Smith | 6 | Sacramento Kings |
1987 | Joe Wolf | 13 | Los Angeles Clippers |
1989 | J.R. Reid | 5 | Charlotte Hornets |
1991 | Rick Fox | 24 | Boston Celtics |
1991 | Pete Chilcutt | 27 | Sacramento Kings |
1992 | Hubert Davis | 20 | New York Knicks |
1993 | George Lynch | 12 | Los Angeles Lakers |
1994 | Eric Montross | 9 | Boston Celtics |
1995 | Jerry Stackhouse | 3 | Philadelphia 76ers |
1995 | Rasheed Wallace | 4 | Washington Bullets |
1998 | Antawn Jamison | 4 | Toronto Raptors |
1998 | Vince Carter | 5 | Golden State Warriors |
2001 | Brendan Haywood | 20 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
2001 | Joseph Forte | 21 | Boston Celtics |
2005 | Marvin Williams | 2 | Atlanta Hawks |
2005 | Raymond Felton | 5 | Charlotte Bobcats |
2005 | Sean May | 13 | Charlotte Bobcats |
2005 | Rashad McCants | 14 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
2007 | Brandan Wright | 8 | Charlotte Bobcats |
2009 | Tyler Hansbrough | 13 | Indiana Pacers |
2009 | Ty Lawson | 18 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
2009 | Wayne Ellington | 28 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
2010 | Ed Davis | 13 | Toronto Raptors |
2012 | Harrison Barnes | 7 | Golden State Warriors |
2012 | Kendall Marshall | 13 | Phoenix Suns |
2012 | John Henson | 14 | Milwaukee Bucks |
2012 | Tyler Zeller | 17 | Dallas Mavericks |
2013 | Reggie Bullock | 25 | Los Angeles Clippers |
2014 | P.J. Hairston | 26 | Miami Heat |
2016 | Brice Johnson | 25 | Los Angeles Clippers |
2017 | Justin Jackson | 15 | Portland Trail Blazers |
2017 | Tony Bradley | 28 | Los Angeles Lakers |
2019 | Coby White | 7 | Chicago Bulls |
2019 | Cameron Johnson | 11 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
2019 | Nassir Little | 25 | Portland Trail Blazers |
2020 | Cole Anthony | 15 | Orlando Magic |
Alphabetical Order
| Name | Year | Draft Spot | NBA Team |
|---|---|---|---|
Anthony, Cole | 2020 | 15 | Orlando Magic |
Barnes, Harrison | 2012 | 7 | Golden State Warriors |
Bradley, Dudley | 1979 | 13 | Indiana Pacers |
Bradley, Tony | 2017 | 28 | Los Angeles Lakers |
Brennan, Pete | 1958 | 4 | New York Knicks |
Bullock, Reggie | 2013 | 25 | Los Angeles Clippers |
Carter, Vince | 1998 | 5 | Golden State Warriors |
Chilcutt, Pete | 1991 | 27 | Sacramento Kings |
Cunningham, Billy | 1965 | 4 | Philadelphia 76ers |
Daugherty, Brad | 1986 | 1 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
Davis, Ed | 2010 | 13 | Toronto Raptors |
Davis, Hubert | 1992 | 20 | New York Knicks |
Davis, Walter | 1977 | 5 | Phoenix Suns |
Ellington, Wayne | 2009 | 28 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
Felton, Raymond | 2005 | 5 | Charlotte Bobcats |
Ford, Phil | 1978 | 2 | Kansas City Kings |
Forte, Joseph | 2001 | 21 | Boston Celtics |
Fox, Rick | 1991 | 24 | Boston Celtics |
Hairston, P.J. | 2014 | 26 | Miami Heat |
Hansbrough, Tyler | 2009 | 13 | Indiana Pacers |
Haywood, Brendan | 2001 | 20 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
Henson, John | 2012 | 14 | Milwaukee Bucks |
Jackson, Justin | 2017 | 15 | Portland Trail Blazers |
Jamison, Antawn | 1998 | 4 | Toronto Raptors |
Johnson, Brice | 2016 | 25 | Los Angeles Clippers |
Johnson, Cameron | 2019 | 11 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
Jones, Bobby | 1974 | 5 | Houston Rockets |
Jordan, Michael | 1984 | 3 | Chicago Bulls |
Kupchak, Mitch | 1976 | 13 | Washington Bullets |
LaGarde, Tommy | 1977 | 9 | Denver Nuggets |
Lawson, Ty | 2009 | 18 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
Little, Nassir | 2019 | 25 | Portland Trail Blazers |
Lynch, George | 1993 | 12 | Los Angeles Lakers |
Marshall, Kendall | 2012 | 13 | Phoenix Suns |
May, Sean | 2005 | 13 | Charlotte Bobcats |
McAdoo, Robert | 1972 | 2 | Buffalo Braves |
McCants, Rashad | 2005 | 14 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
Montross, Eric | 1994 | 9 | Boston Celtics |
O'Koren, Mike | 1980 | 6 | New Jersey Nets |
Perkins, Sam | 1984 | 4 | Dallas Mavericks |
Reid, J.R. | 1989 | Charlotte Hornets | |
Rosenbluth, Lennie | 1957 | 6 | Philadelphia Warriors |
Shaffer, Lee | 1960 | 5 | Syracuse Nationals |
Smith, Kenny | 1987 | 6 | Sacramento Kings |
Stackhouse, Jerry | 1995 | 3 | Philadelphia 76ers |
Wallace, Rasheed | 1995 | 4 | Washington Bullets |
White, Coby | 2019 | 7 | Chicago Bulls |
Williams, Marvin | 2005 | 2 | Atlanta Hawks |
Wolf, Joe | 1987 | 13 | Los Angeles Clippers |
Wood, Al | 1981 | 4 | Atlanta Hawks |
Worthy, James | 1982 | 1 | Los Angeles Lakers |
Wright, Brandan | 2007 | 8 | Charlotte Bobcats |
Zeller, Tyler | 2012 | 17 | Dallas Mavericks |
Draft Order
| Draft Spot | Player | Year | NBA Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | James Worthy | 1982 | Los Angeles Lakers |
1 | Brad Daugherty | 1986 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
2 | Robert McAdoo | 1972 | Buffalo Braves |
2 | Phil Ford | 1978 | Kansas City Kings |
2 | Marvin Williams | 2005 | Atlanta Hawks |
3 | Michael Jordan | 1984 | Chicago Bulls |
3 | Jerry Stackhouse | 1995 | Philadelphia 76ers |
4 | Pete Brennan | 1958 | New York Knicks |
4 | Billy Cunningham | 1965 | Philadelphia 76ers |
4 | Al Wood | 1981 | Atlanta Hawks |
4 | Sam Perkins | 1984 | Dallas Mavericks |
4 | Rasheed Wallace | 1995 | Washington Bullets |
4 | Antawn Jamison | 1998 | Toronto Raptors |
5 | Lee Shaffer | 1960 | Syracuse Nationals |
5 | Bobby Jones | 1974 | Houston Rockets |
5 | Walter Davis | 1977 | Phoenix Suns |
5 | J.R. Reid | 1989 | Charlotte Hornets |
5 | Vince Carter | 1998 | Golden State Warriors |
5 | Raymond Felton | 2005 | Charlotte Bobcats |
6 | Lennie Rosenbluth | 1957 | Philadelphia Warriors |
6 | Mike O'Koren | 1980 | New Jersey Nets |
6 | Kenny Smith | 1987 | Sacramento Kings |
7 | Harrison Barnes | 2012 | Golden State Warriors |
7 | Coby White | 2019 | Chicago Bulls |
8 | Brandan Wright | 2007 | Charlotte Bobcats |
9 | Tommy LaGarde | 1977 | Denver Nuggets |
9 | Eric Montross | 1994 | Boston Celtics |
11 | Cameron Johnson | 2019 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
12 | George Lynch | 1993 | Los Angeles Lakers |
13 | Mitch Kupchak | 1976 | Washington Bullets |
13 | Dudley Bradley | 1979 | Indiana Pacers |
13 | Joe Wolf | 1987 | Los Angeles Clippers |
13 | Sean May | 2005 | Charlotte Bobcats |
13 | Tyler Hansbrough | 2009 | Indiana Pacers |
13 | Ed Davis | 2010 | Toronto Raptors |
13 | Kendall Marshall | 2012 | Phoenix Suns |
14 | Rashad McCants | 2005 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
14 | John Henson | 2012 | Milwaukee Bucks |
15 | Justin Jackson | 2017 | Portland Trail Blazers |
15 | Cole Anthony | 2020 | Orlando Magic |
17 | Tyler Zeller | 2012 | Dallas Mavericks |
18 | Ty Lawson | 2009 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
20 | Hubert Davis | 1992 | New York Knicks |
20 | Brendan Haywood | 2001 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
21 | Joseph Forte | 2001 | Boston Celtics |
24 | Rick Fox | 1991 | Boston Celtics |
25 | Reggie Bullock | 2013 | Los Angeles Clippers |
25 | Brice Johnson | 2016 | Los Angeles Clippers |
25 | Nassir Little | 2019 | Portland Trail Blazers |
26 | P.J. Hairston | 2014 | Miami Heat |
27 | Pete Chilcutt | 1991 | Sacramento Kings |
28 | Wayne Ellington | 2009 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
28 | Tony Bradley | 2017 | Los Angeles Lakers |
Who will be the 54th Carolina first round draft pick? Garrison Brooks? Caleb Love? Day'Ron Sharpe?
We will wait and find out as the 2020-21 season unfolds.
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