List of Illinois Fighting Illini in the NBA Draft

The Fighting Illini during a warm-up.

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 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 2013 NBA draft, a Fighting Illini has been chosen first round of the draft 15 times in the history of the event with Meyers Leonard being the latest in 2012.

Key

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 Trailblazers.

Players selected in the BAA and NBA drafts

Illinois Fighting Illini players drafted
Year	League	Round	Pick	Overall	Name	Position	Team	Notes
1947	BAA	—	—	—	Phillip, AndyAndy Phillip^‡	G, F	Chicago Stags	7000300000000000000♠Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee (1961) NBA Champion (1957) NBA All-Star (1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955)
1947	BAA	—	—	—	Vance, GeneGene Vance	G, F	Chicago Stags	5000000000000000000♠—
1948	BAA	—	—	—	Burmaster, JackJack Burmaster	G	St. Louis Bombers	5000000000000000000♠—
1950	NBA	—	—	—	Erickson, BillBill Erickson	G	Tri-Cities Blackhawks	5000000000000000000♠—
1950	NBA	2	18	—	Osterkorn, WallyWally Osterkorn^†	F, C	Chicago Stags	7000100000000000000♠NBA Champion (1955)
1951	NBA	1	9	—	Sunderlage, DonDon Sunderlage^*	G	Philadelphia Warriors	7000100000000000000♠NBA All-Star (1954)
1951	NBA	7	73	—	Beach, TedTed Beach	F	Indianapolis Olympians	5000000000000000000♠—
1952	NBA	—	—	—	Fletcher, RodRod Fletcher	G	Minneapolis Lakers	5000000000000000000♠—
1953	NBA	—	—	—	Bemoras, IrvIrv Bemoras	G, F	Milwaukee Hawks	5000000000000000000♠—
		—	—	—	Bredar, JimJim Bredar	G	Ft. Wayne Pistons	5000000000000000000♠—
		—	—	—	Peterson, BobBob Peterson	F	Baltimore Bullets	5000000000000000000♠—
1954	NBA	1	9	—	Kerr, JohnnyJohnny Kerr^‡	C, F	Syracuse Nationals	7000300000000000000♠NBA Champion (1955) NBA All-Star (1956, 1959, 1963) NBA Coach of the Year (1967)
1956	NBA	—	—	—	Judson, PaulPaul Judson	G	Syracuse Nationals	5000000000000000000♠—
1957	NBA	1	7	—	Bon Salle, GeorgeGeorge Bon Salle	F	Syracuse Nationals	5000000000000000000♠
1957	NBA	2	-	11	Schmidt, HarvHarv Schmidt	F	Minneapolis Lakers	5000000000000000000♠
1958	NBA	5	-	36	Ohl, DonDon Ohl^*	G	Philadelphia Warriors	7000100000000000000♠NBA All-Star (1963, 1964, 1965), 1966), 1967)
1959	NBA	5	5	-	Taylor, RogerRoger Taylor	G	Syracuse Nationals	5000000000000000000♠—
1961	NBA	8	8	-	Wessels, JohnJohn Wessels	C	Chicago Packers	5000000000000000000♠-
1963	NBA	3	-	24	Burwell, BillBill Burwell	G	St. Louis Hawks	5000000000000000000♠—
		4	-	30	Downey, DaveDave Downey	F	San Francisco Warriors	5000000000000000000♠-
		5	-	40	Small, BillBill Small	G	Detroit Pistons	5000000000000000000♠—
1965	NBA	2	4	12	Brody, TalTal Brody	G	Baltimore Bullets	5000000000000000000♠
		5	-	-	Thoren, SkipSkip Thoren	C	Baltimore Bullets	5000000000000000000♠—
		6	7	50	Redmon, BogieBogie Redmon	F	Baltimore Bullets	5000000000000000000♠—
1966	NBA	3	-	29	Freeman, DonnieDonnie Freeman^‡	G	Philadelphia 76ers	7000300000000000000♠ ABA Champion (1973) ABA All-Star (1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972) All-ABA First Team (1972)
1967	NBA	16	-	-	Dawson, JimJim Dawson	G	Chicago Bulls	5000000000000000000♠—
1968	NBA	2	5	19	Dunlap, RonRon Dunlap	C	Chicago Bulls	5000000000000000000♠-
1969	NBA	4	-	52	Kuberski, SteveSteve Kuberski	F/C	Boston Celtics	7000100000000000000♠NBA Champion (1974, 1976)
		4	-	56	Scholz, DaveDave Scholz	F	Philadelphia 76ers	5000000000000000000♠
		15	6	-	Harrison, JodieJodie Harrison	G	Baltimore Bullets	5000000000000000000♠—
1970	NBA	1	17	-	Price, MikeMike Price	G	New York Knicks	5000000000000000000♠—
1971	NBA	9	16	-	Howat, RickRick Howat	G	Milwaukee Bucks	5000000000000000000♠—
1973	NBA	1	13	-	Weatherspoon, NickNick Weatherspoon	F	Capital Bullets	7000100000000000000♠NBA All-Rookie First Team (1974)
		8	11	-	Dawson, JeffJeff Dawson	G	Golden State Warriors	5000000000000000000♠—
		10	2	-	Connor, NickNick Connor	F, C	Buffalo Braves	5000000000000000000♠-
1975	NBA	6	-	91	Schmidt, RickRick Schmidt	F	New Orleans Jazz	5000000000000000000♠—
1976	NBA	5	-	69	Williams, NateNate Williams	G	Chicago Bulls	5000000000000000000♠
1976	NBA	10	-	169	Tucker, OthoOtho Tucker	G	Boston Celtics	5000000000000000000♠—
1978	NBA	4	–	86	Adams, RichRich Adams	F	San Antonio Spurs	5000000000000000000♠-
1978	NBA	6	-	117	Matthews, AudieAudie Matthews	F	Detroit Pistons	5000000000000000000♠—
1978	NBA	6	-	117	Bresnahan, NeilNeil Bresnahan	F	Golden State Warriors	5000000000000000000♠—
1981	NBA	2	7	29	Johnson, EddieEddie Johnson	F	Kansas City Kings	7000100000000000000♠NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1989)
		3	4	50	Holcomb, DerekDerek Holcomb	C	Portland Trailblazers	5000000000000000000♠—
		3	18	64	Smith, MarkMark Smith	F	Milwaukee Bucks	5000000000000000000♠—
1982	NBA	3	–	57	Tucker, CraigCraig Tucker	G	New York Knicks	5000000000000000000♠-
		4	-	80	Griffin, JamesJames Griffin	C	New Jersey Nets	5000000000000000000♠—
		7	-	143	Range, PerryPerry Range	G	Kansas City Kings	5000000000000000000♠—
		8	-	181	Leonard, BrianBrian Leonard	F	Milwaukee Bucks	5000000000000000000♠—
1983	NBA	1	11	-	Harper, DerekDerek Harper	G	Dallas Mavericks	7000100000000000000♠NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1987, 1990)
1985	NBA	2	15	39	Montgomery, GeorgeGeorge Montgomery	C	Portland Trail Blazers	5000000000000000000♠-
1986	NBA	3	-	57	Douglas, BruceBruce Douglas	G	Sacramento Kings	5000000000000000000♠-
		3	-	62	Welch, AnthonyAnthony Welch	F	Dallas Mavericks	5000000000000000000♠-
		4	-	74	Meents, ScottScott Meents	F	Chicago Bulls	5000000000000000000♠—
		4	-	88	Winters, EfremEfrem Winters	F	Atlanta Hawks	5000000000000000000♠—
1987	NBA	1	19	-	Norman, KenKen Norman	F	Los Angeles Clippers	5000000000000000000♠-
1987	NBA	6	-	125	Altenberger, DougDoug Altenberger	G, F	Chicago Bulls	5000000000000000000♠—
1989	NBA	1	11	-	Anderson, NickNick Anderson	G, F	Orlando Magic	7000100000000000000♠NBA Eastern Conference Champion (1995)
1989	NBA	1	27	-	Battle, KennyKenny Battle	F	Detroit Pistons	5000000000000000000♠—
1989	NBA	1	5	-	Gill, KendallKendall Gill	G, F	Charlotte Hornets	7000100000000000000♠NBA All-Rookie First Team (1991)
		2	-	41	Bardo, StephenStephen Bardo	G	Atlanta Hawks	5000000000000000000♠—
		2	-	42	Liberty, MarcusMarcus Liberty	F	Denver Nuggets	5000000000000000000♠—
1994	NBA	2	-	28	Thomas, DeonDeon Thomas	F	Dallas Mavericks	5000000000000000000♠—
2002	NBA	1	25	-	Williams, FrankFrank Williams	G	Denver Nuggets	5000000000000000000♠—
2002	NBA	2	3	32	Archibald, RobertRobert Archibald	C, F	Memphis Grizzlies	5000000000000000000♠—
2003	NBA	1	24	-	Cook, BrianBrian Cook	F, C	Los Angeles Lakers	5000000000000000000♠—
2005	NBA	1	3	-	Williams, DeronDeron Williams^*	G	Utah Jazz	7000500000000000000♠ 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)
2005	NBA	1	24	-	Head, LutherLuther Head	F	Houston Rockets	7000100000000000000♠All-NBA Rookie Second Team (2006
2006	NBA	2	11	41	Augustine, JamesJames Augustine	F, C	Orlando Magic	5000000000000000000♠—
2006	NBA	2	16	46	Brown, DeeDee Brown	G	Utah Jazz	5000000000000000000♠—
2012	NBA	1	11	-	Leonard, MeyersMeyers Leonard	C	Portland Trail Blazers	5000000000000000000♠—

References

Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball

Venues	Kenney Gym (1906–1925) Huff Hall (1926–1963) State Farm Center (1963–present) Prairie Capital Convention Center (2015)

Rivalries	Indiana Missouri

Culture & lore	Whiz Kids Flyin' Illini Orange Krush Fighting Illini Sports Network Oskee Wow-Wow Illinois Loyalty Chief Illiniwek

People	Head coaches NBA draftees Consensus All-Americans

Seasons	1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17

Helms and Premo-Porretta national championships in bold; NCAA Final Four appearances in italics

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