UVA Basketball Players Who Went on to the NBA
Contents
- UVA basketball players in the NBA
- Players Who Went from UVA to the NBA
- UVA Players in the NBA Draft
- UVA Alumni in the NBA
- UVA Basketball and the NBA
- The Relationship between UVA and the NBA
- UVA Players in the NBA Hall of Fame
- UVA’s Most Famous NBA Players
- UVA’s Most Successful NBA Players
- UVA and the NBA: A History
We all know that UVA is a great basketball school. But did you know that many of its players have gone on to have successful careers in the NBA?
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the most successful Uva Basketball players who made it to the NBA. We’ll also learn a bit about their careers and how they’ve fared in the pros.
UVA basketball players in the NBA
Since the NBA was founded in 1946, there have been 60 former Virginia Cavaliers men’s basketball players who have gone on to play in the NBA. In 1971, UVA became the first college team to have four players drafted in the first round of the same draft. As of 2019, eleven former Cavs have won an NBA Championship
Players Who Went from UVA to the NBA
Since the NBA began in 1947, there have been a Number of players who have made the transition from playing college basketball at UVA to playing in the NBA. Some of the most notable players include:
-Mike Schurle: played at UVA from 1968-1971. He was drafted in 1971 by the Atlanta Hawks and played a total of six seasons in the NBA.
-Ralph Sampson: widely considered one of the greatest college basketball players of all time, Sampson played at UVA from 1979-1983. He was drafted first overall by the Houston Rockets in 1983 and went on to have a Hall of Fame career.
-Olden Polynice: another player who had a long NBA Career Polynice played at UVA from 1984-1988 before being drafted 8th overall by the Seattle SuperSonics in 1988. He played for 11 different teams over his 17 year nba career.
UVA Players in the NBA Draft
Since the NBA draft began in 1947, there have been 65 former UVA basketball players who have been drafted. The first was Howie Dallmar, who was drafted in the second round by the Philadelphia Warriors in 1947. Dallmar played three seasons in the NBA and was a two-time All-Star.
The most recent UVA player to be drafted is Justin Anderson, who was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the 21st pick in the 2015 NBA Draft Anderson is currently in his fourth season in the NBA and has played for the Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets He has averaged 5.0 points per game in his career.
Of the 65 UVA players who have been drafted into the NBA, 28 have gone on to play at least one game in the NBA.
UVA Alumni in the NBA
Since 1950, Virginia has produced a number of successful basketball players who have gone on to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Among the most notable are Ralph Sampson, Shawn Bradley, Cory Alexander Courtney Alexander, Brendan Haywood, and Joe Harris
UVA Basketball and the NBA
Since 1970, sixty-five University of Virginia men’s Basketball Players have been drafted by NBA teams Among them are four number one overall picks in the NBA Draft Ralph Sampson in 1983, Allen Iverson in 1996, Elton Brand in 1999, and Anthony Bennett in 2013. Additionally, eleven former Cavaliers have gone on to become NBA All-Stars.
The Relationship between UVA and the NBA
Since the National Basketball Association (NBA) began in 1946, sixty-six Virginia men’s basketball players have been drafted into the NBA.
Of those sixty-six, thirty-three have played in at least one NBA game Additionally, four Cavalier basketball players have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Frank Ramsey (Class of 1963), Ralph Sampson (Class of 2011), Charles Barkley (Class of 2006) and Moses Malone (Class of 2001).
UVA has had a few “one-and-done” players who played just one year at Virginia before being drafted by the NBA. The most recent Cavalier to make this leap was Justin Anderson in 2015. Anderson was an early second round pick, going number 21 overall to the Dallas Mavericks
UVA Players in the NBA Hall of Fame
UVA has had several players go on to successful NBA careers, including several who have been inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame Below is a list of UVA basketball players who have been inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame
-Adrian Dantley
-Allen Iverson
-Alonzo Mourning
-Artis Gilmore
UVA’s Most Famous NBA Players
Some of the University of Virginia’s most famous basketball players have gone on to have successful careers in the NBA. Some of the most notable names include Ralph Sampson, Bryant Stith, and Sean Singletary.
Ralph Sampson is one of the best known College Basketball players of all time. He played for UVA from 1979 to 1983 and was a three-time NCAA Player of the Year. He was also a two-time number one NBA draft pick. After a successful college career, he went on to play for the Houston Rockets where he was a four-time All-Star.
Bryant Stith also had a very successful college career at UVA, playing from 1989 to 1992. He was a two-time ACC Player of the Year and led the Cavaliers to an NCAA championship in his senior year. He was drafted 13th overall by the Denver Nuggets in 1992 and went on to have a long and successful NBA career
Sean Singletary is another recognizable name when it comes to UVA basketball players who made it to the NBA. He played for UVA from 2004 to 2008 and is UVA’s all-time leader in assists. He was drafted 42nd overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2008 and went on to have a short but successful NBA career
UVA’s Most Successful NBA Players
In recent years the University of Virginia has produced some of the most successful NBA players Below is a list of UVA’s most successful NBA players according to their career achievements.
-Malcolm Brogdon: Rookie of the Year, 2016-2017 season
-Anthony Gill: Most Improved Player 2015-2016 season
-Joe Harris: 3-point percentage leader, 2017-2018 season
--Mike Scott sixth man of the year, 2013-2014 season
UVA and the NBA: A History
Since the early days of the NBA, there have been a handful of players who have made the jump from college to the pros. But only a select few have come from the University of Virginia Here is a brief history of those who have made it to the NBA from UVA.
Danny Ferry was the first UVA player to be drafted into the NBA, going 2nd overall to the Los Angeles Clippers in 1989. He would go on to have a successful 13-year career, playing for the Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks He was a two-time All-Star and was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 1994.
Joe Hamilton was next, going 29th overall to the Indiana Pacers in 1996. He would only play in the NBA for two seasons, but he did win an NBA Championship with the Houston Rockets in 1995.
Muggsy Bogues is perhaps one of the most famous players to come out of UVA, thanks in part to his starring role in Space Jam He was drafted 12th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in 1987 and went on to have a solid 14-year career in the NBA. He is currently sixth all-time in assists per game and holds several Hornets franchise records.
Bryant Stith was another first-round pick out of UVA, going 13th overall to the Denver Nuggets in 1992. He played for 11 seasons in the NBA with teams like the Nuggets, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers before retiring in 2003. During his time in Boston, he won an NBA Championship with teammates like Larry Bird and Shaquille O’Neal.
Ronnie Brewer was drafted 14th overall by the Utah Jazz in 2006 and played for seven seasons in Utah before being traded to Chicago during the 2012-13 season. He would go on to win an NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors before retiring in 2016.
Malcolm Brogdon became one of only two UVA players ever taken in the first round when he was selected 36th overall by Milwaukee Bucks in 2016. In his rookie season, he was named Rookie of The Year and became just the fourth player ever to average at least 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal per game while shooting over 50 percent from field goal range.