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Since 2000, over 75 different colleges have produced players who were selected in the NBA draft. Programs such as Duke, Kentucky, and UCLA have yielded the most NBA players of all time. With the popularity of those schools, many other colleges are disregarded as being able to legitimately produce players who can have successful careers at the next level.
This list will look at five underrated college basketball programs that have produced NBA talent. It will compare programs that have been overlooked in their ability to produce quality players both past and present.
5 underrated college basketball programs that produce NBA talent
1. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Georgia Tech has produced a total of 40 players who have played in the NBA, sitting just outside the top 10 of all time. There are currently three former Yellow Jackets in the league — Jose Alvarado, Josh Okogie and Thaddeus Young.
There are some very familiar names who have played for Georgia Tech that are no longer in the league as well. Jarrett Jack, John Salley, Dennis Scott, Stephon Marbury, Kenny Anderson, and Mark Price were all products of Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech has shown that it deserves credit for producing pro talent at different postions.
Likely the best player to emerge from Georgia Tech is 11-time All-Star, two-time NBA Champion and Hall of Famer Chris Bosh. He was a fourth overall selection by the Toronto Raptors in the 2003 draft. After playing seven seasons in Toronto, Bosh joined LeBron James and Dwayne Wade in Miami where he spent six seasons and earned two NBA Finals trophies.
2. Washington Huskies
Washington Huskies basketball has not had much program success recently in the NCAA. They aren't known for making deep March Madness runs or winning conference championships. However, historically they have produced a bunch of NBA talent.
Markelle Fultz, Justin Holiday, Jaden McDaniels, Dejounte Murray, Isaiah Stewart II and Matisse Thybulle are all currently active players who played for the Huskies. Fultz is a former first overall pick by Philadelphia, with Jaden McDaniels and Dejounte Murray being two of the league's young rising stars.
Some notable talent the Huskies have produced include Brandon Roy, Isaiah Thomas, Detlef Schrempf, Nate Robinson, Terrence Ross, and Marquese Chriss. Roy was a multiple-time All-Star selection before injuries cut his career short. Thomas, Schrempf, Robinson and Ross all had long careers in the league with each playing over 500 career games.
3. Florida Gators
The Florida Gators had lots of team success in the early 2000s. They were NCAA tournament runner-ups in 2000 and would eventually win back-to-back NCAA Tournament Championships in 2006 and 2007.
Current players from Florida include Bradley Beal, Colin Castleton, Dorian Finney-Smith, Al Horford, Keyontae Johnson, Tre Mann, and Andrew Nembhard. A few notable names of former players from Florida include Joakim Noah, Jason Williams, Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem, Corey Brewer, Vernon Maxwell, and Chandler Parsons.
4. Texas Longhorns
While many players from Texas recently haven't necessarily been lottery picks, they present a high number of players who have found success in the NBA. Among the names of former Longhorns, Kevin Durant stands out the most.
There are currently 10 former Texas players in the league right now. A few names on this list include Kevin Durant, Jarrett Allen, Mo Bamba, Tristan Thompson, Myles Turner, P.J. Tucker, Cory Joseph, and Jaxson Hayes.
A few former Texas players who are no longer active include LaMarcus Aldridge, Avery Bradley, T.J. Ford, and D.J. Augustin.
5. Georgetown Hoyas
While Georgetown doesn't boast a large number of NBA products, the quality of players who have played for the Hoyas is where they truly stand out. They have produced some of the most prestigious big men in history, and four past members of the Hoyas are in the NBA Hall of Fame.
Those Hall of Fame members include Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning, and Patrick Ewing, as well as Allen Iverson. Other notable names from Georgetown include Sleepy Floyd, Reggie Williams, David Wingate, Roy Hibbert, and Greg Monroe.
There are only three former Georgetown Hoyas who are currently active — Jeff Green, Otto Porter, and Omer Yurtseven. Reigning NBA Dunk Contest Champion and current G-League player Mac McClung also transferred from Texas Tech to play two seasons at Georgetown. McClung last played two games for the Orlando Magic in 2023.
