Pac-12 basketball sends 14 to the NBA in the 2017 draft, most ever for the conference

The Pac-12 tied the ACC with the most overall draft picks this year in the 2017 NBA Draft. This included six first round draft picks and the top two picks overall in Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball.

WASHINGTON's Markelle Fultz was the No. 1 overall selection by the Philadelphia 76ers, joining UCLA’s Bill Walton in 1974 and Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in 1969 as top picks from Conference members. Fultz is the first Husky to be taken first overall in the NBA Draft.

WASHINGTON became the first school and the Pac-12 became the first conference to have both No. 1 NBA and WNBA Draft picks as UW’s Kelsey Plum was the first choice of the San Antonio Stars in April’s WNBA Draft. UCLA’s Abu Danladi was also the No. 1 selection in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, making the Pac-12 the first league to have the top picks in those three drafts.

UCLA’s Lonzo Ball, the 2017 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, was chosen No. 2 by his hometown Los Angeles Lakers, marking the first time in league history and just the fourth time in the NBA Draft’s 71-year history that the top two picks came from the same conference.

ARIZONA’s Lauri Markkanen went No. 7 to the Chicago Bulls via a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. His selection marked the second straight season and the fourth time in the last 10 years that the Pac-12 had three players selected in the top 10.

The Indiana Pacers took UCLA’s TJ Leaf at No. 18, UTAH’s Kyle Kuzma went No. 27 to the Lakers via a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, and COLORADO’s Derrick White was taken by the San Antonio Spurs at No. 29 to round out the league’s six first rounders.

The Pac-12’s six first-round selections were the second-most of any conference in the country and tied for the second-most in league history trailing only the 2008 Draft class.

Eight additional Pac-12 players were taken in the second round to raise the overall total to 14, equaling the most of any conference in this year’s Draft and eclipsing the previous Pac-12 mark of 12 in 2008.

Five Pac-12 players were taken in a 10-pick span in the second round – CALIFORNIA’s Ivan Rabb at No. 35, UCLA’s Jonah Bolden at No. 36 and the OREGON trio of Jordan Bell, Tyler Dorsey and Dillon Brooks at Nos. 38, 41 and 45, respectively.

Ike Anigbogu became the 100th UCLA player selected in the modern Draft era, the most of any program in the the nation, with the No. 47 pick to the Indiana Pacers. The Boston Celtics took a pair of Pac-12 players late in the second round – ARIZONA’s Kadeem Allen at No. 53 and CALIFORNIA’s Jabari Bird at No. 56.