NBA Rankings of the Top 5 College Basketball Programs and Talent

In anticipation of March Madness commencing this week, let’s rank some prominent college basketball programs based on their current NBA talent. Even with alternative possibilities growing more prevalent, college basketball provides a majority of NBA players. A school’s raw quantity of players and talent quality were factored into this list. Without further ado, let’s count down the list in reverse order.

Villanova has swiftly become one of the greatest NBA schools. Their 2018 championship team is a key element in this achievement. Brunson, Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo have all linked up with the Knicks. Bridges are close by in Brooklyn. Outside of the 2018 roster, Saddiq Bey and Kyle Lowry are crucial rotational players.

Rockets winger Cam Whitmore is an interesting rookie with loads of upside. Seven of Villonova’s ten NBA players are in rotations. That’s more than other schools that have a similar number of NBA players. Ultimately, this depth gives Nova the edge over more top-heavy schools.

Gonzaga is a mid-major success story and one of the top programs in college basketball. Impressively, their 10 NBA players are tied for the fifth most out of all schools. Both Sabonis and Holmgren are all-star-caliber players. Sabonis is one of the league’s more underrated players, while Chet is one of the league’s brightest emerging talents.

Suggs is also one of the top role players league-wide. Gonzaga has quality role players across the league. Including Nuggets, Rui Hachimura, and Kelly Olynyk. Nine out of Gonzaga’s ten active players are in NBA rotations. The one expectation is Julian Strawther, who’s a rookie with the Nuggets and still has plenty of potential. Similar to Villanova, Gonzaga’s number of talented NBA players gives them a boost in these rankings.

UCLA’s 16 active players are the third most among all schools. Sure, their talent pool might have been more spectacular a few years ago, but there is a dearth of great stars. But this is still a pretty solid squad for UCLA. Holiday and LaVine are not far removed from their All-Star seasons. Jaquez is a developing young star and one of the top rookies. Westbrook and Norman Powell are two of the league’s top six men and play crucial roles for the Clippers. Kyle Anderson, Kevin Love, and Kevon Looney are all solid rotation players. UCLA’s depth and consistent ability to develop NBA players secure them a spot on this list.

There is a huge difference between second-ranked Duke and third-ranked UCLA. The top two clubs on the list are in a category of their own, while slots three through five could possibly be left off the list. Regardless, Duke’s NBA talent is really impressive. This skill pool contains five All-Star players, three number-one overall picks, and seven top-three picks. Duke blends their star-level talent with exciting young players and competent players across the league. Including Jalen Johnson, RJ Barrett, Tyus Jones, and Dereck Lively. Overall, this combination, filled with a sheer number of NBA players, earns Duke a top-two ranking.

It should be no surprise that Kentucky ranks first on this list. For the past decade, they have been the top NBA factory. Consistently producing top talent each year, with outstanding guards being their signature. The prominent names featured are five of the league’s top 25 players, along with three top-ten-level players.

However, this omits talented players such as Tyrese Maxey, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jamal Murray, and Julius Randle. Impressively, Kentucky had seven All-Stars this year, making up roughly one-third of the field. Furthermore, Kentucky possesses a wealth of solid role players and talented young players with upside. Ultimately, Kentucky is as good as it gets in terms of consistently generating top NBA talent.