Where the NBA Players Come From
Players from Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, and Kansas dominate 2012-13 NBA Opening-Day Rosters
Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, and Kansas lead the pack of 119 Division I teams that have one or more former players on 2012-13 NBA opening-day rosters. Kentucky has 20 former players on NBA teams, the most we have seen from one school on opening-day rosters since we began compiling this list on a yearly basis 26 years ago. Duke has 18 and North Carolina has 17 former players on NBA teams and Kansas has 14. Rounding out those schools with double-digit former players are Connecticut and UCLA, each with 12, Texas with 11, and Florida with 10.
Collegiate Basketball News' Jim Sukup has been tracking the origin of NBA players on NBA opening-day rosters since the 1986-1987 season. There are four categories of players in the current list: 1) NBA players that attended Division I colleges; 2) NBA players that attended non-Division I colleges, including junior colleges; 3) NBA players that went from U.S. high schools directly to the NBA without attending college; and 4) Foreign players that have no U.S. college experience. Foreign players that played for U.S. colleges are shown on the college list rather than on the foreign players list. That explains the discrepancy between the number of foreign players shown on this list and the larger number of "international players" that may be reported by the NBA or on other lists. Only the last college a player attended is shown in cases where players on current NBA rosters attended more than one college.
CBN believes it is informative to compare the data on the current list with the list that was compiled for the 1986-1987 season (see the January 26, 1987 issue of Basketball Weekly titled " ACC, Big Ten Most Generous with NBA ", by Jim Sukup). Back then there were 23 teams in the NBA (compared with 30 today), there were a total of 301 players on NBA opening-day rosters (compared with 446 on the 2012-13 opening-day list), and there was no list of the number of foreign players in the league (although several foreign players on those NBA rosters had played for U.S. colleges). UCLA headed the colleges with 9 former players in the NBA, and the ACC was at the top of the conference list with 34 players on the 1986-87 NBA opening-day roster list.
The ACC heads the list of conferences for the third consecutive year in producing NBA players, with 66. That is good for an average of 5.3 former players per school, which also leads the average per conference. Next in line is the Pac-12, with 53 former players and an average of 4.4 former players per school, followed by the SEC with 57 players and an average of 4.1 players per team. The Big 12 comes in 4th with 40 players in the NBA and an average of 4.0 former players per school, the Big East has 53 in the NBA with 3.5 players per school, and the Big Ten has 25 players in the NBA for an average of 2.1 players per schools. The Pac-12 is the only conference that has all schools represented on NBA rosters at the beginning of the 2012-13 season, which wrestled it away from the Big 12 last year. The Big East won that honor the two seasons prior to last season. The Big East had 14 of 15 schools with former players on NBA opening-day rosters this season, the ACC had 11 of 12, the Big 12 had 9 of 10, the SEC 12 of 14, the Atlantic 10 13 of 16, and the Big Ten 9 of 12. Eight conferences had only one team represented in the NBA, and six conferences had no NBA players on 2012-13 NBA opening-day rosters.
There were 55 foreign players on 2012-13 NBA opening-day rosters, or 12.3% of the NBA total. That is 4 foreign players more than last season. A total of 31 players went straight from U.S. high schools to the NBA (7.0% of the NBA total), and 2 players attended non-Division I colleges (0.5%). Division I colleges provide the balance of 358 NBA players (80.3%). Foreign players that played in U.S. colleges are counted under the appropriate Division I school listing.
The average NBA player at the start of the 2012-13 season was 26.74 years old and had 4.77 years of NBA experience. (NBA team averages for these categories are 26.73 and 4.77, respectively.) Players on the Dallas Mavericks averaged 31.31 years of age, making them the oldest of all 30 NBA teams, and they averaged 8.40 years of NBA playing experience, which was also tops in this category. The Houston Rockets are the youngest team in the league in averaging 24.08 in age and 1.93 in experience.
Young basketball players that believe they might have a long NBA career should take a look at the second-to-last table on this page because it contains some sobering data. It shows the number of NBA players with the corresponding number of years of NBA experience. For example, there are 55 players on opening-day rosters this season that have one year of NBA experience, and they make up 12.3% of the total number of NBA players. Just under half (48.0%) of NBA players are rookies or have 1, 2, or 3 years of NBA playing experience. Are you convinced that you will have a long, productive NBA career? This is very unlikely because only 50 players (11.2%) on 2012-13 NBA opening-day rosters have more than 10 years of NBA experience, and only 13 have 15 or more years of NBA experience!
Player turnover in the NBA is always going at a breakneck pace, and you need only to look at the roster of your favorite NBA team's roster and compare it to last year's roster to understand this fact. Only exceptional talent lasts in the NBA for any length of time. The NBA player with the most playing experience this season is Jason Kidd of the New York Knicks, who has 18 years under his belt. Who is the oldest current player in the league? That honor belongs to the Knick's Kurt Thomas, who was born on 10/05/72, one day before Grant Hill of the L.A. Clippers, both who have 17 years of NBA playing experience. Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics and Jerry Stackhouse of the Brooklyn Nets also have 17 years of experience, and our annual salute is due these players for their outstanding NBA longevity. These players will not be around much longer on the NBA playing floor.
The last table on this page is new this year, which lists NBA coaches as of 2012-13 opening-day rosters and the college they attended. Indiana heads the list with 4 coaches, 3 of which were former players. It is most interesting that Lawrence Frank, coach of the Detroit Pistons, did not play college ball but was a student manager for the Indiana Hoosiers under coach Bob Knight. Arizona State, Kentucky, and Loyola Marymount each have 2 coaches in the NBA, and these 4 schools account for a full one-third of current NBA head coaches.
The following lists are based upon NBA Opening-Day rosters for the 2012-13 season, which was Tuesday, October 30, 2012. The conference list includes only current school affiliations for the 2012-13 season. Team and conference lists include players on the active NBA roster list (12 active players are allowed per NBA team at any given time) and inactive list (maximum of 3 inactive players allowed).
Copyright © 2013 by Collegiate Basketball News Co. All Rights Reserved.
Where Current NBA Players Come From by Division I Conference, Non-Division I College, High School, and Foreign Origin
# Schools W/ Players Avg. # NBA
Conference (# teams) NBA Players in NBA Players/Team
Atlantic Coast (12) 11 64 5.3
Pacific 12 (12) 12 53 4.4
Southeastern (14) 12 57 4.1
Big 12 (10) 9 40 4.0
Big East (15) 14 53 3.5
Big Ten (12) 9 25 2.1
Mountain West (9) 6 12 1.3
West Coast (9) 4 8 0.9
Atlantic 10 (16) 10 13 0.8
Conference USA (12) 2 6 0.5
Colonial (11) 4 4 0.4
Sun Belt (11) 2 3 0.3
Horizon (9) 2 2 0.2
Great West (5) 1 1 0.2
Metro Atlantic (10) 2 2 0.2
Missouri Valley (10 1 2 0.2
Big Sky (11) 2 2 0.2
Ohio Valley (12) 2 2 0.2
Southern (12) 2 2 0.2
Ivy League (8) 1 1 0.1
Summit (9) 1 1 0.1
Big West (10) 1 1 0.1
Western Athletic(10 1 1 0.1
Big South (12) 1 1 0.1
Mid-American (12) 1 1 0.1
Mid-Eastern (13) 1 1 0.1
America East (9) 0 0 0.0
Atlantic Sun (10) 0 0 0.0
Independents (2) 0 0 0.0
Northeast (12) 0 0 0.0
Patriot (8) 0 0 0.0
Southland (10) 0 0 0.0
Southwestern (10) 0 0 0.0
Total Division I 114 357
Non-Division 2
High School 31
Foreign 55
Total in NBA 446
*Note: # foreign players does not include those that played for U.S. colleges
Division I Schools Ranked by Number of Players in NBA
No. Players
School In NBA
Kentucky 20
Duke 18
North Carolina 17
Kansas 14
Connecticut 12
UCLA 12
Texas 11
Florida 10
Arizona 9
Washington 8
Georgia Tech 7
Marquette 7
Notre Dame 6
Ohio State 6
Syracuse 6
Wake Forest 6
Gonzaga 5
Louisiana State 5
Memphis 5
Michigan State 5
Stanford 5
USC 5
Baylor 4
Colorado 4
Villanova 4
Alabama 3
Arkansas 3
Cincinnati 3
Florida State 3
Fresno State 3
Georgetown 3
Georgia 3
Iowa State 3
Louisvillle 3
Maryland 3
Miami (Fla.) 3
Missouri 3
Nevada 3
Oklahoma State 3
Pittsburgh 3
Texas A&M 3
UNLV 3
Vanderbilt 3
Wisconsin 3
Arizona State 2
Boston College 2
California 2
Clemson 2
Creighton 2
Dayton 2
Illinois 2
Indiana 2
Kansas State 2
Michigan 2
Minnesota 2
Oregon 2
Purdue 2
St. John's 2
Tennessee 2
Utah 2
Virginia 2
Virginia Commonweal 2
Western Kentucky 2
Xavier 2
Auburn 1
Brigham Young 1
Butler 1
California-Santa Ba 1
Central Michigan 1
Charlotte 1
Cleveland State 1
Colorado State 1
Davidson 1
DePaul 1
Detroit Mercy 1
Eastern Washington 1
Florida Internation 1
Harvard 1
Hofstra 1
Iona 1
Iowa 1
IUPUI 1
Louisiana Tech 1
Massachusetts 1
Mississippi State 1
Morehead State 1
New Mexico 1
Norfolk State 1
North Carolina Stat 1
Northeastern 1
Oklahoma 1
Old Dominion 1
Oregon State 1
Providence 1
Rhode Island 1
Rider 1
Saint Joseph's 1
San Diego State 1
Santa Clara 1
Seton Hall 1
South Florida 1
St. Bonaventure 1
St. Mary's (CA) 1
Temple 1
Tennessee Tech 1
Texas Christian 1
Texas-El Paso 1
Towson 1
Utah Valley 1
Virginia Military I 1
Washington State 1
Weber State 1
West Virginia 1
Western Carolina 1
Total Division I 357
Non-Division I 2
High School 31
Foreign 55
Total in NBA 2012-13 446
NBA Teams Sorted by Average Experience
Avg. Avg.
Team Exp. Age
New York Knicks 8.40 31.31
Los Angeles Clippers 7.67 29.30
Miami Heat 7.47 29.56
Los Angeles Lakers 7.13 28.72
Chicago Bulls 6.92 28.39
Dallas Mavericks 6.47 28.40
Boston Celtics 6.29 28.12
San Antonio Spurs 5.71 28.34
Milwaukee Bucks 5.47 26.94
Atlanta Hawks 5.43 27.22
Brooklyn Nets 5.33 27.75
Philadelphia 76ers 5.29 26.28
Utah Jazz 5.27 26.97
Charlotte Bobcats 4.43 25.82
Memphis Grizzlies 4.31 25.64
Washington Wizards 4.27 26.03
Phoenix Suns 4.27 26.89
Orlando Magic 4.00 25.99
Sacramento Kings 3.93 26.00
Oklahoma City Thunder 3.92 25.32
Denver Nuggets 3.67 24.91
Detroit Pistons 3.67 25.83
Golden State Warriers 3.67 25.59
Portland Trail Blazers 3.20 25.08
Toronto Raptors 3.17 25.58
Indiana Pacers 3.13 25.93
Cleveland Cavaliers 3.00 24.95
Minnesota Timberwolves 2.93 26.21
New Orleans Hornets 2.79 24.68
Houston Rockets 1.93 24.08
Average per Team 4.77 26.73
NBA Teams Sorted by Average Age
Avg. Avg.
Team Exp. Age
New York Knicks 8.40 31.31
Miami Heat 7.47 29.56
Los Angeles Clippers 7.67 29.30
Los Angeles Lakers 7.13 28.72
Dallas Mavericks 6.47 28.40
Chicago Bulls 6.92 28.39
San Antonio Spurs 5.71 28.34
Boston Celtics 6.29 28.12
Brooklyn Nets 5.33 27.75
Atlanta Hawks 5.43 27.22
Utah Jazz 5.27 26.97
Milwaukee Bucks 5.47 26.94
Phoenix Suns 4.27 26.89
Philadelphia 76ers 5.29 26.28
Minnesota Timberwolves 2.93 26.21
Washington Wizards 4.27 26.03
Sacramento Kings 3.93 26.00
Orlando Magic 4.00 25.99
Indiana Pacers 3.13 25.93
Detroit Pistons 3.67 25.83
Charlotte Bobcats 4.43 25.82
Memphis Grizzlies 4.31 25.64
Golden State Warriers 3.67 25.59
Toronto Raptors 3.17 25.58
Oklahoma City Thunder 3.92 25.32
Portland Trail Blazers 3.20 25.08
Cleveland Cavaliers 3.00 24.95
Denver Nuggets 3.67 24.91
New Orleans Hornets 2.79 24.68
Houston Rockets 1.93 24.08
Average per Team 4.77 26.73
Years of Experience for NBA Players
No. Years NBA No. NBA Cumulative
Experience Players Percentage Percentage
0 76 .170 .170
1 55 .123 .294
2 44 .099 .392
3 39 .087 .480
4 40 .090 .570
5 26 .058 .628
6 21 .047 .675
7 27 .061 .735
8 26 .058 .794
9 28 .063 .857
10 14 .031 .888
11 15 .034 .922
12 7 .016 .937
13 8 .018 .955
14 7 .016 .971
15 3 .007 .978
16 5 .011 .989
17 4 .009 .998
18 1 .002 1.000
Total 446
NBA Coaches and College Attended
NBA Team Coach College
New York Knicks Mike Woodson Indiana
Detroit Pistons Lawrence Frank Indiana
Washington Wizards Randy Wittman Indiana
Sacramento Kings Keith Smart Indiana
Cleveland Cavaliers Byron Scott Arizona State
Memphis Grizzlies Lionel Hollins Arizona State
Toronto Raptors Dwane Casey Kentucky
Indiana Pacers Frank Vogel Kentucky
Charlotte Bobcats Mike Dunlap Loyola Marymount
Minnesota Timberwolves Rick Adelman Loyola Marymount
San Antonio Spurs Gregg Popovich Air Force Academy
Phoenix Suns Alvin Gentry Appalachian State
Utah Jazz Tyrone Corbin DePaul
Philadelphia 76ers Doug Collins Illinois State
Orlando Magic Jacque Vaughn Kansas
Boston Celtics Doc Rivers Marquette
Milwaukee Bucks Scott Skiles Michigan State
Houston Rockets Kevin McHale Minnesota
Atlanta Hawks Larry Drew Missouri
Denver Nuggets George Karl North Carolina
Los Angeles Clippers Vinny Del Negro North Carolina State
New Orleans Hornets Monty Williams Notre Dame
Portland Trail Blazers Terry Stotts Oklahoma
Miami Heat Erik Spoelstra Portland
Chicago Bulls Tom Thibodeau Salem State
Los Angeles Lakers Mike Brown San Diego
Brooklyn Nets Avery Johnson Southern
Golden State Warriers Mark Jackson St. John's
Oklahoma City Thunder Scott Brooks UC-Irvine
Dallas Mavericks Rick Carlisle Virginia