Green Leads Trio of Wildcats Selected in the 2020 NBA Draft
TUCSON, Ariz. – When the dust settled on the 2020 NBA Draft, which was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Arizona Wildcats had three players selected, tying Duke and Kentucky for the most picks from a single school this year.
The trio were the first NBA Draft picks from Arizona since Deandre Ayton was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft.
Josh Green was selected 18th overall by the Dallas Mavericks before the Denver Nuggets picked Zeke Nnaji 22nd overall. Nico Mannion was chosen 48th overall by the Golden State Warriors.
A moment @josh_green6 will never forget! pic.twitter.com/UNM5iK77vq
— Arizona Basketball (@APlayersProgram) November 19, 2020
Zeke is now a Denver Nugget! #APlayersProgram | #NBADraft
— Arizona Basketball (@APlayersProgram) November 19, 2020
.@niccolomannion is headed to the Dubs!
— Arizona Basketball (@APlayersProgram) November 19, 2020
As head coach Sean Miller's 11 seasons in Tucson, he has now coached nine first round draft picks. And Arizona has now had 25 overall first round draft picks in program history after Green and Nnaji added their names to the list this year.
Arizona had three selections in a single draft for the seventh time in program history, but the first time since 2001 when four Wildcats were taken (Richard Jefferson, Gilbert Arenas, Michael Wright, Loren Woods).
The last time Arizona had two players taken in the first round was 2015 when Stanley Johnson was taken eighth overall and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was chosen 23rd.
Arizona has now had 75 players selected in the NBA Draft dating back to 1948, the second-highest total among Pac-12 schools. And since 1988, the Wildcats have had 46 players selected in the NBA Draft, the third-best total in the country.
| All-Time NBA Draft Picks - Pac-12 Schools | ||
| Team | Total Picks | Most Recent |
| UCLA | 117 | Aaron Holiday (2018 - 23rd overall) |
| Arizona | 75 | Green (18th), Nnaji (22nd), Mannion (48th) - 2020 |
| USC | 63 | Onyeka Okongwu (2020 - 6th overall) |
| Washington | 59 | Stewart (16th), McDaniels (28th) - 2020 |
| Oregon | 55 | Payton Pritchard (2020 - 26th overall) |
| California | 50 | Jabari Bird (56th) & Ivan Rabb (35th) - 2017 |
| Oregon State | 47 | Jared Cunningham (2012 - 24th overall) |
| Utah | 43 | Kyle Kuzma (2017 - 27th overall) |
| Stanford | 43 | Tyrell Terry (2020 - 31st overall) |
| Arizona State | 42 | Carrick Felix (2013 - 33rd overall) |
| Colorado | 35 | Tyler Bey (2020 - 36th overall) |
| Washington State | 31 | C.J. Elleby (2020 - 46th overall) |
Below is a list of all the first round selections as well as a list of all 72 NBA Draft picks from Arizona.
| Arizona's First Round Draft Picks (25) | |||
| Player | Selection | Year | Team |
| Larry Demic | 9 | 1979 | New York Knicks |
| *Leon Wood | 10 | 1984 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| ^Sean Elliott | 3 | 1989 | San Antonio Spurs |
| Anthony Cook | 24 | 1989 | Phoenix Suns |
| ^Brian Williams | 10 | 1991 | Orlando Magic |
| Chris Mills | 22 | 1993 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Khalid Reeves | 12 | 1994 | Miami Heat |
| ^Damon Stoudamire | 7 | 1995 | Toronto Raptors |
| ^Mike Bibby | 2 | 1998 | Vancouver Grizzlies |
| Michael Dickerson | 14 | 1998 | Houston Rockets |
| ^Jason Terry | 10 | 1999 | Atlanta Hawks |
| ^Richard Jefferson | 13 | 2001 | Houston Rockets |
| ^Andre Iguodala | 9 | 2004 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| ^Channing Frye | 8 | 2005 | New York Knicks |
| ^Jerryd Bayless | 11 | 2008 | Indiana Pacers |
| ^Jordan Hill | 8 | 2009 | New York Knicks |
| ^Derrick Williams | 2 | 2011 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Solomon Hill | 23 | 2013 | Indiana Pacers |
| ^Aaron Gordon | 4 | 2014 | Orlando Magic |
| ^Stanley Johnson | 8 | 2015 | Detroit Pistons |
| Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | 23 | 2015 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| ^Lauri Markkanen | 7 | 2017 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| ^Deandre Ayton | 1 | 2018 | Phoenix Suns |
| Josh Green | 18 | 2020 | Dallas Mavericks |
| Zeke Nnaji | 22 | 2020 | Denver Nuggets |
| * Played at Arizona as a freshman before transferring. | |||
| ^ Lottery pick | |||
| Player | Round/Pick | Year | Team |
| Morris Udall | 1948 | Denver Nuggets (NBL) | |
| Lincoln Richmond | 1948 | Ft. Wayne Pistons | |
| Leon Blevins | 7/79 | 1950 | Indianapolis Olympians |
| Leo Johnson | 5/44 | 1951 | Ft. Wayne Pistons |
| Roger Johnson | 1952 | Milwaukee Hawks | |
| Ernie McCray | 17/95 | 1960 | Cincinnati Royals |
| Warren Rustand | 4/31 | 1965 | San Francisco Warriors |
| Bill Davis | 12/160 | 1968 | Phoenix Suns |
| Michael Foster | 1970 | Indiana Pacers (ABA) | |
| Tom Lee | 9/147 | 1971 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Eddie Myers | 10/160 | 1971 | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1971 | Miami Floridians (ABA) | ||
| Bill Warner | 11/170 | 1971 | Buffalo Braves |
| 1971 | New York Nets (ABA) | ||
| Bruce Anderson | 7/101 | 1972 | Detroit Pistons |
| Eric Money | 2/33 | 1974 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1974 | Denver Nuggets (ABA) | ||
| Coniel Norman | 3/37 | 1974 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1974 | Denver Nuggets (ABA) | ||
| Al Fleming | 2/30 | 1976 | Phoenix Suns |
| James Rappis | 5/77 | 1976 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Bob Elliott | 2/42 | 1977 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Herman Harris | 2/43 | 1977 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Jerome Gladney | 8/164 | 1977 | San Antonio Spurs |
| Phil Taylor | 10/198 | 1978 | Denver Nuggets |
| Larry Demic | 1/9 | 1979 | New York Knicks |
| Joe Nehls | 7/152 | 1980 | Houston Rockets |
| Ron Davis | 4/79 | 1981 | Washington Bullets |
| Robbie Dosty | 6/148 | 1981 | Golden State Warriors |
| Frank Smith | 8/177 | 1983 | Portland Trailblazers |
| *Leon Wood | 1/10 | 1984 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Pete Williams | 4/89 | 1985 | Denver Nuggets |
| Eddie Smith | 7/158 | 1985 | Denver Nuggets |
| Tom Tolbert | 2/34 | 1988 | Charlotte Hornets |
| Steve Kerr | 2/50 | 1988 | Phoenix Suns |
| Sean Elliott | 1/3 | 1989 | San Antonio Spurs |
| Anthony Cook | 1/24 | 1989 | Phoenix Suns |
| Jud Buechler | 2/38 | 1990 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| Brian Williams | 1/10 | 1991 | Orlando Magic |
| Sean Rooks | 2/30 | 1992 | Dallas Mavericks |
| Chris Mills | 1/22 | 1993 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Ed Stokes | 2/35 | 1993 | Miami Heat |
| Khalid Reeves | 1/12 | 1994 | Miami Heat |
| Damon Stoudamire | 1/7 | 1995 | Toronto Raptors |
| Joseph Blair | 2/35 | 1996 | Seattle Supersonics |
| Ben Davis | 2/43 | 1996 | Phoenix Suns |
| Reggie Geary | 2/56 | 1996 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Mike Bibby | 1/ 2 | 1998 | Vancouver Grizzlies |
| Michael Dickerson | 1/14 | 1998 | Houston Rockets |
| Miles Simon | 2/42 | 1998 | Orlando Magic |
| Jason Terry | 1/10 | 1999 | Atlanta Hawks |
| A.J. Bramlett | 2/39 | 1999 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Richard Jefferson | 1/13 | 2001 | Houston Rockets |
| Gilbert Arenas | 2/31 | 2001 | Golden State Warriors |
| Michael Wright | 2/39 | 2001 | New York Knicks |
| Loren Woods | 2/46 | 2001 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| *Robertas Javtokas | 2/56 | 2001 | San Antonio Spurs |
| Luke Walton | 2/32 | 2003 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Andre Iguodala | 1/9 | 2004 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Channing Frye | 1/8 | 2005 | New York Knicks |
| Salim Stoudamire | 2/31 | 2005 | Atlanta Hawks |
| Hassan Adams | 2/54 | 2006 | New Jersey Nets |
| Marcus Williams | 2/33 | 2007 | San Antonio Spurs |
| Jerryd Bayless | 1/11 | 2008 | Indiana Pacers |
| Jordan Hill | 1/8 | 2009 | New York Knicks |
| Chase Budinger | 2/44 | 2009 | Detroit Pistons |
| Derrick Williams | 1/2 | 2011 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Solomon Hill | 1/23 | 2013 | Indiana Pacers |
| Grant Jerrett | 2/40 | 2013 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Aaron Gordon | 1/4 | 2014 | Orlando Magic |
| Nick Johnson | 2/42 | 2014 | Houston Rockets |
| Stanley Johnson | 1/8 | 2015 | Detroit Pistons |
| Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | 1/23 | 2015 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Lauri Markkanen | 1/7 | 2017 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Kadeem Allen | 2/53 | 2017 | Boston Celtics |
| Deandre Ayton | 1/1 | 2018 | Phoenix Suns |
| Josh Green | 1/18 | 2020 | Dallas Mavericks |
| Zeke Nnaji | 1/22 | 2020 | Denver Nuggets |
| Nico Mannion | 2/48 | 2020 | Golden State Warriors |
| * Played at Arizona as a freshman before transferring | |||