Who are the most famous NBA players from University of Kansas?

The Kansas Jayhawks were the last number one seed standing after early exits by other top seeds, and reached the finals of March Madness after beating the Villanova Wildcats led by star players David McCormack and Ochai Agbaji.

Which players from KU achieved fame when they joined the NBA?

The University of Kansas has a star-studded history, boasting former students who are currently active in the NBA or have achieved icon status.

Other NCAA stories:

Joel Embiid

The center for the Philadelphia 76ers committed to play for Kansas in November 2012. Joel Embiid went to become one of the finalists for the Naismith College Player of the Year in 2014. He then decided to leave the university and forego his last three years of college eligibility. He declared for the 2014 NBA draft, where he was the third overall pick. The 28-year-old has had an outstanding run in the NBA since then, and has been named to the NBA All-Star five years in a row from 2018 to 2022.

Andrew Wiggins

Andrew Wiggins currently plays for the Golden State Warriors as a small forward. He signed up for the Jayhawks in 2013, and was chosen as one of the 10 semifinalists for the Naismith College Player of the Year award. He was selected as the number one pick overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2014 NBA draft.

Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt Chamberlain is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players in NBA history. He entered KU in 1955, and played until his junior year. He tallied an average of 29.9 points and 18.3 rebounds per game during his stint with the university. As the NBA did not take in players whose college graduating class had not been completed, he first played with the Harlem Globetrotters. After a year, he finally debuted in the NBA with the Philadelphia Warriors.

Clyde Lovellette

Clyde Lovellette had a stellar run with the Jayhawks, leading them to an NCAA title in 1952. He was named MVP and scored an amazing then-record 141 points, for which he was named Helms College Player of the Year. He was chosen as the ninth pick in the first round of the 1952 NBA Draft. Lovellette has been named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and is one of only eight players to have NCAA and NBA trophies in addition to an Olympic gold medal.

James Naismith

James Naismith was not an a star NBA player, but is worthy of mention as he is the inventor of the game of basketball. He also founded the basketball program of the University of Kansas and was the Jayhawks’ first coach. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is named in his honor, and he was one of the first Hall of Famers inducted in 1959. Interestingly enough, he is the only coach in the school’s history to have a losing record.

The Kansas Jayhawks will face the North Carolina Tar Heels on Monday, April 4 at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans. Tip-off is at 9:20 p.m. ET / 6:20 p.m. PT.