Every Nebraska basketball player taken in NBA draft history

In 1947, the first draft of the Basketball Association of America was held at The Leland Hotel in Detroit, MI. The BAA would later merge with the National Basketball League to form the National Basketball Association. The first Husker taken in a professional basketball draft was in 1949 when the St. Louis Bombers selected Claude Retherford with the No. 48 pick overall in the fifth round.

Nebraska would not have a first-round pick until 1991, when Rich King was taken with the No. 14 overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics. That would start a run of three straight first-round picks with Eric Piatkowski taken No. 15 overall by the Indiana Pacers in 1994 and Tyronn Lue selected No. 23 overall in the 1998 draft by the Denver Nuggets. Those three are the only first-round picks in program history.

The Cornhuskers would also have four players selected in the American Basketball Association draft before the ABA’s merger with the NBA in 1976. The Oakland Americans/Oaks would select Nate Branch in 1967 and Stuart Lantz in 1968, while the New York Nets drafted Marvin Stewart in 1971, with Chuck Jura being the final Husker selected in an ABA draft by the Utah Stars in 1972.

Scroll below for a detailed look at every draft pick since 1990 and a list of every selection in program history.

2022 – Bryce McGowens – Charlotte Hornets – 2nd round/40th pick Oct 10, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Bryce McGowens (7) enters the game during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Oct 10, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Bryce McGowens (7) enters the game during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

McGownes spent one year at Nebraska before declaring for the 2022 NBA draft. In 31 games as a Husker, he averaged 16.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. The Minnesota Timberwolves selected him before being traded on draft day to the Hornets. After two seasons in Charlotte, he was waived and now plays for the Portland Trail Blazers. In 118 career NBA games, he’s averaged 4.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.

2021 – Dalano Banton – Toronto Raptors – 2nd round/46th pick Apr 3, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Portland Trail Blazers guard Dalano Banton (5) passes the ball against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Apr 3, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Portland Trail Blazers guard Dalano Banton (5) passes the ball against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Banton played at Nebraska for two seasons after starting his career at Western Kentucky. He would redshirt the 2019-20 season. He would play in 27 games for Nebraska during the 2020-21 season while averaging 9.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He spent the first two seasons of his career in Toronto before signing a contract with the Boston Celtics ahead of the 2023-24 season. His time in Boston lasted only 24 games before being traded to Portland, where he currently plays.

2019 – Isaiah Roby – Dallas Mavericks – 2nd round/45th pick Jan 2, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Isaiah Roby (18) dribbles up court during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Jan 2, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Isaiah Roby (18) dribbles up court during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Roby played at Nebraska for three seasons before entering the 2019 NBA draft. In 97 college games, he averaged 8.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. After being selected by the Detroit Pistons, he was traded on draft day to the Dallas Mavericks. After spending time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and New York Knicks, he would go to Europe to continue his playing career, signing a contract with Ratiopharm Ulm of the Basketball Bundesliga in Germany.

1999 – Venson Hamilton – Houston Rockets – 2nd round/50th pick Istanbul, TURKEY: Ulker's Hungarian center Robert Gulyas (C) is blocked by Real Madrid's French guard Moustapha Sonko (R) and Spanish center Venson Hamilton (L) during their Euroleague basketball group E match, 09 March 2006 at Abdi Ipekci Sport Hall. AFP PHOTO CEM TURKEL (Photo credit should read CEM TURKEL/AFP via Getty Images)

Istanbul, TURKEY: Ulker’s Hungarian center Robert Gulyas (C) is blocked by Real Madrid’s French guard Moustapha Sonko (R) and Spanish center Venson Hamilton (L) during their Euroleague basketball group E match, 09 March 2006 at Abdi Ipekci Sport Hall. AFP PHOTO CEM TURKEL (Photo credit should read CEM TURKEL/AFP via Getty Images)

Hamilton played at Nebraska from 1995 to 1999. He holds school records for most blocked shots in a career (241) and most rebounds in a career (1,080). During his senior season, he was named the 1999 Big 12 Player of the Year, averaging 15.7 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. He was drafted by the Houston Rockets but never played a minute in the NBA, spending his entire career overseas. His best professional season was in 2007, when he helped Real Madrid win the Spanish League championship and the EuroCup Basketball Cup.

1998 – Tyronn Lue – Denver Nuggets – 1st round/23rd pick May 3, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; LA Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue during the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets during game seven of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

May 3, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; LA Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue during the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets during game seven of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Lue played at Nebraska from 1995 to 1998 and was drafted by the Nuggets before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on draft day. He would win two titles with the Lakers (2000, 2001) before bouncing around the league, playing with six other teams until retiring in 2009. Since retiring, Lue has transitioned into coaching, winning the 2016 NBA title as the head coach of the Cavs, and now serves as the head coach of the Clippers, a role he has held since 2020.

1994 – Eric Piatkowski – Los Angeles Clippers – 1st round/15th pick Forward Eric Piatkowski of the Nebraska Cornhuskers stands on the court during a game against the Kansas Jayhawks at the Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas.

Forward Eric Piatkowski of the Nebraska Cornhuskers stands on the court during a game against the Kansas Jayhawks at the Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas.

Piatokoski was a 2x first-team All-Big Eight selection and was selected by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 1994 draft before the Pacers immediately traded his draft rights to the Clippers. He would play in 789 NBA games for LA, Houston, Chicago, and Phoenix

1991 – Rich King – Seattle SuperSonics – 1st round/14th pick

DENVER – MARCH 16: A member of the Seattle SuperSonics awaits action against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center on March 16, 2008 in Denver, Colorado. The Nuggets defeated the Sonics 168-116. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the term and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

King was the first first-round pick in Nebraska basketball history when he was taken 14th overall in the 1991 NBA draft. In 124 career games as a Cornhusker, he averaged 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. He would only play four seasons in the NBA, as his professional career was cut short by injuries.

Year

Player

Team

Round

2022

Bryce McGowens

Charlotte Hornets

2nd/40th pick

2021

Dalano Banton

Toronto Raptors

2nd/46th pick

2019

Isaiah Roby

Dallas Mavericks

2nd/45th pick

1999

Venson Hamilton

Houston Rockets

2nd/50th pick

1998

Tyronn Lue

Denver Nuggets

1st/23rd pick

1994

Eric Piatkowski

Indiana Pacers

1st/15th pick

1991

Rich King

Seattle SuperSonics

1st/14th pick

1986

Dave Hoppen

Atlanta Hawks

3rd/65th pick

1985

Curtis Moore

K.C.- Omaha Kings

6th/131st pick

1982

Jack Moore

K.C. Kings

9th/189th pick

1981

Andre Smith

Cleveland Cavaliers

7th/142nd pick

1979

Carl McPipe

Philadelphia 76ers

5th/103rd pick

1976

Jerry Fort

Boston Celtics

3rd/51st pick

1974

Brendy Lee

Atlanta Hawks

10th/168th pick

1972

Chuck Jura

Chicago Bulls

3rd/45th pick

1972

Mike Peterson

Portland Trail Blazers

16th/195th pick

1971

Marvin Stewart

Philadephia 76ers

2nd/33rd pick

1971

Leroy Chalk

Boston Celtics

13th/201st pick

1970

Jim Brooks

San Diego Rockets

12th/184th pick

1968

Stuart Lantz

San Diego Rockets

3rd/23rd pick

1968

Tom Baack

Detroit Pistons

10th/126th pick

1967

Willie Campbell

Seattle SuperSonics

15th/152nd pick

1966

Grant Simmons

Baltimore Bullets

12th/100th pick

1960

Herschell Turner

Syracuse Nationals

6th/45th pick

1954

Bill Johnson

Boston Celtics

11th/94th pick

1952

Jim Buchanan

Boston Celtics

6th/52nd pick

1951

Bob Pierce

Indianapolis Olympians

5th/43rd pick

1950

Bus Whitehead

Chicago Stag

7th/78th pick

1949

Claude Retherford

St. Louis Bombers

5th/48th pick

Information on NBA draft history shared by the University of Nebraska athletic department.

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This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Every Nebraska basketball player taken in NBA draft history

Every Nebraska basketball player taken in NBA draft history

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