For all the talk about a decline in recruiting and in-season performances, Syracuse basketball has done well in the draft over the past decade.
When the NBA holds its annual draft in late June, or possibly later if it’s delayed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, there’s the potential for Syracuse basketball to land yet another first-round selection in former star forward Elijah Hughes.
Sure, the Orange has witnessed a two-year drought in the NBA Draft as it pertains to the first-round picks, or actually selections at all. Hughes is almost certainly going to hear his name called at some point in the 2020 NBA Draft, according to mock projections.
If he lands in the first round, then that will continue a recent span of stellar success for the ‘Cuse. Despite many Syracuse fanatics lamenting what they view as a slump in the team’s recruiting efforts, and its output on the court, in recent terms, the Orange has much to feel proud of related to the draft.
Per a story by 247Sports national news writer Clint Buckley, the ‘Cuse resides in the top 10 nationally among squads with the most first-round NBA Draft choices in the previous decade (see below for the full list).
Syracuse is tied for sixth, along with Michigan, UCLA and Mike Hopkins-led Washington.
From 2010 to 2019, the Orange garnered eight first-round selections. They are Wesley Johnson in 2010; Dion Waiters and the late Fab Melo in 2012; Michael Carter-Williams in 2013; Tyler Ennis in 2014; Chris McCullough in 2015; Malachi Richardson in 2016; and Tyler Lydon in 2017.
College basketball’s four blue bloods – Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina and Kansas – unsurprisingly comprise the top four. But then it’s Texas followed by the quartet involving the ‘Cuse. For my money, that is pretty darn impressive.
Other crews often thought of in the next tier after the blue bloods performance-wise, such as Arizona, Gonzaga, Louisville and Michigan State, fall behind Syracuse.
And if Hughes can make it into the first round – fingers crossed – then the Orange will continue its NBA Draft achievements, something for which all ‘Cuse fans should admire.
Colleges With Most NBA 1st-Round Picks, 2010s
1. Kentucky (29)
2. Duke (20)
3. North Carolina (13)
4. Kansas (10)
5. Texas (9)
T-6. Michigan (8)
T-6. Syracuse (8)
T-6. UCLA (8)
T-6. Washington (8)
10. Arizona (7)