Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Jerian Grant (Notre Dame) is interviewed after being selected as the number nineteen overall pick to the Washington Wizards in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Notre Dame’s Top NBA Talent: First Round Picks Through the Years

Originally posted on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI
By Nick Shepkowski | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 4:36 PM ET

The 2025 NBA Draft kicks off Wednesday night with the Dallas Mavericks sure to take Duke phenom Cooper Flagg with the first overall pick.

It may seem like its been forever because no former Notre Dame player will hear his name called tonight, but Notre Dame has had 21 former players selected in the first round of the NBA draft all-time.

Most recently, that honor went to South Bend product Blake Wesley who was taken by the San Antonio Spurs with the 25th overall pick in 2022, while the first Notre Dame player to be taken in round one was Kevin O'Shea all the way back in 1950.

So who are the rest to have played for the blue and gold and received the honor of being taken in the first round? Here are all 21 names, years, and teams of such selections.

1950: Kevin O'Shea, Guard, 10th overall, Minneapolis Lakers
1954: Dick Rosenthal, Forward, 4th overall, Ft. Wayne Pistons
1959: Tom Hawkins, Forward, 4th overall, Minneapolis Lakers
1971: Austin Carr, Guard, 1st overall, Cleveland Cavaliers
1971: Collis Jones, Forward, 17th overall, Milwaukee Bucks
1974: John Shumate, Power Forward, 4th overall, Phoenix Suns
1974: Gary Brokaw, Guard, 18th overall, Milwaukee Bucks
1976: Adrian Dantley, Small Forward, 6th overall, Buffalo Braves
1980: Bill Hanzlik, Forward, 20th overall, Seattle SuperSonics
1981: Orlando Woolridge, Small Forward, 6th overall, Chicago Bulls
1981: Kelly Tripucka, Small Forward, 12th overall, Detroit Pistons

MPS-Imagn Images

1983: John Paxson, Guard, 19th overall, San Antonio Spurs
1986: Ken Barlow, Center, 23rd overall, Los Angeles Lakers
1988: David Rivers, Point Guard, 25th overall, Los Angeles Lakers
1992: LaPhonso Ellis, Forward, 5th overall, Denver Nuggets
1994: Monty Williams, Small Forward, 24th overall, New York Knicks
1998: Pat Garrity, Forward, 19th overall, Milwaukee Bucks
2001: Troy Murphy, Power Forward, 14th overall, Golden State Warriors
2002: Ryan Humphrey, Forward, 19th overall, Utah Jazz
2015: Jerian Grant, Guard, 19th overall, Washington Wizards
2022: Blake Wesley, Shooting Guard, 25th overall, San Antonio Spurs

Hopefully it won't be much longer before Notre Dame is back to sending guys to the association with high regard. The biggest standout to me on the list is the difference in NBA development of players during the Digger Phelps era to Mike Brey's time in South Bend.

That's not to be said as a knock on Brey or to elevate Phelps, it's said as compliment in different ways to both of Notre Dame's finest all-time men's basketball coaches.

This article first appeared on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: