With the NBA Draft set to begin on Thursday, FOXSportsWisconsin.com is taking a look back at some of the top draft picks in University of Wisconsin history.
In total, 35 former Wisconsin players have been selected in the NBA Draft. Don Rehfeldt represented the first Badgers player ever taken — and he remains the highest NBA draft pick from UW — when he was chosen second overall in 1950 by the Baltimore Bullets.
Wisconsin has had seven first-round NBA draft choices overall, the last being Alando Tucker in 2007. Though former Badgers point guard Jordan Taylor isn't expected to be selected in the first round, he could add to Wisconsin's draft history by being taken late in the second round on Thursday night.
Here is a look at the 10 former Badgers who have been selected the highest in NBA Draft history:
Round 1, No. 2 overall: Don Rehfeldt, 1950 (Baltimore Bullets)
College career: Rehfeldt was the Big Ten's leading scorer for two straight years and was the conference MVP in 1950. On Feb. 28, 1949, in a game against Iowa, he scored 37 points on 37 field-goal attempts — a number that still stands as a Wisconsin single-game record. Rehfeldt averaged 17.3 points per game in 1948-49 and 19.8 points in the 1949-50 season. He was the first Badgers player to score 1,000 points in his career.
NBA career: Rehfeldt, a 6-foot-7, 210-pound forward, played two season in the NBA — first with the Baltimore Bullets and then with the Milwaukee Hawks. He averaged 7.3 points and 4.3 rebounds during his rookie season in 1950-51. He played in 98 NBA games for his career.
Round 1, No. 5 overall: Devin Harris, 2004 (Washington Wizards)
College career: Harris proved to be one of the best players to come through Wisconsin's basketball program in the Bo Ryan era. He averaged 14.8 points and 3.1 assists per game during his three-year career with the Badgers before opting to put his name into the NBA Draft. During his junior campaign, Harris earned second-team All-American honors by the Associated Press. He averaged 19.5 points per game that season.
NBA career: In eight NBA seasons, Harris is averaging 13.1 points and 5.0 assists. His best season came in 2008-09 with New Jersey when he made his lone all-star game appearance. That year, Harris averaged 21.3 points and 6.9 assists per game.
Round 1, No. 12 overall: Al Henry, 1970 (Philadelphia 76ers)
College career: Henry's numbers improved drastically during his final season with Wisconsin in 1969-70. That season, he averaged 15.0 points and 11.0 rebounds in 24 games. In 1968-69, Henry tallied 8.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
NBA career: Henry, a 6-foot-9, 190-pound center, lasted two season with the 76ers. He appeared in six games during his rookie campaign in 1970-71 and attempted just six shots. In 1971-72, Henry played in 43 games and averaged 9.8 minutes per contest. He also tallied 4.3 points and 3.2 rebounds.
Round 1, No. 14 overall: Wes Matthews, 1980 (Washington Bullets)
College career: Matthews left Wisconsin with a scoring average of 18.1 points per game, which ranks third all-time in program history. He led the Badgers in scoring during all three seasons he played at Wisconsin. Matthews was a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 1979-80.
NBA career: The 6-1, 170-pound point guard played nine seasons in the NBA, earning two championship rings with the Los Angeles Lakers. During his career, he averaged 7.9 points and 4.2 assists.
Round 1, No. 20 overall: Paul Grant, 1997 (Minnesota Timberwolves)
College career: Grant played three seasons at Boston College before transferring to Wisconsin for his senior year. In 1996-97, he led the Badgers in points (12.5), field goal percentage (49.4), free throw percentage (71.3) and blocked shots (1.2) and was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection.
NBA career: Grant, a 7-foot center, played two seasons in the NBA — in 1998-99 with Minnesota and Milwaukee and 2003-04 with Utah. He played in 16 games total during that span and averaged 1.8 points with 1.1 rebounds. Grant also had stints playing in the CBA, ABA and in Serbia.
Round 1, No. 21 overall: Michael Finley, 1995 (Phoenix Suns)
College career: Finley ranks second in Wisconsin history with 2,147 points scored. His career scoring average of 18.7 points per game also ranks second in program history. Finley was named first-team All-Big Ten in 1993 and 1995 and is the only Wisconsin player to average at least 20 points in three different seasons.
NBA career: A two-time NBA all-star with Dallas, Finley played a total of 15 seasons. He averaged 15.7 points and 4.4 rebounds. His most productive season came in 1999-2000 when he tallied 22.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game for the Mavericks and made the first of two consecutive all-star appearances.
Round 2, No. 28 overall: Cory Blackwell, 1984 (Seattle Supersonics)
College career: Blackwell averaged 16.9 points per game during his three-year Badgers career (1981-84). He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 1983-84 and scored in double figures in 36 consecutive games.
NBA career: Blackwell, a 6-6, 210-pound forward, played just one NBA season with the Supersonics. He appeared in 60 games in 1984-85 and averaged 9.2 minutes per contest. Blackwell tallied 3.4 points and 1.6 rebounds. He then played in France, Italy and Turkey before retiring from professional basketball at age 28.
Round 1, No. 29 overall: Alando Tucker, 2007 (Phoenix Suns)
College career: Tucker is Wisconsin's all-time leading scorer with 2,217 points and became UW's first consensus first-team All-American since 1942. He was named Big Ten Player of the Year during his senior season in 2006-07 after averaging 19.9 points per game. Tucker finished his Wisconsin career ranking first or second in eight different statistical categories. He ranked first in career field goals, free throws made, games played and minutes played.
NBA career: Tucker, a 6-6 forward, played three NBA seasons from 2007-2010. During that time, he appeared in 51 games and averaged 4.1 points per contest. Tucker bounced around the NBA Developmental League before opting for a career overseas. He has had stints playing basketball internationally in Russia and Spain.
Round 2, No. 38 overall: Rashard Griffith, 1995 (Milwaukee Bucks)
College career: Griffith played just two seasons at Wisconsin but was a force inside during his brief stay with the Badgers. The 7-footer still holds the school record for blocked shots in a career with 124 despite only playing from 1993-95. He averaged 17.2 points and 10.8 rebounds in 1994-95 and turned pro after his sophomore season.
NBA career: Though Griffith was drafted by Milwaukee in 1995, he never played a game in the NBA. Instead, Griffith spent his entire career playing basketball internationally, including stints in Israel, Turkey, Span and Italy. Griffith was named to the All-Euroleague second-team in 2000-01
Round 2, No. 40 overall: Jon Leuer, 2011 (Milwaukee Bucks)
College career: Leuer led Wisconsin in both scoring and rebounding during his junior and senior seasons. He scored 621 points as a senior, the third-highest single-season total in program history. Leuer averaged 15.4 points as a junior and 18.3 points during his senior campaign.
NBA career: The 6-10 forward played well in limited minutes for the Bucks during his rookie season in 2011-12. In 12 minuets of action, Leuer averaged 4.7 points and 2.6 rebounds. He scored a season-high 19 points against the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 27, 2012. On Wednesday, Leuer was traded to the Houston Rockets.
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