What schools/countries have produced the top scorers in the NBA?

On this blog, I've devoted a lot of words and calculations to the consideration of which college programs are the "best" in NCAA history.  I haven't included NBA products as part of those discussions, as I don't consider it relevant.  Great teams can win without singular stars.  UK has had some truly amazing players, especially under Cal, but they haven't relied on them.

So, let's look at the NBA's top 50 scoring list.  As I've mentioned, UK isn't represented on the list.  Who is?


1) HIGH SCHOOL (4)

3rd - KOBE BRYANT (33643)

8th - LeBRON JAMES (27602) - active

9th - MOSES MALONE (27409)

17th - KEVIN GARNETT (26071)


2) NORTH CAROLINA (4)

4th - MICHAEL JORDAN (32292)

24th - VINCE CARTER (24204) - active

41st - ANTAWN JAMISON (20042)

46th - WALTER DAVIS (19521)


3) HOUSTON (3)

10th - ELVIN HAYES (27313)

11th - HAKEEM OLAJUWON (26946)

30th - CLYDE DREXLER (22195)


4) UCLA (2)

1st - KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR (38387)

19th - REGGIE MILLER (25297)


5) KANSAS (2)

5th - WILT CHAMBERLAIN (31419)

16th - PAUL PIERCE (26361) - active


6) LSU (2)

7th - SHAQUILLE O'NEAL (28569)

35th - BOB PETTIT (20880)


7) GEORGETOWN (2)

21st - PATRICK EWING (24815)

23rd - ALLEN IVERSON (24368)


8) UCONN (2)

22nd - RAY ALLEN (24505)

45th - CLIFFORD ROBINSON (19591)



And the rest...

LOUISIANA TECH - KARL MALONE (2nd)

GERMANY - DIRK NOWITZKI (6th)

CINCINNATI - OSCAR ROBERTSON (12th)

GEORGIA - DOMINIQUE WILKINS (13th)

WAKE FOREST - TIM DUNCAN (14th)

OHIO STATE - JOHN HAVLICEK (15th)

SOUTH CAROLINA - ALEX ENGLISH (18th)

WEST VIRGINIA - JERRY WEST (20th)

AUBURN - CHARLES BARKLEY (25th)

CENTENARY - ROBERT PARISH (26th)

NOTRE DAME - ADRIAN DANTLEY (27th)

SEATTLE - ELGIN BAYLOR (28th)

SYRACUSE - CARMELO ANTHONY (29th)

OREGON STATE - GARY PAYTON (31st)

INDIANA STATE - LARRY BIRD (32nd)

MARSHALL - HAL GREER (33rd)

INDIANA - WALT BELLAMY (34th)

MARQUETTE - DWYANE WADE (36th) - active

NAVY - DAVID ROBINSON (37th)

EASTERN MICHIGAN - GEORGE GERVIN (38th)

KANSAS STATE - MITCH RICHMOND (39th)

UTAH - TOM CHAMBERS (40th)

GONZAGA - JOHN STOCKTON (42nd)

TENNESSEE - BERNARD KING (43rd)

SPAIN - PAU GASOL (44th) - active

DePAUL - TERRY CUMMINGS (47th)

ARKANSAS - JOE JOHNSON (48th)

ST. BONAVENTURE - BOB LANIER (49th)

ILLINOIS - EDDIE JOHNSON (50th)

Schools with best records in late NCAA tournament rounds

(updated through 2016)

To be clear, this includes the earliest years, when only 8 teams were involved.  I have ranked all of these from best to worst winning percentage.


ELITE EIGHT (minimum of 8 games played)

UCLA 17-4

DUKE 16-4

CINCINNATI 6-2

INDIANA 8-3

LOUISVILLE 10-4

OHIO STATE 10-4

NORTH CAROLINA 19-8

MICHIGAN STATE 9-4

KANSAS 14-8

FLORIDA 5-3

ARKANSAS 6-4

SYRACUSE 6-4

GEORGETOWN 5-4

ILLINOIS 5-4

OKLAHOMA 5-4

OKLAHOMA STATE 6-5

KENTUCKY 17-19

CONNECTICUT 5-6

MICHIGAN 5-7

ARIZONA 4-7

KANSAS STATE 4-8

VILLANOVA 4-8


SEMIFINALS (minimum of 4 games played)

CONNECTICUT 4-1

MICHIGAN 4-1

GEORGETOWN 4-1

INDIANA 6-2

KENTUCKY 12-5

UCLA 12-5

DUKE 11-5

KANSAS 9-5

FLORIDA 3-2

NORTH CAROLINA 10-9

SYRACUSE 3-3

CINCINNATI 3-3

VILLANOVA 2-2

ARIZONA 2-2

HOUSTON 2-3

OKLAHOMA 2-3

MICHIGAN STATE 3-6

ARKANSAS 2-4

OKLAHOMA STATE 2-4

LOUISVILLE 3-7

KANSAS STATE 1-3

ILLINOIS 1-4


CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES (minimum of 2 games played)

CONNECTICUT 4-0

LOUISVILLE 3-0

SAN FRANCISCO 2-0

OKLAHOMA STATE 2-0

VILLANOVA 2-0

UCLA 11-1

INDIANA 5-1

KENTUCKY 8-4

MICHIGAN STATE 2-1

FLORIDA 2-1

CINCINNATI 2-1

NORTH CAROLINA 5-5

ARIZONA 1-1

ARKANSAS 1-1

DUKE 5-6

KANSAS 3-6

SYRACUSE 1-2

MICHIGAN 1-3

GEORGETOWN 1-3

HOUSTON 0-2

OKLAHOMA 0-2

What schools have received the most number 1 seeds? How have they fared as 1 seeds?

The men's NCAA basketball tournament has only been seeded since 1979.  In the 39 tournaments (including 2017) since then, here are the schools with the highest number of 1 seeds - plus, their results when they have received those 1 seeds.

1) NORTH CAROLINA - 16 top seeds (79, 82, 84, 87, 91, 93, 94, 97, 98, 05, 07, 08, 09, 12, 16, 17)

Titles as 1 seed: 4 of 15 (27%) - 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009.

Final Fours as 1 seed: 8 of 15 (53%) - 1982, 1991, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2009, 2016

Elite Eights as 1 seed: 12 of 15 (80%) - 1982, 1987, 1991, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2016

Upset before Sweet 16: 2 of 15 (13%) - 1979 (lost to 9th seed Penn), 1994 (lost to 9th seed Boston College).

2) DUKE - 13 top seeds (86, 92, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 04, 05, 06, 10, 11, 15)

Titles as 1 seed: 4 of 13 (31%) - 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015

Final Fours as 1 seed: 6 of 13 (46%) - 1986, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2015

Elite Eights as 1 seed: 8 of 13 (62%) - 1986, 1992, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2015

Upset before Sweet 16: never

2) KANSAS - 13 top seeds (86, 92, 95, 97, 98, 02, 07, 08, 10, 11, 13, 16, 17)

Titles as 1 seed: 1 of 12 (8%) - 2008.

Final Fours as 1 seed: 3 of 12 (25%) - 1986, 2002, 2008.

Elite Eights as 1 seed: 6 of 12 (50%) - 1986, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2016

Upset before Sweet 16: 3 of 12 (25%) - 1992 (lost to 9th seed UTEP), 1998 (lost to 8th seed Rhode Island), 2010 (lost to 9th seed Northern Iowa).

4) KENTUCKY - 12 top seeds (80, 84, 86, 93, 95, 96, 97, 03, 04, 10, 12, 15)

Titles as 1 seed: 2 of 12 (17%) - 1996, 2012

Final Fours as 1 seed: 6 of 12 (50%) - 1984, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2012, 2015

Elite Eights as 1 seed: 10 of 12 (83%) - 1984, 1986, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2010, 2012, 2015

Upset before Sweet 16: 1 of 12 (8%) - 2004 (lost to 9th seed UAB).


5) ARIZONA - 6 top seeds (88, 89, 98, 00, 03, 14)

Titles as 1 seed: none

Final Fours as 1 seed: 1 of 6 (17%).  1988

Elite Eights as 1 seed: 4 of 6 (67%). 1988, 1998, 2003, 2014.

Upset before Sweet 16: 1 of 6 (17%).  2000 (lost to 8th seed Wisconsin).

6) MICHIGAN STATE - 5 top seeds (90, 99, 00, 01, 12)

Titles as 1 seed: 1 of 5 (20%).  2000

Final Fours as 1 seed: 3 of 5 (60%).  1999, 2000, 2001

Elite Eights as 1 seed: 3 of 5 (60%).  1999, 2000, 2001

Upset before Sweet 16: never

6) GEORGETOWN - 5 top seeds (82, 84, 85, 87, 89)

Titles as 1 seed: 1 of 5 (20%).  1984

Final Fours as 1 seed: 3 of 5 (60%).  1982, 1984, 1985

Elite Eights as 1 seed: 5 of 5 (100%).  1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989

Upset before Sweet 16: never

6) OKLAHOMA - 5 top seeds (85, 88, 89, 90, 03)

Titles as 1 seed: none

Final Fours as 1 seed: 1 of 5 (20%).  1988

Elite Eights as 1 seed: 3 of 5 (60%).  1985, 1988, 2003

Upset before Sweet 16: 1 of 5 (20%).  1990 (lost to 8th seed North Carolina)

6) UCONN - 5 top seeds (90, 96, 99, 06, 09)

Titles as 1 seed: 1 of 5 (20%).  1999

Final Fours as 1 seed: 2 of 5 (40%).  1999, 2009

Elite Eights as 1 seed: 4 of 5 (80%).  1990, 1999, 2006, 2009

Upset before Sweet 16: never 

NOTE: 1996 tournament (during which they made the Sweet 16) was later vacated, however.

TOP PERFORMING SCHOOLS...

% winning titles: DUKE (31%)

% reaching Final Four: Georgetown, MSU (60%)

% reaching Elite Eight: Georgetown (100%)