BRISTOL, Conn. – Kansas men’s basketball center Udoka Azubuike was the 27th overall pick by the Utah Jazz in the 2020 NBA Draft Wednesday night. Due to the worldwide pandemic, ESPN hosted the draft virtually.
“Dok went as high as he possibly could and I’m happy for the organization he went to,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said. “He was very emotional when I talked with him after he was drafted.”
Historically, the selection gives Kansas 83 all-time NBA Draft selections, including 25 in the Self era which began in 2003-04. Since the NBA adopted a two-round draft in 1989, Kansas has had 22 first-round selections and 38 total chosen.
Azubuike was a Consensus All-America Second Team selection in 2020, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Defensive Player of the Year and the Big 12 Player of the Year. The Delta, Nigeria, center led NCAA Division I in field goal percentage at 74.8%, which helped his career percentage of 74.4% break the all-time Division I field goal percentage record of UCF’s Tacko Fall (74.0%). In his senior season of 2019-20, Azubuike led the Big 12 in rebounding (10.5 rpg) and double-doubles (15) and was second in the conference for blocked shots at 2.6 per game. Azubuike was the only player in the league to average a double-double (13.7 ppg, 10.5 rpg).
A unanimous All-Big 12 First Team honoree, Azubuike was also named USBWA All-District VI and the co-MVP of the Maui Invitational in leading KU to the tourney title. He ended his KU career ranked first in field goal percentage (74.6%), eighth in blocked shots (172), 18th in rebounding (685) and 48th in scoring with 1,069 points.
KANSAS NBA DRAFT HISTORY
Year – name (round/OVERALL SELECTION)
1948 – Otto Schnellbacher (Providence region)
1952 – Clyde Lovellette (1/10)
1953 – Dean Kelley (8/56), Gil Reich (11/32)
1954 – B.H. Born (3/22), Alan Kelley (7/56)
1957 – Maurice King (6/48)
1958 – Wilt Chamberlain (Territorial selection)
1959 – Ron Loneski (10/134)
1961 – Wayne Hightower (1/5), Bill Bridges (3/32)
1963 – Nolen Ellison (4/29)
1966 – Walt Wesley (1/6), Al Lopes (13/106)
1967 – Ron Franz (4/33)
1968 – Roger Bohnenstiel (9/120)
1969 – Jo Jo White (1/9), Dave Nash (4/48), Bruce Sloan (11/153)
1971 – Dave Robisch (3/44), Roger Brown (4/64), Pierre Russell (13/207)
1972 – Bud Stallworth (1/7)
1975 – Rick Suttle (7/110), Roger Morningstar (8/144)
1976 – Norm Cook (1/16)
1977 – Herb Nobles (6/124)
1978 – Ken Koenigs (5/99), John Douglas (6/118)
1979 – Paul Mokeski (2/42),
1981 – Darnell Valentine (1/16), Art Housey (3/47), John Crawford (7/160), Randolph Carroll (10/220)
1982 – Tony Guy (2/46), David Magley (2/28)
1984 – Carl Henry (4/80), Brian Martin (9/185)
1986 – Greg Drieling (2/26), Ron Kellogg (2/42), Calvin Thompson (4/71)
1988 – Danny Manning (1/1), Archie Marshall (3/75)
1990 – Kevin Pritchard (2/34)
1991 – Mark Randall (1/26)
1993 – Rex Walters (1/16), Adonis Jordan (2/42)
1994 – Darrin Hancock (2/38)
1995 – Greg Ostertag (1/28)
1997 – Scot Pollard (1/19), Jacque Vaughn (1/27)
1998 – Raef LaFrentz (1/3), Paul Pierce (1/10)
1999 – Ryan Robertson (2/45)
2001 – Eric Chenowith (2/42)
2002 – Drew Gooden (1/4)
2003 – Kirk Hinrich (1/7), Nick Collison (1/12)
2005 – Wayne Simien (1/29)
2007 – Julian Wright (1/13)
2008 – Brandon Rush (1/13), Darrell Arthur (1/27), Mario Chalmers (2/34), Darnell Jackson (2/52), Sasha Kaun (2/56)
2010 – Xavier Henry (1/12), Cole Aldrich (1/11)
2011 – Marcus Morris (1/13), Markieff Morris (1/14), Josh Selby (2/49)
2012 – Thomas Robinson (1/5), Tyshawn Taylor (2/41)
2013 – Ben McLemore (1/7), Jeff Withey (2/39)
2014 – Andrew Wiggins (1/1), Joel Embiid (1/3)
2015 – Kelly Oubre Jr. (1/15)
2016 – Cheick Diallo (2/33)
2017 – Josh Jackson (1/4), Frank Mason III (2/34)
2018 – Devonte’ Graham (2/34), Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (2/47)
2020 – Udoka Azubuike (1/27)
