CHARLOTTE, N.C. (TheACC.com) – Highlighted by three of the top six picks, four Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball players were selected Tuesday evening in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, which was held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The second round of the 2026 NBA Draft will be conducted on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
A trio of ACC freshmen standouts were chosen among the top six players in the draft, marking the first time in which three ACC players were chosen in the top six of the NBA Draft since 2019.
Duke forward Cameron Boozer was the No. 3 overall selection, going to the Memphis Grizzlies. The 2026 ACC Player and Rookie of the Year, Boozer was the unanimous National Player of the Year in 2026.
North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson was selected No. 4 overall by the Chicago Bulls, becoming the Tar Heels’ highest draft selection since Marvin Williams was chosen No. 2 overall in 2005. Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. was chosen No. 6 overall by the Brooklyn Nets. He is the Cardinals’ highest draft choice since Felton Spencer was selected sixth overall in 1990.
After averaging 23.2 points per game – most ever by an ACC freshman – Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie was drafted No. 17 overall by Oklahoma City, with the Thunder then trading his rights to the Detroit Pistons.
This marks the 18th straight year in which the ACC had a lottery selection. The ACC has had 42 lottery selections in that 18-year span (most of any conference).
The ACC boasts 206 NBA Draft selections since 2000, most of any league. The ACC extended its streak with at least one first-round selection to 38 consecutive years, dating back to the 1989 draft. This is the 18th straight year in which the ACC finished with at least two first-round picks.
ACC in the 2026 NBA Draft:
Round/Selection, Player, NBA Team
?1/3, Cameron Boozer (Duke), Memphis Grizzlies
1/4 Caleb Wilson (North Carolina), Chicago Bulls
1/6, Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville), Brooklyn Nets
1/17, Ebuka Okorie (Stanford), Oklahoma City Thunder (proposed trade to Detroit Pistons)