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Who are top five former Notre Dame men’s basketball players to make it post-NBA draft?

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Who are top five former Notre Dame men’s basketball players to make it post-NBA draft?

SOUTH BEND − It will be another quiet day – this year, make that two days – for Notre Dame men’s basketball and the annual NBA draft. 

Noie: Inside a summer’s day like no other for Notre Dame men’s basketball program

It’s been two Junes since the Irish last had a player selected in the two-round process when guard Blake Wesley became the program’s first one-and-done. He parlayed a breakout 2021-22 season to become the first Notre Dame player selected in the first round since 2015 (Jerian Grant). It may be a few more Junes until the next Irish hears his name called on the NBA draft stage.

Irish in the Pros: What former Notre Dame men’s basketball players did what, where this past season?

How about an all-time Irish five in the NBA draft? There have been boons and busts. Following are the top five former Notre Dame players who hit it biggest at the sport’s highest level in the years that followed their selections in the NBA draft. 

☘ 5. Orlando Woolridge

Draft day: Woolridge was the No. 6 pick in the first round by the Chicago Bulls in the 1981 draft. 

Stats and stuff: In 13 seasons with seven teams, Woolridge averaged 16.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 851 games. He shot 51.3 percent from the field, 9.1 percent from 3 and 73.,7 percent from the foul line. 

He averaged at least 20 points four times, including career bests of 25.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in 1990-91 for Denver. Woolridge played at least 70 games (82-game regular season) seven times. 

Worth noting: A two-time slam dunk competition competitor, Woolridge concluded his NBA career with 13,623 points, 3,696 rebounds and 1,609 assists. He died May 31, 2012, of congestive heart failure at his parents’ home in his native Louisiana. 

☘ 4. John Paxson

Draft day: A two-time All-American at Notre Dame, Paxson was the 19th choice in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1983 draft. 

Stats and stuff: Following two seasons with the Spurs, Paxson played his final nine with the Chicago Bulls, often teaming with Michael Jordan in the backcourt. In 772 games, he averaged 7.2 points, 1.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He shot 49.9 percent from the field (mostly jumpers), 35.5 percent from 3 and 80.4 percent from the foul line. Paxson started 369 career games. 

Worth noting: Paxson played at least 75 games in eight straight seasons and played in all 82 games three times. He averaged double figures for points only twice but is top-five all-time guy because of his three NBA championship rings. Paxson’s spot-up 3 in Game 6 was the biggest shot in the 1993 NBA finals and sealed the Bulls’ first championship three-peat. 

☘ 3. Kelly Tripucka

Draft day: Tripucka was selected 12th overall by the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 1981 draft. 

Stats and stuff: In 10 seasons with three teams, Tripucka averaged 17.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 29.6 minutes. He played in 707 games and shot 47.3 percent from the field, 36.1 percent from 3 and 84.9 percent from the foul line. A first team all-rookie selection in 1982 and two-time all-star (1982, 1984), Tripucka averaged 21.6 points as a rookie and averaged at least 30.5 minutes in each of his first five seasons.  

Worth noting: Tripucka was a gifted scorer, averaging at least 19.1 points in each of his first five seasons, including at least 21.3 points per game in each of his first three seasons. In 25 career playoff games, he averaged 15.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists. Ony three times in his career did he average fewer than 15.6 points per game. 

☘ 2. Bill Laimbeer

Draft day: Selected in the third round (65th overall) by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1979 draft. 

Stats and stuff: In 14 seasons with two teams, Laimbeer averaged 12.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 31.8 minutes per game over 1,068 games. He shot 49.8 percent from the field, 32.6 percent from 3 and 83.7 percent from the foul line. He played seven straight seasons with at least 10.1 rebounds per game, including a league-best 13.1 in 1985-86. When he retired in 1993, Laimbeer was one of only 19 players in league history (now one of 38) with at least 10,000 points (13,790) and 10,000 rebounds (10,400). 

Worth noting: After playing his first professional season in Italy and then making only two starts in two years with Cleveland, the four-time NBA all-star started all 82 games over six straight seasons, and once played in 685 straight games.  

☘ 1. Adrian Dantley

Draft day: Dantley was the No. 6 choice of the Buffalo Braves in the first round of the 1976 draft. 

Stats and stuff: A six-time NBA all-star with seven teams and an absolute bucket before that became a thing, the 6-foot-5 (closer to 6-4) Dantley averaged 24.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 955 career games. He shot 54 percent from the field, (mostly in the mid-range), 17.1 percent from 3 and 81.8 percent from the foul line. The 1977 rookie of the year was also a two-time All-NBA second team selection and two-time scoring champion (1981, 1984), He finished his NBA career with 23,177 points, 5.455 rebounds and 2,830 assists. 

Worth noting: Enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008, Dantley averaged at least 17.3 points in each of his first 15 seasons, including four straight seasons of at least 30.3 points per game. In 73 career playoff games, he averaged 21.3 points and 34.5 minutes. 

Also considered (in alphabetical order): Austin Carr, Pat Connaughton, LaPhonso Ellis, Pat Garrity, Tommy Hawkins, Bill Hanzlik, Troy Murphy, Donald Royal, John Shumate, Monty Williams. 

Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on Twitter: @tnoieNDI. Contact: (574) 235-6153.

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