NBA draft 2025: Year-by-year No. 1 overall picks; Cooper Flagg expected next
The day has arrived. Welcome to the NBA draft.
In just a few hours, the next wave of NBA talent will be welcomed into the association at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, with NBA commissioner Adam Silver announcing their names — and that includes the highly anticipated moment of the No. 1 overall pick.
The No. 1 overall pick for the 2025 NBA Draft is all but a done deal and a selection that doesn't have much uncertainty surrounding it going into the draft, as the Dallas Mavericks are widely expected to take Duke's Cooper Flagg with the top overall pick.
REQUIRED READING: Which Duke players had the best NBA careers? Ranking Cooper Flagg's competition
At 18 years old, Flagg will be the second youngest player taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft's history, only behind four-time NBA champion LeBron James. Should Flagg be taken by the Mavericks, Flagg not only will be able to start his NBA career with a true contender for the Larry O'Brien Trophy, but will add his name to the legacy and history of former Blue Devils that have been taken with the pick.
So with the 2025 NBA Draft set to get underway on June 25 at 8 p.m. ET at the Barclays Center, what exclusive group of past NBA talent is Flagg expected to join as the presumed No. 1 overall pick? Here's a full look at the history of the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, including a year-by-year list of the top overall pick and which Division I colleges have the most No. 1 overall picks:
Who is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in 2025 NBA Draft?
The expected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft is Duke's Cooper Flagg, who won the Naismith, Wooden and Associated Press National Player of the Year awards this past season as a true freshman.
Here's more on Flagg going No. 1 overall to the Mavericks from USA TODAY's latest NBA mock draft:
The do-it-all young star led the Blue Devils in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals. Flagg has outstanding footwork, especially in the low post. He can use either hand on shots in the paint, knows how to run plays, can hit catch-and-shoot 3s and is an active weakside defender. Flagg, who added more muscle since the start of the year, is a physical player who initiates contact, is confident and plays with force when necessary.
REQUIRED READING: 2025 NBA mock draft: Final projection for every team's pick in first round
Most NBA draft No. 1 overall picks by a single college
Previously noted by the Fayetteville Observer, part of the USA TODAY Network, and ESPN, Duke holds the record among all Division I basketball programs with the most No. 1 overall picks at five.
Here's a breakdown of which Division I basketball programs have the most No. 1 overall picks:
NBA draft No. 1 pick history
Here's a full list of No. 1 overall picks in the NBA draft dating back to 1947:
Click here to look at the full list of No. 1 overall NBA draft picks dating back to 1947.
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