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Tennessee's NBA Draft history during the Rick Barnes era

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey06/30/25GrantRamey
Chaz Lanier
USA TODAY IMAGES/Brianna Paciorka

Chaz Lanier and Jahmai Mashack both hearing their names called in the NBA Draft Thursday night gave Rick Barnes 10 draft picks during his 10 seasons at Tennessee, with all 10 being selected over the last seven seasons. 

There have been four first-round picks in Grant Williams, Keon Johnson, Jaden Springer and Dalton Knecht and six second-round picks in Lanier, Mashack, Julian Phillips, Kennedy Chandler, Admiral Schofield and Jordan Bone. 

The 10 picks during the Barnes era matches the 10 picks the Vols had over the previous 26 years, since the NBA Draft went to two rounds in 1989. 

Tennessee is one of just four schools with at least 10 NBA Draft picks over the last seven seasons, alongside Duke, Kentucky and Arkansas. Only five schools have NBA Draft picks over the last five years, with the Vols joining UConn, Duke, Kentucky and Baylor.

Nate Ament widely projected to be a lottery pick in 2026 NBA Draft

The run of NBA Draft picks is set to continue next summer, with Tennessee five-star freshman wing Nate Ament already widely projected to be a top-five pick in the 2026 draft.

On Thursday night Tennessee had two players selected in the same draft for the first time since 2021, when Johnson went at No. 21 overall in the first around ahead of Springer at No. 28. 

Knecht was the No. 17 overall pick last year and Williams was the first first-rounder during the Barnes era, selected at No. 22 overall in 2019.

The Vols had three players selected in the 2019 NBA Draft, with Williams followed by Schofield and Bones in the second round. 

Chandler was the No. 38 overall pick in 2022 and Julian Phillips was the No. 35 overall pick in 2023. 

Tennessee 10 NBA Draft picks between 1989 and 2015

The 10 players selected in the modern era of the NBA Draft before the arrival of Barnes were Dyron Nix, Doug Roth, Allan Houston, Steve Hamer, Marcus Haislip, Vincent Yarbrough, Tobias Harris, Jarnell Stokes, Jordan McRae and Josh Richardson.

Nix and Roth were both second-round picks in 1989 and Houston was the 11th overall pick in the first round in 1993. The other first-round picks were Haislip (No. 13) in 2002 and Harris (No. 19) in 2011. 

Hamer was a second-round pick at No. 38 overall in 1996, Yarbrough was selected in the second round at No. 32 in 2002. Stokes was the No. 35 pick in 2014 and McRae went at No. 58 in the same draft. Richardson was the No. 40 overall pick in 2015. 

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