1972 ABA draft

Last updated
1972 ABA draft
General information
SportBasketball
Date(s)March 2, 1972 (Rounds 1–5)
April 12, 1972 (Rounds 6–20) [1]
Location New York, New York
Overview
179 total selections in 20 rounds
League American Basketball Association
Teams11
First selection Bob McAdoo, Virginia Squires via Pittsburgh Condors [2]
  1971
1973  

The 1972 ABA draft was the sixth draft done by the American Basketball Association (ABA), a rivaling professional basketball league to the National Basketball Association (NBA) that they would eventually merge as a part of the NBA only a few years later despite official merger talks ultimately being dead during the later, more competitive years of the ABA's history. This year would see an odd thing happen with the first five rounds of this year's draft not be recorded properly as of 2025 in terms of round ordering (outside of arguably the first round due to four teams losing their first round picks in situations relating to the previous draft year, if not the previous season) from March 2, 1972 (weeks before the 1972 NCAA University Division basketball tournament was properly completed [1] ) via standings from February 20 (though with the Pittsburgh Condors and Memphis Pros alternating between leading round orders this year since they both tied their official records that season at the time [2] ), while the rest of the rounds of this draft would be recorded properly in terms of draft ordering on April 12 all at the ABA's headquarters in New York. This draft also was the first draft in the ABA to allow their teams to draft one college underclassman to the first five rounds of the draft after seeing major success with underclassmen like Spencer Haywood, Ralph Simpson, George McGinnis, and Julius Erving going from undrafted players to successful, All-Star quality players in the ABA. This new policy created by the ABA drew strong criticisms from both the NCAA and numerous college coaches when it first happened, but it would eventually help pave the way for numerous college underclassmen to take their chances with later ABA and NBA drafts the more years passed by following this draft period by the ABA. [1] However, the ABA wouldn't see as much success from this year's draft when compared to drafts from their previous years, with most of these college underclassmen opting to return to college for at least one more year instead and a number of Hall of Fame players, including that of their #1 pick in junior Bob McAdoo, going to the NBA instead despite him not being drafted at #1 that year there. This draft period would also be the last draft that the Memphis Pros would participate in under that name since they would rebrand themselves to the Memphis Tams after this main draft period by June 1972, [3] as well as be the last event altogether for "The Floridians" and the Pittsburgh Condors franchises, as they would both fold operations months after this draft concluded on July 13, 1972, [4] with a new team called the San Diego Conquistadors being created a month later on August 10 that same year. [5]

Contents

Draftee career notes

This year's #1 pick would mark the second year in a row where the ABA would not only have a different #1 pick from the NBA altogether, but also had a #1 pick that was owned by one team get itself traded to another team before the upcoming draft year began. While the NBA's draft had one of the biggest busts in NBA history via LaRue Martin from Loyola University Chicago going to the Portland Trail Blazers (which had the ABA see Martin being drafted fifth (presumably speaking) by the Dallas Chaparrals by comparison), the ABA's draft had one of the members of both the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors and later NBA 75th Anniversary Team in junior Bob McAdoo from the University of North Carolina as the #1 pick by the Virginia Squires by a trade with the Pittsburgh Condors (though he was selected second overall in the NBA by the Buffalo Braves). However, much like the previous #1 pick for the ABA draft, Jim McDaniels, McAdoo would not play for the ABA team that drafted him at all (though like most #1 picks done by the ABA, he ended up opting to play for the NBA instead). McAdoo would prove his success almost immediately once he went professional by winning the NBA's Rookie of the Year Award, be named a five-time All-Star there, be named a member of the All-NBA Second Team in 1974 and All-NBA First Team in 1975 (including the NBA's MVP award for the latter year), be named a three-time scoring champion for the NBA from 1974 until 1976, and later be named a two-time NBA Finals champion while with the Showtime Lakers before he later went to Italy for the rest of his career from 1986 until retiring in 1992 with two Italian and EuroLeague championships (the second one including the EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer and EuroLeague Final Four MVP honors) won with Tracer Milano in the process. His honors not just with the NBA, but also Italy would help him earn a spot in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, with McAdoo also being joined by Denver Rockets pick Paul Westphal from the University of Southern California and Dallas Chaparrals selected sophomore Bill Walton from UCLA (the latter of whom would become the #1 pick for the 1974 NBA draft as well), who both won at least one NBA Finals championship themselves during their careers and had significant success during their professional careers in the NBA.

Out of the 92 overall ABA All-Stars, there were six players eligible to be selected in this year's draft that would make it to the ABA All-Star Game either twice or once while the event existed: Brian Taylor, James Silas, and Swen Nater would make it to the All-Star Game twice in the ABA, while Claude Terry, the undrafted Don Buse, and the undrafted Dave Twardzik would make it to the All-Star Game only once there. Brian Taylor would be the player to see some of the most honors given to a player from this year's draft that actually played in the ABA with Taylor not only being named the Rookie of the Year in 1973 and an All-Star in the final two seasons of the ABA's existence, but also won the ABA Finals championship twice while with the New York Nets (including the final ABA Finals championship as a whole), was twice a member of the ABA's All-Defensive Team in the league's final seasons of play (joining six other players to join that team twice in their careers), and led the ABA in steals in 1975, though he would be strangely absent from the ABA All-Time Team in spite of his honors. One player that would make the ABA's All-Time Team, however, was James Silas, whose honors from the ABA included being a member of the ABA's All-Rookie Team in 1973, two All-Star appearances in the league's final seasons of play, an All-ABA Second Team spot in 1975, and an All-ABA First Team spot in 1976 (though he would later have his number retired by the San Antonio Spurs, the predecessors of the Dallas Chaparrals, in 1984, two years after retiring from play altogether and three years after last playing for the franchise in general). Another player from this draft that would also win Rookie of the Year honors by the ABA (albeit a year after Brian Taylor won his award there) was the Dutch-born Swen Nater, who returned to UCLA after the draft following "The Floridians" franchise folding operations entirely before being considered an undrafted signee for the following year's draft that later signed with the Virginia Squires after they had previously picked up his player rights in the ABA's first ever dispersal draft; Swen Nater would not only win the ABA's Rookie of the Year Award in 1974, but he'd also be named an ABA All-Star and a member of the All-ABA Second Team twice in two out of three seasons of play in the ABA (as well as lead not just the ABA in rebounding in 1975, but also the NBA in rebounding in 1980). The last player that was drafted this year to make it to an ABA All-Star Game, Claude Terry, was mainly named an All-Star due to the Denver Nuggets (the modern predecessors of the Denver Rockets) being the best team of the ABA during the final All-Star Game in the ABA's existence due to the unique circumstances from before the 1976 ABA All-Star Game. As for the other two players that made it to an ABA All-Star Game while also not being drafted during this year's draft period, Don Buse from the at the time Division II University of Evansville decided to forgo playing for the Phoenix Suns (who drafted him in the third round of the 1972 NBA draft) immediately for a shot at playing with his home state Indiana Pacers, which led to him being an ABA Finals champion in 1973, a two-time ABA All-Defensive team member in the league's final two seasons of existence, and an ABA All-Star (by replacing a player from the Denver Nuggets), an All-ABA Second Team member, and the ABA's leader in steals during that league's final season of existence before seeing similar looking success in the NBA following the eventual ABA-NBA merger with both the Pacers and Suns later in his career. Finally, Dave Twardzik from Old Dominion University stayed with the area's Virginia Squires team as an undrafted player, yet he was able to make it to the ABA's All-Star Game in 1975 (despite that team having the worst record in league history by that time) before later winning an NBA Finals championship in 1977 and then having his number be retired by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Historic draft notes

Strangely enough, this draft period would be the only draft period to have recorded inconsistencies in terms of even draft locations of certain players, never mind draft orderings found within the first five rounds of the 1972 ABA draft (if not even later than that), according to the select few basketball websites that are willing to record the ABA's draft record history in the first place. [1] [6] [7] [2] [8] As such, the ordering of not just certain players that were drafted, but even certain teams that might have drafted some of these players are expected to be wildly inconsistent in terms of provided results given out to the public as of 2025, meaning this draft order shown here is likely not going to be 100% accurate in terms of output, especially since it looked like many teams lost selections within the first five rounds of the draft during this year (potentially due to some stipulations relating to the first failed ABA-NBA merger plans made earlier in the decade). That being said, this draft period would be considered the last draft period where the Memphis Pros would participate under that team name, since they would later rename themselves to the Memphis Tams (Tams being an acronym of the states of Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi that the franchise hoped to gain a local fanbase from out of each state, with their new logo in that time reflecting that name by showcasing a tam o'shanter style hat in terms of a more physical representation of what the Tams in question were). [3] It also ultimately became the last draft event altogether for both "The Floridians" and the Pittsburgh Condors franchises since they would both fold operations entirely on July 13, 1972, leaving the ABA with only nine operating teams for less than a month before the creation of the San Diego Conquistadors months after this draft period ended on August 10 that same year effectively had the team taking on both of those teams' spots since they both looked at San Diego as a relocation option at one point in time, as well as led to the ABA working with 10 teams for most of its operating tenure instead of 11 teams going forward.

Key

Pos.GFC
Position GuardForwardCenter
Accomplishments key
SymbolMeaningSymbolMeaning
^Denotes player who has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Denotes player that was selected to the ABA All-Time Team
*Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game and All-ABA Team +Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game
~Denotes a player that won the ABA Rookie of the Year Award #Denotes player who has never appeared in either an ABA or NBA regular season or playoff game

Draft

Bob McAdoo was the first pick of the 1972 ABA Draft by the Virginia Squires via trading with the Pittsburgh Condors. Mcadoo 1973.jpg
Bob McAdoo was the first pick of the 1972 ABA Draft by the Virginia Squires via trading with the Pittsburgh Condors.
Julius Erving was the price paid by the Virginia Squires in exchange for them forfeiting what would have been the seventh pick in the 1972 ABA Draft. Julius Erving - 76ers (1).jpeg
Julius Erving was the price paid by the Virginia Squires in exchange for them forfeiting what would have been the seventh pick in the 1972 ABA Draft.
Jimmy Jones was the price paid by the Utah Stars in exchange for them giving up their own first round pick (which would have been the new seventh pick) in the 1972 ABA Draft. Jimmy Jones basketball.jpeg
Jimmy Jones was the price paid by the Utah Stars in exchange for them giving up their own first round pick (which would have been the new seventh pick) in the 1972 ABA Draft.
Brian Taylor was presumably the nineteenth pick in the 1972 ABA Draft by the New York Nets. Brian Dwight Taylor (cropped).jpg
Brian Taylor was presumably the nineteenth pick in the 1972 ABA Draft by the New York Nets.
Paul Westphal was presumably the 20th pick in the 1972 ABA Draft by the Denver Rockets. Paul Westphal 1975 press photo.jpg
Paul Westphal was presumably the 20th pick in the 1972 ABA Draft by the Denver Rockets.
Bill Walton was presumably the 33rd pick in the 1972 ABA Draft by the Dallas Chaparrals. Bill walton blazers photo.jpg
Bill Walton was presumably the 33rd pick in the 1972 ABA Draft by the Dallas Chaparrals.
Swen Nater (back) was presumably the 58th pick in the seventh round of the 1972 ABA Draft by "The Floridians" franchise; Nater would later be picked up by the Virginia Squires during the league's first ever dispersal draft months later as the ninth pick there. Swen Nater with UCLA shooting.png
Swen Nater (back) was presumably the 58th pick in the seventh round of the 1972 ABA Draft by "The Floridians" franchise; Nater would later be picked up by the Virginia Squires during the league's first ever dispersal draft months later as the ninth pick there.
Don Buse was an undrafted player from the 1972 ABA Draft that would see decent success throughout his professional career after signing with the Indiana Pacers. Don Buse 1986-87.jpg
Don Buse was an undrafted player from the 1972 ABA Draft that would see decent success throughout his professional career after signing with the Indiana Pacers.
Dave Twardzik was an undrafted player from the 1972 ABA Draft that would see decent success throughout his professional career after signing with the Virginia Squires. Dave Twardzik.jpg
Dave Twardzik was an undrafted player from the 1972 ABA Draft that would see decent success throughout his professional career after signing with the Virginia Squires.
RoundPickPlayerPos.NationalityTeamSchool/Club team
11 Bob McAdoo ^CFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States Virginia Squires (from Pittsburgh) [2] North Carolina (Jr.)
1 Memphis Pros (forfeited #2 pick due to them acquiring Larry Cannon from the Denver Rockets [2] )
12 Tom Riker C/PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars South Carolina (Sr.)
13 Bud Stallworth SG/SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets Kansas (Sr.)
14 Dwight Davis PFFlag of the United States.svg United States The Floridians Houston (Sr.)
1 New York Nets (forfeited #5 pick due to them signing Jim Chones, a player previously drafted by the Virginia Squires last year that got invalidated due to draft stipulations at the time [2] )
15 LaRue Martin CFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals Loyola (Chicago) (Sr.)
16 Paul Stovall SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets (from Indiana) [2] Arizona State (Sr.)
1 Virginia Squires (forfeited what would have been the #7 pick due to them signing Julius Erving‡ last year after the previous draft ended [2] )
1 Utah Stars (forfeited what would have been the new #7 pick due to them signing Jimmy Jones‡ from the Memphis Pros [2] )
17 Corky Calhoun SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Kentucky Colonels Duke (Sr.)
28David Brent#C/PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Pros Jacksonville (Fr.)
29 John Gianelli C/PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Pittsburgh Condors Pacific (Sr.)
210 Dennis Wuycik SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars North Carolina (Sr.)
211 Claude Terry +SG/SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets Stanford (Sr.)
212 Mike Stewart #CFlag of the United States.svg United States The Floridians Santa Clara (Jr.)
213 Bill Chamberlain SFFlag of the United States.svg United States New York Nets North Carolina (Sr.)
214 Mike Ratliff CFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals Wisconsin–Eau Claire (Sr.)
215 Chris Ford SGFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Villanova (Sr.)
216 Russ Lee SG/SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Pros (acquired via trade of some sort (probably from Kentucky)) Marshall (Sr.)
317 Chuck Terry SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Pittsburgh Condors Long Beach State (Sr.)
318 Jim Price PGFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Pros Louisville (Sr.)
319 Brian Taylor ~*PGFlag of the United States.svg United States New York Nets (acquired via trade of some sort (probably from Carolina)) Princeton (Sr.)
320 Paul Westphal ^PG/SGFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets USC (Sr.)
321 Scott English SFFlag of the United States.svg United States The Floridians UTEP (Sr.)
322 Joby Wright PF/CFlag of the United States.svg United States New York Nets (from The Floridians via New York) [2] Indiana (Sr.)
323 Bob Morse #SF/PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals Pennsylvania (Sr.)
324Oscar Evans#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Indiana Pacers Butler (Sr.)
325 Will Franklin FFlag of the United States.svg United States Virginia Squires Purdue (Sr.)
326 Travis Grant SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Kentucky State (Sr.)
427Rusty Clair#C/PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Pros Oregon (Sr.)
428 Bob Davis SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Pittsburgh Condors Weber State (Sr.)
429 Fred Boyd PG/SGFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars Oregon State (Sr.)
430 Doug Collins SGFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets Illinois State (Sr.)
431Greg Starrick#GFlag of the United States.svg United States The Floridians Southern Illinois (Sr.)
432 Dwaine Dillard SFFlag of the United States.svg United States New York Nets Eastern Michigan (So.) [9]
433 Bill Walton ^CFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals UCLA (So.)
434Art White#FFlag of the United States.svg United States New York Nets (acquired via trade of some sort) Georgetown University (D.C.) (Sr.)
435Chuck Jura#CFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Nebraska (Sr.)
536 Wil Robinson SGFlag of the United States.svg United States Pittsburgh Condors West Virginia (Sr.)
537 Dave Bustion PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets Denver (Sr.)
538 Bob Lackey SGFlag of the United States.svg United States New York Nets Marquette (Sr.)
539 Steve Hawes C/PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals Washington (Sr.)
540Nate Stephens#CFlag of the United States.svg United States Indiana Pacers Long Beach State (Jr.)
541 Bob Nash SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Hawaii (Sr.)
542 Harold Fox PGFlag of the United States.svg United States Pittsburgh Condors (acquired via trade of some sort (probably from Kentucky)) Jacksonville (Sr.)
643 Bob Ford FFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Pros Purdue (Sr.)
644 James Silas *‡PGFlag of the United States.svg United States Pittsburgh Condors Stephen F. Austin (Sr.)
645 Steve Bracey PGFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars Tulsa (Sr.)
646 Sam Sibert SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets Kentucky State (Sr.)
647Charlie Thorpe#CFlag of the United States.svg United States The Floridians Belhaven College (Sr.)
648Ron Harris#FFlag of the United States.svg United States New York Nets Wichita State (Sr.)
649 Jim Creighton PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals Colorado (Sr.)
650 George Adams FFlag of the United States.svg United States Indiana Pacers Gardner–Webb College (Jr.)
651Reggie Bird#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Virginia Squires Princeton (Sr.)
652 Tom Patterson SF/PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Ouachita Baptist (Jr.)
653Matt Gantt#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Kentucky Colonels St. Bonaventure (Sr.)
754Joe Mackey#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Pittsburgh Condors USC (Sr.)
755 Rowland Garrett SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Pros Florida State (Sr.)
756Dan Holcomb#CFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars Memphis State (Sr.)
757 Ron Riley PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets USC (Sr.)
758 Swen Nater ~*CFlag of the Netherlands.svg  The Netherlands The Floridians UCLA (Jr.)
759 Hank Siemiontkowski #SF/PFFlag of the United States.svg United States New York Nets Villanova (Sr.)
760 Frank Schade GFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals Wisconsin–Eau Claire (Sr.)
761 Richie Garner #SGFlag of the United States.svg United States Indiana Pacers Manhattan (Sr.)
762 Al Sanders PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Virginia Squires LSU (Sr.)
763 Eric McWilliams SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Long Beach State (Sr.)
764Bill Kennedy#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Kentucky Colonels Arizona State (Sr.)
865Sam Simmons#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Pros Bradley (Sr.)
866Marshall Wingate#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Pittsburgh Condors Niagara (Sr.)
867 Henry Bibby PGFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars UCLA (Sr.)
868Ted Martiniuk#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets Saint Peter's (Sr.)
869 Ron Thomas PFFlag of the United States.svg United States The Floridians Louisville (Sr.)
870Walter Jones#FFlag of the United States.svg United States New York Nets LIU Brooklyn (Sr.)
871 Ansley Truitt PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals California (Sr.)
872Cavin Andersen#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Indiana Pacers Valley City State (Sr.)
873 Billy Shepherd PGFlag of the United States.svg United States Virginia Squires Butler (Sr.)
874 Frank Russell SGFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Detroit (Sr.)
875Terry Benton#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Kentucky Colonels Wichita State (Sr.)
976 Charles Edge SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Pittsburgh Condors LeMoyne–Owen (Jr.)
977Steve Davidson#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Pros West Texas State (Sr.)
978Jerry Crocker#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars Guilford (Sr.)
979 Bernie Fryer SGFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets BYU (Sr.)
980Ernie Fleming#FFlag of the United States.svg United States The Floridians Jacksonville (Sr.)
981Ed Czernota#FFlag of the United States.svg United States New York Nets Sacred Heart (Sr.)
982Wayne Grabiec#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals Michigan (Sr.)
983Wardell Dyson#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Indiana Pacers Shaw University (Sr.)
984 Mike Barr GFlag of the United States.svg United States Virginia Squires Duquesne (Sr.)
985 Mike Jackson PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Cal State Los Angeles (Sr.)
986Ernest Pettis#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Kentucky Colonels Western Michigan (Sr.)
1087Jackie Young#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Pros Rocky Mountain (Sr.)
1088Bryan Adrian#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Pittsburgh Condors Davidson (Sr.)
1089Mike Collins#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars Seattle (Sr.)
1090 Jerry Pender SGFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets Fresno State (Sr.)
1091 Sam Cash PFFlag of the United States.svg United States The Floridians UC Riverside (Jr.)
1092Randy Noll#FFlag of the United States.svg United States New York Nets Marshall (Jr.)
1093Jerry Zielinski#SG/SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals Northern Illinois (Sr.)
1094Jolly Spight#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Indiana Pacers Santa Clara (Sr.)
1095Rick Aydlett#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Virginia Squires South Carolina (Sr.)
1096 Kevin Porter PGFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Saint Francis (Jr.)
1097Cleveland Hill#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Kentucky Colonels Nicholls State (Sr.)
1198Joe Gaines#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Pittsburgh Condors Belmont (Sr.)
1199Steve Turner#CFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Pros Vanderbilt (Jr.)
11100Wilbert Loftin#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars Southwest Louisiana (Sr.)
11101Gary Stewart#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets Canisius (Sr.)
11102Tracy Tripucka#GFlag of the United States.svg United States The Floridians Lafayette (Sr.)
11103Quinas Brower#FFlag of the United States.svg United States New York Nets Hofstra (Sr.)
11104Jeff Hickman#SGFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals Houston (Sr.)
11105Billy Burton#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Indiana Pacers Eastern Kentucky (Sr.)
11106Kent Hollenbeck#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Virginia Squires Kentucky (Sr.)
11107Willie Hart#CFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Grambling (Jr.)
11108Andrew Pettes#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Kentucky Colonels Oklahoma (Sr.)
12109 Henry Bacon SGFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Pros Louisville (Sr.)
12110Chic Downing#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Pittsburgh Condors Benedictine College (Sr.)
12111 Charles Dudley PGFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars Washington (Sr.)
12112Michael Reid#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets UC Riverside (So.)
12113Jerry Brucks#CFlag of the United States.svg United States The Floridians Wyoming (Sr.)
12114Bill Phillips#CFlag of the United States.svg United States New York Nets St. John's (Sr.)
12115Stan Key#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals Kentucky (Sr.)
12116Wally Rice#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Indiana Pacers PMC Colleges (Sr.)
12117Milton Adams#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Virginia Squires Portland (Sr.)
12118 Lloyd Neal C/PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Tennessee State (Sr.)
12119David Hall#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Kentucky Colonels Kansas State (Sr.)
13120Billy Pleas#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Pittsburgh Condors Detroit (Sr.)
13121Ruppert Breedlove#CFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Pros Oglethorpe (Sr.)
13122Mike Sneed#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars Fayetteville State (Sr.)
13123John Burks#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets San Francisco (Sr.)
13124Bobby Jack#FFlag of the United States.svg United States The Floridians Oklahoma (Sr.)
13125Kelly Utley#GFlag of the United States.svg United States New York Nets Shaw University (Sr.)
13126Donn Weise# [10] CFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals Ripon College (Sr.)
13127Mel Sims# [11] GFlag of the United States.svg United States Indiana Pacers Cal State Los Angeles (Sr.)
13128Ralph HoustonFFlag of the United States.svg United States Virginia Squires Houston (Sr.)
13129Simpson Degrate#SG/SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars TCU (Sr.)
13130Jerry Clack#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Kentucky Colonels Oklahoma State (Sr.)
14131Sam McCarney#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Pros Oral Roberts (Sr.)
14132David Werthman#SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Pittsburgh Condors West Virginia (Sr.)
14133 Steve Previs PGFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars North Carolina (Sr.)
14134 John Tschogl SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets UC Santa Barbara (Sr.)
14135Greg Flaker#GFlag of the United States.svg United States The Floridians Missouri (Sr.)
14136Paul Hoffman#GFlag of the United States.svg United States New York Nets St. Bonaventure (Sr.)
14137Rhea Taylor#SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals Arizona State (Sr.)
14138Nate Williams#SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Indiana Pacers Utah State (Sr.)
14139Rudolph Peele#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Virginia Squires Norfolk State (Sr.)
14140Mose Adolph#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Cal State Los Angeles (Sr.)
14141Tom Parker#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Kentucky Colonels Kentucky (Sr.)
15142Henry Seawright#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Pittsburgh Condors Manhattan (Sr.)
15143Gene Mack#PGFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Pros Iowa State (Sr.)
15144Kent Martens#CFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars Abilene Christian (Sr.)
15145Leon Huff#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets Drake (Sr.)
15146Ray Golson#GFlag of the United States.svg United States The Floridians West Texas State (Sr.)
15 New York Nets (Passed up on using this selection.)
15147Ron Williams#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals Murray State (Sr.)
15 Indiana Pacers (Passed up on using this selection.)
15148Scott McCandlish#CFlag of the United States.svg United States Virginia Squires Virginia (Sr.)
15149 Harvey Catchings PF/CFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Hardin–Simmons (So.)
15150Jerry Dunn#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Kentucky Colonels Western Kentucky (Sr.)
16151Ken May#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Pros Dayton (Sr.)
16152Lee McCullough#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Pittsburgh Condors Indiana (Pennsylvania) (Sr.)
16153Rod Behrens#PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars Samford (Sr.)
16154Phillip Sisk#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets Georgia Southern (Sr.)
16155Willie Cherry#FFlag of the United States.svg United States The Floridians Denver (Sr.)
16 New York Nets (Passed up on using this selection.)
16156Rich Walker#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals Bowling Green (Sr.)
16 Indiana Pacers (Passed up on using this selection.)
16157Harry Taylor#G/FFlag of the United States.svg United States Virginia Squires Los Angeles Baptist (Sr.)
16158Richard Dixon#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Loyola Los Angeles (Sr.)
16159Frank Lorthridge#C/PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Kentucky Colonels Pan American (Sr.)
17160Harry Anderson#SGFlag of the United States.svg United States Pittsburgh Condors Saint Peter's (Jr.)
17161Steve Schmidt#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Pros South Alabama (Sr.)
17162David Smith#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars Western Carolina (Sr.)
17163Dave Hullman#PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets Arizona State (Sr.)
17164Arnie Berman#FFlag of the United States.svg United States The Floridians Brown (Sr.)
17165 Ron Bradley #GFlag of the United States.svg United States New York Nets Eastern Nazarene (Jr.)
17166Al Vilcheck#PF/CFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals Louisville (Sr.)
17 Indiana Pacers (Passed up on using this selection.)
17 Virginia Squires (Passed up on using this selection.)
17167Henry Steele#CFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Northeast Louisiana (Sr.) [12]
17 Kentucky Colonels (Passed up on using this selection.)
18168Terry Hankton#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Pros Arkansas Polytechnic College (Sr.)
18169 Manuel Raga #SGFlag of Mexico.svg  Mexico Pittsburgh Condors Ignis Varese (Italy)
18170Curtis Pritchett#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars St. Augustine's (Sr.)
18171Harold Little#SG/SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets New Mexico (Sr.)
18172Fred DeVaughn#FFlag of the United States.svg United States The Floridians Westmont (Jr.)
18 New York Nets (Passed up on using this selection.)
18 Dallas Chaparrals (Passed up on using this selection.)
18 Indiana Pacers (Passed up on using this selection.)
18 Virginia Squires (Passed up on using this selection.)
18173Dwight Holiday#SGFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Hawaii (Sr.)
18 Kentucky Colonels (Passed up on using this selection.)
19 Pittsburgh Condors (Passed up on using this selection.)
19 Memphis Pros (Passed up on using this selection.)
19174Paul Coder#CFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars NC State (Sr.)
19175Andy Knowles#PGFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets Louisiana Tech (Sr.)
19176Bob Zender# [13] FFlag of the United States.svg United States The Floridians Kansas State (Sr.)
19 New York Nets (Passed up on using this selection.)
19 Dallas Chaparrals (Passed up on using this selection.)
19 Indiana Pacers (Passed up on using this selection.)
19 Virginia Squires (Passed up on using this selection.)
19177George Price#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Colorado State (Sr.)
19 Kentucky Colonels (Passed up on using this selection.)
20 Memphis Pros (Passed up on using this selection.)
20 Pittsburgh Condors (Passed up on using this selection.)
20 Carolina Cougars (Passed up on using this selection.)
20178Al Davis#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets Hawaii (Sr.)
20 The Floridians (Passed up on using this selection.)
20 New York Nets (Passed up on using this selection.)
20 Dallas Chaparrals (Passed up on using this selection.)
20 Indiana Pacers (Passed up on using this selection.)
20 Virginia Squires (Passed up on using this selection.)
20179George Bryant#PGFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Eastern Kentucky (Sr.)
20 Kentucky Colonels (Passed up on using this selection.)

Notable undrafted players

These players were officially considered draft eligible for the 1972 ABA draft and went undrafted this year, yet played at least one regular season or playoff game for the ABA before the ABA-NBA merger actually commenced a few years later.

PlayerPos.NationalitySchool
Don Buse *PGFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States Evansville (Sr.)
Bill Newton PF/CFlag of the United States.svg United States LSU (Sr.)
Dave Twardzik +PGFlag of the United States.svg United States Old Dominion (Sr.)

1972 ABA dispersal draft

On July 13, 1972, two of the ABA's eleven inaugural teams in "The Floridians" and the Pittsburgh Condors would have their players be dispersed in the first dispersal draft in the ABA's history. This dispersal draft would involve all of the original ABA teams that remained alive and kicking at the time, but it would not include the San Diego Conquistadors expansion team since their creation was done after the dispersal draft happened. This draft would also be considered the debut drafting period of the Memphis Tams under their newly rebranded name. [3] There would be six total rounds of draft picks from this dispersal draft that the nine ABA teams that were left over at the time would utilize from taking either "The Floridians" or Pittsburgh Condors players that were available for themselves. [14] Any players that weren't selected after this draft concluded would be placed on waivers and enter free agency afterward. [4] Interestingly enough, the Denver Rockets were the only ABA team to select players from only one of the two defunct franchises, with them opting to select players only from "The Floridians" franchise instead of either both franchises like every other team here did or even just players from the Pittsburgh Condors only. Outside of that note, the following teams would select these players from either "The Floridians" or the Pittsburgh Condors franchises, with parentheses showcasing the original team they were either on or had the player rights to at the time before the dispersal draft commenced unless directly stated otherwise.

Warren Jabali was selected second in the first round of the 1972 ABA dispersal draft by going from "The Floridians" to the Denver Rockets. Warren Jabali.jpg
Warren Jabali was selected second in the first round of the 1972 ABA dispersal draft by going from "The Floridians" to the Denver Rockets.
Mike Lewis was selected third in the first round of the 1972 ABA dispersal draft by going from the Pittsburgh Condors to the Carolina Cougars. Mike Lewis (Duke Chronicle 1967-12-13).jpg
Mike Lewis was selected third in the first round of the 1972 ABA dispersal draft by going from the Pittsburgh Condors to the Carolina Cougars.
John Brisker was selected fourth in the first round of the 1972 ABA dispersal draft by going from the Pittsburgh Condors to the Dallas Chaparrals. John Brisker.jpg
John Brisker was selected fourth in the first round of the 1972 ABA dispersal draft by going from the Pittsburgh Condors to the Dallas Chaparrals.
Mack Calvin was selected sixth in the first round of the 1972 ABA dispersal draft by going from "The Floridians" to the Carolina Cougars. Mack Calvin.jpg
Mack Calvin was selected sixth in the first round of the 1972 ABA dispersal draft by going from "The Floridians" to the Carolina Cougars.
Larry Jones was selected tenth in the first round of the 1972 ABA dispersal draft by going from "The Floridians" to the Utah Stars. Larry Jones basketball.jpeg
Larry Jones was selected tenth in the first round of the 1972 ABA dispersal draft by going from "The Floridians" to the Utah Stars.
Jim Ligon was selected 34th overall (fourth in the fourth round) in the 1972 ABA dispersal draft by going from the Pittsburgh Condors to the Virginia Squires. Jim Ligon 1970 (1).jpg
Jim Ligon was selected 34th overall (fourth in the fourth round) in the 1972 ABA dispersal draft by going from the Pittsburgh Condors to the Virginia Squires.
Rnd.PickPlayerPos.NationalityNew TeamSchoolFormer Team
11 George Thompson +PGFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States Memphis Tams Marquette Pittsburgh Condors
12 Warren Jabali *‡SG/PGFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets Wichita State The Floridians
13 Mike Lewis +PF/CFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars Duke Pittsburgh Condors
14 John Brisker SF/SGFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals Toledo Pittsburgh Condors
15 Skeeter Swift SGFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals East Tennessee State Pittsburgh Condors
16 Mack Calvin *‡PGFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars USC The Floridians
17 Willie Long SF/PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets New Mexico The Floridians
18 Ron Franz SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Tams Kansas The Floridians
19 Swen Nater ~*CFlag of the Netherlands.svg  The Netherlands Virginia Squires UCLA The Floridians
110 Larry Jones *PG/SGFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Toledo The Floridians
111 Walt Szczerbiak SFFlag of the United States.svg United States
Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany
Kentucky Colonels George Washington Pittsburgh Condors
112 Chuck Terry SFFlag of the United States.svg United States New York Nets Long Beach State Pittsburgh Condors
113 Dwight Davis PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Indiana Pacers Houston The Floridians
214 Dave Lattin PF/CFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Tams UTEP Pittsburgh Condors
215 Scott English SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets UTEP The Floridians
216 Mike Stewart #CFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars Santa Clara The Floridians
217 John Gianelli C/PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals Pacific Pittsburgh Condors
218Joe Mackey#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Virginia Squires USC Pittsburgh Condors
219Chic Downing#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Benedictine College Pittsburgh Condors
220Ernie Fleming#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Kentucky Colonels Jacksonville The Floridians
221 Dwight Jones PF/CFlag of the United States.svg United States Indiana Pacers Houston The Floridians
322 Sam Cash PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Tams UC Riverside The Floridians
323 Al Tucker SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Denver Rockets Oklahoma Baptist The Floridians
324 Mike Grosso CFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars Louisville Pittsburgh Condors
325Jerry Brucks#CFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals Wyoming The Floridians
326 Craig Raymond CFlag of the United States.svg United States Virginia Squires BYU The Floridians
327 Wil Robinson SGFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars West Virginia Pittsburgh Condors
328 Lonnie Wright SG/PGFlag of the United States.svg United States Kentucky Colonels Colorado State The Floridians
329 George Tinsley SFFlag of the United States.svg United States New York Nets Kentucky Wesleyan The Floridians
330Tracy Tripucka#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Indiana Pacers Lafayette The Floridians
431 Ron Thomas PFFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Tams Louisville The Floridians
432Greg Starrick#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Carolina Cougars Southern Illinois The Floridians
433Bobby Jack#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Dallas Chaparrals Oklahoma The Floridians
434 Jim Ligon +PF/CFlag of the United States.svg United States Virginia Squires Kokomo High School
(Kokomo, Indiana)
Pittsburgh Condors
435Henry Seawright#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Manhattan Pittsburgh Condors
436Greg Flaker#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Kentucky Colonels Missouri The Floridians
437Brian Adrian#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Indiana Pacers Davidson Pittsburgh Condors
538 Charles Edge SFFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Tams LeMoyne–Owen Pittsburgh Condors
539Greg Lowery#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Virginia Squires Texas Tech The Floridians
540Billy Pleas#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Utah Stars Detroit Pittsburgh Condors
641Ray Golson#GFlag of the United States.svg United States Memphis Tams West Texas State The Floridians
642Al Davis#FFlag of the United States.svg United States Virginia Squires Hawaii The Floridians

1972 ABA expansion draft

Following the dispersal draft of "The Floridians" and Pittsburgh Condors franchises, the ABA would host their first and only expansion draft in league history with the San Diego Conquistadors taking on one of the replacement spots for either "The Floridians" or the Pittsburgh Condors since both franchises, coincidentally enough, previously looked at San Diego as a relocation option before folding operations altogether. The expansion draft for the San Diego Conquistadors would take place on August 10, 1972, almost a month after the dispersal draft had concluded, with the Conquistadors being allowed to have two selections of players in essentially one total round (but really two rounds [7] ) from the nine remaining inaugural ABA teams at hand. However, the Indiana Pacers would later negotiate a deal with San Diego to only allow them to acquire the negating draft rights to Dwight Jones alongside George Peeples instead of two of their actual players on their end. [5] In any case, Mike Barrett of the Virginia Squires would be named the #1 pick for the San Diego Conquistadors during the expansion draft. Alongside those particular notes of interest, the following players would be selected by the Conquistadors for the franchise's expansion draft.

San Diego Conquistadors
Expansion draft roster:

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Bradley, Robert D. (2013). The Basketball Draft Fact Book: A History of Professional Basketball's College Drafts. Scarecrow Press. ISBN   9780810890695., pg. 183
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "1972 ABA Draft Pick Transactions". Pro Sports Transactions. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved Dec 23, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Bradley, Robert. "Remember the ABA: New Orleans Bucs/Memphis Pros/Memphis Tams/Memphis Sounds/Baltimore Claws Year-to-Year Notes". Remember the ABA. Archived from the original on May 8, 2009. Retrieved Dec 23, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Bradley, Robert D. (2013). The Basketball Draft Fact Book: A History of Professional Basketball's College Drafts. Scarecrow Press. ISBN   9780810890695., pg. 426
  5. 1 2 Bradley, Robert D. (2013). The Basketball Draft Fact Book: A History of Professional Basketball's College Drafts. Scarecrow Press. ISBN   9780810890695., pg. 422
  6. "1972 NBA Draft". DatabaseBasketball.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2014. Retrieved Dec 23, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Bradley, Robert; Grasso, John. "ABA Player Drafts". APBR.org. Retrieved Dec 23, 2024.
  8. "American Basketball Association - 1971-72 ABA Draft Picks". 21 March 2023.
  9. "Dwaine Dillard". The Draft Review. September 24, 2018. Retrieved Dec 23, 2024.
  10. "Ripon College Men's Basketball Career Record Book". Ripon College Athletics. Retrieved Dec 23, 2024.
  11. "Mel Sims". SRCBB. Archived from the original on January 16, 2018. Retrieved Dec 23, 2024.
  12. "Former NLU Hoops Standout & Longtime High School Coach Jesse Burnette Passes Away at Age 70". University of Louisiana Monroe Athletics. August 13, 2022. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved Dec 23, 2024.
  13. "Bob Zender". SRCBB. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved Dec 23, 2024.
  14. "1972 ABA Draft". The Draft Review. June 6, 2007. Retrieved Dec 23, 2024.