# 1949 BAA draft

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/1949_BAA_draft
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/1949_BAA_draft.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1949_BAA_draft
> Source revision: 1355534547
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

The **1949 BAA draft** was the third annual [draft](/source/NBA_draft) of the [Basketball Association of America](/source/Basketball_Association_of_America) (BAA) and the last draft that was done while going under the original Basketball Association of America name before the BAA merged with the [National Basketball League](/source/National_Basketball_League_(United_States)) to form the [National Basketball Association](/source/National_Basketball_Association) (NBA) on August 3, 1949.[1][2][3] The BAA's draft was held on April 21, 1949, months before the start of the [1949–50 NBA season](/source/1949%E2%80%9350_NBA_season), which debuted the NBA name properly. In this [draft](/source/Draft_(sports)), eleven BAA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. [college basketball](/source/College_basketball) players. However, one month before the BAA's final draft began, the NBL would end up getting an early jumpstart over the BAA with their own draft by starting their own draft system some time in March 1949. Three of the first round selections made by BAA teams ([Alex Groza](/source/Alex_Groza), [Wallace Jones](/source/Wallace_Jones), and [Ralph Beard](/source/Ralph_Beard)) alongside college teammates [Cliff Barker](/source/Cliff_Barker) and [Joe Holland](/source/Joe_Holland_(basketball)) would all agree to sign with the newly created [Indianapolis Olympians](/source/Indianapolis_Olympians) expansion franchise, who had been intended to replace the Kautskys in the NBL before ultimately replacing the Jets for the NBA merger.[1] After initial disagreements made from the previous year, the BAA and NBL would reconcile their differences after the BAA draft ended and eventually agreed to a merger on August 3, 1949, with the aforementioned [Indianapolis Jets](/source/Indianapolis_Jets) and [Providence Steamrollers](/source/Providence_Steamrollers) being left out on the BAA's side and the [Oshkosh All-Stars](/source/Oshkosh_All-Stars), [Hammond Calumet Buccaneers](/source/Hammond_Calumet_Buccaneers), and [Dayton Rens](/source/Dayton_Rens) being left out on the NBL's side; this merger would now leave players with few alternative methods to enter the soon-to-be-renamed [NBA draft](/source/NBA_draft) going forward, since direct competition for payment between the two professional leagues was now essentially replaced by [Amateur Athletic Union](/source/Amateur_Athletic_Union) basketball, minor league basketball, and various barnstorming teams if players wanted to work before entering the draft system.[1] During the draft, three teams agreed to give up certain draft picks in order to secure the player rights to underclassmen that left college, but already signed and played for the BAA the previous season, with [Howie Shannon](/source/Howie_Shannon) being considered the #1 pick by default for the [Providence Steamrollers](/source/Providence_Steamrollers), [George Kaftan](/source/George_Kaftan) being #4 for the [Boston Celtics](/source/Boston_Celtics), and 1949 Rookie of the Year [Harry Gallatin](/source/Harry_Gallatin) being #20 for the [New York Knicks](/source/New_York_Knicks). The 76 players selected was one number higher to the number of players selected in the [1988 NBA draft](/source/1988_NBA_draft); both drafts have had some of the fewest picks selected prior to [1989](/source/1989_NBA_draft) (when the NBA draft was reduced to two rounds ever since).

## Draft selections and draftee career notes

[Howie Shannon](/source/Howie_Shannon) from [Kansas State University](/source/Kansas_State_University) was selected [first overall](/source/List_of_first_overall_NBA_draft_picks) by the [Providence Steamrollers](/source/Providence_Steamrollers). However, [Ed Macauley](/source/Ed_Macauley) and [Vern Mikkelsen](/source/Vern_Mikkelsen) were selected before the draft as [St. Louis Bombers](/source/St._Louis_Bombers_(NBA))' and [Minneapolis Lakers](/source/Minneapolis_Lakers)' [territorial picks](/source/NBA_territorial_pick) respectively. Not only that, but Shannon would also join [George Kaftan](/source/George_Kaftan) of the [Boston Celtics](/source/Boston_Celtics) and [Harry Gallatin](/source/Harry_Gallatin) of the [New York Knicks](/source/New_York_Knicks) as three BAA/NBA draft picks where they would be drafted in this year's draft, but played in the previous BAA season with the same team that drafted them earlier on. Four players from this draft, [Vern Mikkelsen](/source/Vern_Mikkelsen), [Ed Macauley](/source/Ed_Macauley), [Dick McGuire](/source/Dick_McGuire) and [Slater Martin](/source/Slater_Martin) have been inducted into the [Basketball Hall of Fame](/source/Basketball_Hall_of_Fame).[4]

## Key

Pos. G F C Position Guard Forward Center

## Draft

Round Pick Player Position width:"100px;"| Nationality[n 1] Team College / Club T – Ed Macauley^ F/C United States St. Louis Bombers Saint Louis T – Vern Mikkelsen^ F/C United States Minneapolis Lakers Hamline 1 1 Howie Shannon~ G/F United States Providence Steamrollers Providence Steamrollers (BAA) 1 2 Alex Groza*~ C United States Indianapolis Jets[5][6] Kentucky 1 3 Bob Harris F/C United States Fort Wayne Pistons Oklahoma State 1 4 Tony Lavelli F United States Boston Celtics Yale 1 5 Vern Gardner F/C United States Philadelphia Warriors Utah 1 6 Ron Livingstone C United States Baltimore Bullets Wyoming 1 7 Dick McGuire^ G United States New York Knicks St. John's 1 8 Wallace Jones F United States Washington Capitols Kentucky 1 9 Jack Kerris F/C United States Chicago Stags Loyola (IL) 1 10 Frank Saul G/F United States Rochester Royals Seton Hall 2 – Leo Barnhorst+ G/F United States Indianapolis Jets Notre Dame 2 – Ralph Beard* G United States Chicago Stags Kentucky 2 – Jack Coleman+ F/C United States Rochester Royals Louisville 2 – Harry Donovan G United States New York Knicks Muhlenberg 2 – George Kaftan F United States Boston Celtics Boston Celtics (BAA) 2 – Jim Nolan C United States Philadelphia Warriors Georgia Tech 2 – John Oldham G United States Fort Wayne Pistons Western Kentucky 2 – Johnny Orr F United States St. Louis Bombers Beloit 2 – Red Owens G United States Washington Capitols Baylor

## Other picks

The following list includes other draft picks who have appeared in at least one NBA game.[7][8]

Round Pick Player Position width:"100px;"| Nationality[n 1] Team College 3 – Nelson Bobb G United States Philadelphia Warriors Temple 3 – Dwight Eddleman+ G/F United States Chicago Stags Illinois 3 – Paul Gordon F United States Baltimore Bullets Notre Dame 3 – Ed Leede G/F United States Providence Steamrollers Dartmouth 3 – Joe Mullaney G United States Boston Celtics Holy Cross 3 – Mac Otten F/C United States Indianapolis Jets Bowling Green 3 – Fred Schaus* F United States Fort Wayne Pistons West Virginia 3 – Ernie Vandeweghe G/F United States Canada New York Knicks Colgate 3 – Slater Martin^ G United States Minneapolis Lakers Texas 4 – Bob Evans G United States Indianapolis Jets Butler 4 – Jerry Nagel G United States Fort Wayne Pistons Loyola (IL) 4 – Warren Perkins G/F United States Providence Steamrollers Tulane 5 – Cliff Barker G United States Washington Capitols Kentucky 5 – Ray Corley G United States Providence Steamrollers Georgetown 5 – Earl Dodd F United States St. Louis Bombers Northeast Missouri 6 – Don Boven G/F United States Indianapolis Jets Western Michigan 7 – John Pritchard C United States St. Louis Bombers Drake 8 – Duane Klueh G United States Boston Celtics Indiana State 8 – Bob Royer G United States Providence Steamrollers Indiana State – – Mal McMullen C United States Baltimore Bullets Xavier – – Bob Harrison+ G United States Minneapolis Lakers Michigan – – Paul Walther+ G/F United States Minneapolis Lakers Tennessee – – Marv Schatzman F United States St. Louis Bombers Saint Louis

## Undrafted players

Further information: [List of undrafted NBA players](/source/List_of_undrafted_NBA_players)

These players were not selected in the 1949 draft but played at least one game in the NBA.

Player Pos. Nationality School/club team Edward Bartels SG/SF United States NC State (Jr.) Vince Boryla SF/PF United States Denver (Sr.) Joe Bradley SG United States Oklahoma A&M (Sr.) Bob Brown SF United States Miami (Ohio) (Sr.) Leroy Chollet SG/SF United States Canisius (Sr.) Joe Dolhon PG United States NYU (Jr.) George Feigenbaum PG United States Long Island (So.) Normie Glick SF/PF United States Marymount (So.) Al Guokas SG/SF United States Saint Joseph's (So.) Bob Hahn C United States NC State (Sr.) Bob Harrison PG United States Michigan (Sr.) Bill Herman SG United States Mount Union (Sr.) Howie Janotta SF United States Seton Hall (Sr.) Frank Kudelka SG/SF United States Saint Mary's (California) (Jr.) Mal McMullen PF/C United States Xavier (Jr.) Al Miksis C United States Western Illinois (Sr.) Dermie O'Connell PG United States Holy Cross (So.) Mike O'Neill SG/SF United States California (Sr.) Charlie Parsley SG United States Western Kentucky (Sr.) John Payak SG United States Bowling Green (Sr.) Jack Phelan SG/SF United States DePaul (Sr.) Marv Schatzman SF/PF United States Saint Louis (So.) Wayne See SG United States Northern Arizona (Sr.) Paul Walther G United States Tennessee (Sr.) Isaac Walthour PG United States Benjamin Franklin (New York) (HS Sr.) Bob Wood PG United States Northern Illinois (Sr.)

## See also

- [List of first overall NBA draft picks](/source/List_of_first_overall_NBA_draft_picks)
- [NBA records](/source/NBA_records)

## Notes

1. Nationality indicates the player's national team or representative nationality. If a player has not competed at the international level, then the nationality indicates the national team which the player is eligible to represent according to [FIBA](/source/FIBA) rules.

## References

**General**

- ["1949 BAA Draft"](https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/BAA_1949.html). *basketball-reference.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20091030175554/http://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/BAA_1949.html) 30 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ["1947–1948 BAA Drafts, 1949–1951 NBA Drafts"](http://www.apbr.org/4751drft.html). The Association for Professional Basketball Research. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100704045137/http://www.apbr.org/4751drft.html) July 4, 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 11, 2009.

**Specific**

1. Bradley, Robert D. (2013). *The Basketball Draft Fact Book: A History of Professional Basketball's College Drafts*. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810890695., pg. 10

1. ["NBL, BAA merge, end pro net war"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-republic-nbl-baa-merge-end-pro-net/149768648/). *The Republic*. UP. 4 August 1949. p. 11. Retrieved 21 June 2024. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. Berger, Phil. ["First Season"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090626073512/http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1997/3/1997_3_94.shtml). *AmericanHeritage.com*. American Heritage Publishing. Archived from [the original](http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1997/3/1997_3_94.shtml) on 2009-06-26. Retrieved August 15, 2009.

1. ["Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductees"](https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/hof.html). *basketball-reference.com*. Retrieved October 28, 2009.

1. ["3 'Tucky Stars among choices in BAA draft"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-herald-3-tucky-stars-among/150059153/). *[The Journal Herald](/source/The_Journal_Herald)*. [United Press](/source/United_Press). 22 March 1949. p. 8. Retrieved 25 June 2024. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. Jim O'Leary (10 August 1949). ["Basketball merger saved red face for Alex Groza"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-knoxville-news-sentinel-basketball-m/150060431/). *[The Knoxville News-Sentinel](/source/The_Knoxville_News-Sentinel)*. p. 17. Retrieved 25 June 2024. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["1949 BAA Draft"](https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/BAA_1949.html)

1. ["NBA Past Drafts - RealGM"](http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft/past_drafts/1949)

## External links

- [NBA.com](http://www.nba.com/)
- [NBA.com: NBA Draft History](http://www.nba.com/history/draft_index.html)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [1949 BAA draft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1949_BAA_draft) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1949_BAA_draft?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.