In this draft, nine remaining NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players.
In each round, the teams select in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season.
Ray Felix from Long Island University was selected first overall by the Baltimore Bullets and went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season.
[2] Ernie Beck and Walter Dukes were selected before the draft as Philadelphia Warriors' and New York Knicks' territorial picks respectively.
Three players from this draft, Bob Houbregs, Frank Ramsey and Cliff Hagan, have been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame.