# 1948 BAA draft

The 1948 BAA draft was the second annual draft of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which later merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to become the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on May 10, 1948, before the 1948–49 season. In this draft, eight BAA teams along with four teams who moved from the NBL, took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players.

## Draft selections and draftee career notes

Andy Tonkovich from Marshall University was selected first overall by the Providence Steamrollers. Four of the first round picks, George Kok, George Hauptfuhrer, Bob Gale and Chuck Hanger, never played in the BAA. Four players from this draft, Harry Gallatin, Dolph Schayes, Bobby Wanzer and Alex Hannum have been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

## Draft

| Pos. | G | F | C |
| Position | Guard | Forward | Center |
| ^ | Denotes player who has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
| $^+$ | Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game |
| $^#$ | Denotes player who has never appeared in an NBA regular season or playoff game |
| Rnd. | Pick | Player | Pos. | Nationality | Team | School / club team |
| 1 | 1 | Andy Tonkovich | G | United States | Providence Steamrollers | Marshall |
| 1 | 2 | George Kok$^#$ | C | United States | Indianapolis Jets | Arkansas |
| 1 | 3 | George Hauptfuhrer$^#$ | C | United States | Boston Celtics | Harvard |
| 1 | 4 | Dolph Schayes^ | F/C | United States | New York Knicks | NYU |
| 1 | 5 | Ed Mikan | F/C | United States | Chicago Stags | DePaul |
| 1 | 6 | Walt Budko | F/C | United States | Baltimore Bullets | Columbia |
| 1 | 7 | Bob Gale$^#$ | G/F | United States | St. Louis Bombers | Cornell |
| 1 | 8 | Ward Williams | F | United States | Fort Wayne Pistons | Indiana |
| 1 | 9 | Chuck Hanger$^#$ | – | United States | Minneapolis Lakers | California |
| 1 | 10 | Bobby Wanzer^ | G | United States | Rochester Royals | Seton Hall |
| 1 | 11 | Don Ray | F/C | United States | Philadelphia Warriors | Western Kentucky |
| 1 | 12 | Jack Nichols | F/C | United States | Washington Capitols | Washington |

## Other picks

The following list includes other draft picks who have appeared in at least one BAA/NBA game.
| Rnd. | Pick | Player | Pos. | Nationality | Team | School / club team |
| – | – | Johnny Bach | G/F | United States | Boston Celtics | Fordham |
| – | – | Gene Berce | G/F | United States | New York Knicks | Marquette |
| – | – | Darrell Brown | F | United States | Baltimore Bullets | Humboldt State |
| – | – | Jack Burmaster | G | United States | St. Louis Bombers | Illinois |
| – | – | Jake Carter | F/C | United States | Baltimore Bullets | East Texas State |
| – | – | Jack Coleman$^+$ | F/C | United States | Providence Steamrollers | Louisville |
| – | – | Bobby Cook | G | United States | Fort Wayne Pistons | Wisconsin |
| – | – | Hook Dillon | F | United States | Chicago Stags | North Carolina |
| – | – | Arnie Ferrin | G/F | United States | Minneapolis Lakers | Utah |
| – | – | Bill Gabor$^+$ | G/F | United States | Rochester Royals | Syracuse |
| – | – | Harry Gallatin^ | F/C | United States | New York Knicks | Northeast Missouri |
| – | – | Earl Gardner | F | United States | Minneapolis Lakers | DePauw |
| – | – | Dee Gibson | G/F | United States | Minneapolis Lakers | Western Kentucky |
| – | – | Alex Hannum^ | F/C | United States | Indianapolis Jets | USC |
| – | – | Marshall Hawkins | F | United States | Boston Celtics | Tennessee |
| – | – | Joe Holland | F | United States | Baltimore Bullets | Kentucky |
| – | – | Whitey Kachan | G | United States | Chicago Stags | DePaul |
| – | – | Leo Katkaveck | G | United States | Washington Capitols | NC State |
| – | – | Tom Kelly | G | United States | Boston Celtics | NYU |
| – | – | Andy Kostecka | F | United States | Indianapolis Jets | Georgetown |
| – | – | Dan Kraus | G | United States | Baltimore Bullets | Georgetown |
| – | – | Herb Krautblatt | G | United States | Baltimore Bullets | Rider |
| – | – | Leo Kubiak | G/F | United States | Rochester Royals | Bowling Green |
| – | – | Ray Lumpp | G | United States | Indianapolis Jets | NYU |
| – | – | Johnny Macknowski | F | United States | Rochester Royals | Seton Hall |
| – | – | Mel McGaha | G | United States | New York Knicks | Arkansas |
| – | – | Murray Mitchell | C | United States | Boston Celtics | Sam Houston State |
| – | – | Johnny Orr | F | United States | Minneapolis Lakers | Beloit |
| – | – | Easy Parham | G/F | United States | St. Louis Bombers | Texas Wesleyan |
| – | – | Jack Parkinson | G | United States | Washington Capitols | Kentucky |
| – | – | Ed Peterson | C | United States | New York Knicks | Cornell |
| – | – | Roy Pugh | F/C | United States | Philadelphia Warriors | SMU |
| – | – | Tex Ritter | G | United States | New York Knicks | Eastern Kentucky |
| – | – | Kenny Rollins | G | United States | Fort Wayne Pistons | Kentucky |
| – | – | Dick Shrider | G | United States | New York Knicks | Ohio |
| – | – | Odie Spears | G | United States | Chicago Stags | Western Kentucky |
| – | – | Brady Walker | F/C | United States | Providence Steamrollers | BYU |
| – | – | Dick Wehr | F | United States | Indianapolis Jets | Rice |
| – | – | Murray Wier | G | United States | Fort Wayne Pistons | Iowa |
| – | – | D. C. Wilcutt | G | United States | St. Louis Bombers | Saint Louis |

## Notable undrafted players

These players were not selected in the 1948 draft but played at least one game in the BAA/NBA.
| Player | Pos. | Nationality | School/club team |
| Don Asmonga | G | United States | Alliance (So.) |
| Jake Bornheimer | PF/C | United States | Muhlenberg (So.) |
| Bob Brannum | PF/C | United States | Michigan State (Jr.) |
| Jim Browne | C | United States | Tilden Tech (Illinois) (HS Sr.) |
| Joe Colone | SF | United States | Bloomsburg State (Sr.) |
| Jack Cotton | PF/C | United States | Wyoming (Sr.) |
| Dillard Crocker | SG/SF | United States | Western Michigan (Fr.) |
| Ray Ellefson | PF/C | United States | Oklahoma A&M (Sr.) |
| Jack Eskridge | PF/C | United States | Kansas (Jr.) |
| Phil Farbman | PG | United States | CCNY (Sr.) |
| Donnie Forman | PG | United States | NYU (Sr.) |
| Joe Graboski | PF/C | United States | Tuley (Illinois) (HS Sr.) |
| John Hazen | PG | United States | Indiana State (So.) |
| Gene James | SF/PF | United States | Marshall (Jr.) |
| Neil Johnston | C | United States | Ohio State (So.) |
| Lionel Malamed | PG | United States | CCNY (Sr.) |
| Jack McCloskey | PG | United States | Penn (Sr.) |
| Bill Miller | SG/SF | United States | North Carolina (So.) |
| Dave Minor | G | United States | UCLA (Jr.) |
| Dermie O'Connell | PG | United States | Holy Cross (So.) |
| Fred Paine | SF | United States | Westminster (Pennsylvania) (Sr.) |
| Jim Spruill | SG | United States | Rice (Sr.) |