Danny Wolf, former Yalie, selected No. 27 in NBA Draft by Brooklyn Nets
Wolf, who played two seasons at Yale, becomes the first Yale basketball player drafted in the first round since 1949.
Ben Raab, Contributing Photographer
BROOKLYN, NY – Former Yale forward Danny Wolf made history Wednesday night, becoming the first former Yalie to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft since 1949.
Wolf was selected 27th overall by the Nets, the next stop in a basketball journey that’s taken him from Glencoe to New Haven to Ann Arbor — and now, to Brooklyn.
“Danny’s someone who always had extreme confidence in himself,” Yale head coach James Jones told the News on Wednesday before the draft. “For him to fulfill the dream he’s had his whole life of becoming an NBA player — it’s just awesome.”
Wolf isn’t a typical first-rounder. He arrived at Yale in 2022 as a relatively unknown prospect with minimal interest from larger programs. As a first-year, he averaged 2.6 points per game, but a massive sophomore-year leap elevated Wolf to one of the Ivy League’s top big men.
After helping to lead Yale to a historic March Madness upset over Auburn, he transferred to the University of Michigan for his junior season, where he thrived against Big Ten competition and solidified his prospect as an NBA talent.
At 7 feet tall, Wolf can shoot, pass and handle the ball with unusual fluidity for a player of his size. For the Nets, Wolf brings much-needed playmaking to a team that finished 32–50 last season and needs talent across the board. He’ll form a promising pick-and-roll duo with star guard and leading scorer Cam Thomas.
The only other Eli to be drafted in the first round is Tony Lavelli ’49, selected fourth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1949 — back when the league was still called the Basketball Association of America and consisted of eight total rounds rather than two. More recently, Yale’s Miye Oni ’20 was selected 58th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz.
As a sophomore for Yale, Wolf averaged 14.1 points and a league-best 9.7 rebounds per game while also ranking second on the team in assists. The standout season earned him All-Ivy First Team honors. It also helped lead the team to the round of 64 in the NCAA March Madness tournament for the second time in Yale history, defeating the Auburn Tigers in a historic upset and solidifying the Yale name as a real NCAA competitor.
Transferring to the University of Michigan for his junior year, Wolf continued building a name for himself in the college basketball world.
At Michigan, Wolf averaged 13.2 points, a Big Ten-leading 9.7 rebounds per game, along with 3.6 assists and 1.4 blocks, all while starting in every one of the 37 games he played. His 49.7 field-goal and 33.6 three-point shooting percentages, as well as his 15 double-doubles, underscored his growing polish on the court. His efforts earned him All-Big Ten Second Team honors, selections for the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA South Regional teams, and made him a finalist for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year award.
Wolf’s Yale teammates remember him fondly.
“It’s been a joy to see his years of hard work begin to come to fruition,” 2024-25 season captain Teo Rice ’25 told the News in April. “Not many people who spend time in the Ivy League become first-round draft picks, so our whole community will continue to cheer Danny on in his first year in the NBA.”
Jones also told the News that Wolf will be added to Yale’s “Wall of Fame” inside Payne Whitney Gymnasium. The wall celebrates the most decorated basketball players in Yale history, including former NBA players like Oni and Chris Dudley ’87.