With the NBA draft right around the corner, it’s time to start evaluating which NCAA stars will be impact players at the pro level. Unfortunately, college success isn’t always a good predictor of future success in the NBA. After all, there is a long list of NCAA superstars who couldn’t hack it in the pros. To prove our point, we selected 13 college basketball studs who completely flopped in the NBA. There are two qualifications…
Players must have played at least two seasons of college ball (so no Tyrus Thomas or Marvin Williams). We also excluded players who suffered career ending injuries (so you won’t see Greg Oden or Jay Williams on this list). Without further delay, we gladly present, 13 College Stars Who Were Complete Busts in The NBA. Click Next to get started!
Tom says
They should have put Joe Barry Carroll on the list. The Warriors traded Robert Parish and their #1 pick (Kevin McHale) for the rights to Carroll.
Parish and McHale joined Larry Bird to produce three NBA titles for the Celtics – the first one in Parish’s first season in Boston.
Carroll? He had all the passion for basketball that you’d expect a five year old to have for broccoli. Great players might look intense like Michael Jordan or joyful like Magic Johnson or Steph Curry. Joe Barry Carroll showed all the joy of a man doing his income taxes or sitting through a boring lecture – and played like it. You’d get the feeling he only played basketball because he was seven feet tall.
Steven Lund says
Please stop putting Adam Morrison’s picture on the title of this article. He blew out his knee and was never the same. he never got a chance to play much when he was with the Lakers. Can’t someone else be the poster boy for NBA disappointments?
Tom says
So Thomas Robinson was drafted 5th in the 2012 draft.
Consider two players taken after Robinson.
Harrison Barnes was the 7th pick, taken by the Golden State Warriors. He picked up a ring in 2015 and played in the Finals in 2016 before turning free agent ($94 million from Dallas).
Draymond Green was a 2nd round pick in 2012. 2nd round picks often don’t even make the team. Green is by consensus the best defensive player in the NBA and the Warriors’ resident enforcer.
James Davis says
“Green is by consensus the best defensive player in the NBA”
No,he’s not. Certainly one of the best, but the consensus is Kahwi Leonard. Look it up. Arguments can also be made for Deandre Jordan.
But in terms of what the NBA pays, Green is worth every penny and more.
Tom says
We’ll see when the votes are turned in. Green was runner-up the past two seasons.
jaharthur says
Tyler Hansbrough.
John Hardy says
Psycho T. Would of loved it if he had stayed in Missouri and been a Tiger. I think he would’ve if he’d known he’d be such a dud in the league.
Gimlet Eye says
Miles Simon at #2? He was a second round pick, so it’s not as if his career was an unexpected disappointment.
timothy flanigan says
mccants was his own enemy. he was uncoachable. he might have been the biggest head case in carolina history.
joepiccaso says
The most common thread in this article is that most of these players are from big time college basketball programs. I think what you see here is all of the hype that surrounds them more than their “Pro” abilities. What I did see in at least two of my Tar Heel players was Head-cases. Joseph Forte and Rashad McCants were trouble from day one. Both had more skill and potential than they would knew and wouldn’t let it develop and learn. Both probably would have been descent Pros had they not thought so highly of them selves. Both were embarrassments to the school and program. Roy had to talk Rashad in staying when he came aboard, because Rashad didn’t want to be coached. I wish Roy had let him walk. I always did. I never enjoyed watching him play for UNC. Sean May was a good kid, but again, someone constantly had to be on his case to play hard and do what he needed to be the best he could. Sean may have been the biggest waste of all of these guys. He of all of the UNC players could have done better. I think Tyler Hansbrough did well and maybe even more than many expected. he was a great college player, but he was never going to be the great Pro player. He could be a bench player for years. beats the alternative of not playing. Mostly people that didn’t like him or UNC thought he fell short, but the reality is he’s probably exceeded most pro teams expectations. It’s just a different game form the college game!
Geoff Godley says
Anthony Bennett anyone?
Jay V Of Considerable Influenc says
If you had bothered to read the article, you would have seen that they were only including players who played at least two years in college.
Spike Oui says
You kind of a dumbass ain’tcha Jay
Jay V Of Considerable Influenc says
Oh? There was something incorrect about my comment? Nope.
James Davis says
Kaint yew speke anglish?
bb91103 says
This is why I can’t ever take the March Madness hype seriously. It’s like watching a JV/Freshman tournament.
Joseph Zillmer says
My beloved Louisville Cardinals and Pervis Ellison…
Jay V Of Considerable Influenc says
Looks like they were trying to stay more current than that, but he’s a good example. A better example from Louisville would be Terrence Williams, who was fantastic in college, but horrible in the NBA.
Cliff says
I hate to bring up players from my Alma Mater, but what about Shawn Bradley?
James Davis says
The Benoit Benjamin of Mormons?
Tom says
By the way, where is Benoit Benjamin?
That was a guy who had all the tools and none of the desire.
Remember when the Lakers picked him up after Kareem retired and Benjamin lasted about 15 minutes on the Lakers? They couldn’t stand his lack of work ethic and passion for the game.
Tom says
When you draft a guy just because he’s tall, that happens. As I recall, Bradley had the mobility of the Statue of Liberty!
michael says
Rush has been playing well this year, I would leave him off and perhaps put in Salim Stoudamire, a superb shooter at Arizona who went belly up in the pros.
Cherie says
Jonny Flynn had a devastating hip injury requiring surgery. He had been playing with it but finally got it operated on in 2010. He was never the same post injury – his game was speed and his carrier was destroyed by Injury.
Cedarcity1 . says
his game was speed and his carrier was destroyed by Injury.
Did you commit a written Freudian slip? Jonny played his college ball in the Carrier Dome.
Vince says
Still early to put Brandon Rush on here; his issues have been injuries and being buried on a stacked Warriors team (for whom he’s finally began contributing for this season).
George Blair says
Where’s tyler handsbrough?
Weaver says
No love for “Psycho-T”? Lol. I hear ya.
Evan says
Hansbrough’s been a better pro than everyone on this list except for maybe Brandon Rush, who also shouldn’t be on here.
bb91103 says
Psycho T did okay with the Indiana Pacers for a few season right?
joepiccaso says
See, that’s the problem with this article. I was surprised he was actually drafted, and I’m a huge UNC fan. I felt he had the size and work ethic to play some, maybe even for a number of years, but never as an impact player. Many very good college players’ skills don’t translate well into the Pros. It’s a different game.
Dave4321 says
Funny that the link I clicked to get to this article had his picture.
honestlyrich says
Agreed. Rush once led the league in 3P% and is a decent perimeter defender. Bad call here.
John says
Brandon Rush should not be on that list. He had a horrible injury and has never been the same. He was a good player in the NBA before that injury.
honestlyrich says
Agreed. Rush once led the league in 3P% and is a decent perimeter defender. And he is still in the league unlike the rest of these busts.
Evan says
Not just in the league, but getting 17 minutes per game for arguably the best team of all time.
honestlyrich says
How do we get the author of this post to fix this? It makes this entire article lose integrity. This is really makes no sense to have him on this list.
SportsDrop says
Appreciate the feedback.
Rush has definitely put together a better pro career than some others on this list, but the Warriors championship is hardly a validation of his NBA career. After all, the Warriors played 21 games in the playoffs last year, and Rush played a total of 7 minutes (less than 1 minute per game). That’s hardly an accomplishment for a guy who was one of the best college players in the nation and was drafted in the lottery. His increase in playing time is a result of injuries to Barnes/Iggy.
And as far as his time with the Pacers, he averaged less than 10 ppg for a team that never won 40 games in any of his 3 seasons there (not saying that’s his fault).
Who do you think would have been a better fit instead of Rush?
Bobby says
Agreed. Derrick Rose was as much of a cheerleader as Rush was.
Vince says
I agree that Rush shouldn’t be on here, but to compare him to Rose.. one of those guys won an MVP award before his injury so…
Tom says
Rush wasn’t integral to the Warriors’ success but he was a good solid bench player.
George says
Terrible
Todd Koerner says
Michael Graham of Georgetown?