Image via Complex Original
This time of year always makes us nostalgic for college hoops greats. You know what we really miss? Star players who stick around for four years. While not every player on this list fits that mold, they were all players who at one point or another became legends on their respective campuses. Life was good.
But the real world is tough. Ask those who just got their diplomas about the post-grad life and nearly all of them would rather retreat to the protective university womb that shields them from daily soul crushings. Even these big men on campus were eventually humbled by a league that shits out players quicker than a diner at Taco Bell. There are hundreds of big-time college ballers who never logged a single minute in the league: From Gerry McNamara to Scottie Reynolds to Jon Scheyer. Lesson learned: The NBA is fucking hard.
Here are 25 March Madness Heroes Who Were Busts in the NBA.
Shawn Respert
College: Michigan State
College stats: 21.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.2 SPG
NBA stats: 172 G, 4.9 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 1.0 APG
You know you've become irrelevant when it's become extremely difficult to find a Google image of yourself. But that's the (somewhat) sad reality for the 1994-95 Big Ten Player of the Year, Shawn Respert.
After becoming a consensus All-American, Respert was taken 8th overall by Portland in the '95 Draft before being dealt to an excited Milwaukee Bucks franchise. That excitement lasted less than two years as he was quickly shipped up north to Toronto. After scoring over 2,500 points in his NCAA career, Respert finished his NBA stint with 851, total.
While some may look at Respert as just another NBA bust, we will offer that he had a decent pretty damn good excuse for his professional drop-off. Respert was suffering from stomach cramps, as well as a lump, as early as his rookie season. While telling nobody but his coaches, training staff, and backcourt mate Eric Snow, Respert underwent treatment for stomach cancer. His reason for keeping it secret from the public? "People don't want to hear excuses in pro sports, even if the excuse is cancer." Call radio can be brutal and the Milwaukee faithful apparently didn't want to be bothered about this "wussy cancer bullshit."
Shelden Williams
College: Duke
College stats: 13.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 0.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 3.0 BPG
NBA stats: 361 G, 4.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG
The High School All-American sought out to do what a lot of High School All-Americans do: Play for Coach K in Durham. While there he set school records for all-time shots blocked and all-time rebounds. He put an exclamation point on his amateur career by becoming a first team All-American and setting the Duke single-season record for boards. He was taken by the Atlanta Hawks with the fifth overall pick a few months later.
The next level was tough as Williams lived the life of a below average journeyman, bouncing to seven different teams over six seasons before washing ashore in Europe, playing a season in France and then flipping to another continent. Currently he's playing in the Chinese Basketball Association, where we'd look up his stats but to be honest we don't care.
Jacque Vaughn
College: Kansas
College stats: 9.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.3 SPG
NBA stats: 776G, 4.5 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 2.5 APG
To you kids out there (and the large chunk of our audience who pretend to be kids on the Internet) the current Magic coach was once a big f'in deal as an actual player. His assist record (13) in the McDonald's All-American game is still active. And after being ranked the #2 high school point guard in the country he took his talents to Lawrence where he became a two-time All-American as a Jayhawk.
Unlike a lot of players on this list, Vaughn lasted in the league for awhile. When he finally decided to file the retirement papers he had a dozen years of NBA service time and $11+ million in the bank to prove it. But the NBA can be a cruel reality to a college stud, and while Vaughn was setting college records worthy of pride (like the all-time assist record in the Big Eight) his pro records were more worthy of ridicule (like the most consecutive missed field goals to start an NBA season in 2001-02).
Dan Dickau
College: Gonzaga
College stats: 13.3 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.7 APG
NBA stats: 300G, 5.8 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 2.5 APG
By now we all know that every year around this time you'd be wise to take Gonzaga deep into your bracket. Guys like Dan Dickau were essential to building that reputation. After transferring in-state to Gonzaga from Washington, Dickau led the 12-seeded Bulldogs to the 2001 Sweet 16. As a senior he had a disappointing first round exit. Still, that year he was a Consensus All-American and the WCC Player of the Year. That made him good enough to be taken in the first round by the Sacramento Kings. Of course he never actually played for them.
That's because his biggest (pro) claim to fame was being traded eight times in six years. Eight fuckin' times (including trades for Nick Van Exel, Rasheed Wallace and Zach Randolph). He was traded four times alone in 2004. In 2009, he opted to play in Germany, before suffering a year in the D-League where he ended his misery with the NBA equivalent of suicide. The players call it retirement.
Salim Stoudamire
College: Arizona
College stats: 15.2 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 2.0 APG
NBA stats: 157 G, 8.0 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 1.0 APG
Barely eking out former Arizona big man Loren Woods is his fellow Wildcat, 2005 All-American, Salim Stoudamire. Over his four year career (back when stars still did that) Stoudamire sank 342 three-pointers and led the NCAA in percentage from downtown (.504) as a senior. He was selected early in the second round by the Atlanta Hawks where he started one game over three seasons. He then got cut in consecutive preseasons by the Spurs and Bucks, respectively. He eventually ended up in Idaho, where careers go to die.
Sean May
College: North Carolina
College stats: 15.8 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.2 BPG
NBA stats: 119 G, 6.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.0 APG
Remember when Sean May single-handedly beat Illinois in the 2005 title game to cap a tournament where he was named Most Outstanding Player? Well, he did.
After that he left early where he was taken as a lottery pick by the Bobcats. It was in Charlotte where May learned the pressures of NBA life, needing micro fracture surgery on his knee less than two months into his rookie campaign. After that he experienced conditioning problems and was placed on the inactive list by Larry Brown because he was "unfit to play."
That's how sports work. When you dominate in the paint, like he did in Chapel Hill, you're a "load." When you look weak and tired you're just "fat." After that he posted some serious travel miles by playing in Turkey, Croatia, and Italy. He's now currently in Paris where nobody calls him fatass, although they might call him "lipides ass." Sorry, our French is only as good as our online translator.
Wayne Simien
College: Kansas
College stats: 15.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 0.9 APG
NBA stats: 51 G, 3.3 PPG, 1.9 RPG
Simien committed to Kansas and Roy Williams as early as the 8th grade. He then got a very valuable lesson in how college sports work when Williams bolted to Chapel Hill to replace Matt Doherty as UNC's new coach. In Kansas, Simien still flourished by becoming a third team All American his first year without Roy, and a Consensus All-American the next season. After that he was taken in the first round by the Miami Heat.
Though he lasted just two seasons in South Beach, Simien did get a ring despite playing just seven minutes in the 2005-06 Playoffs (he went 0-3 FG's, with one rebound and one turnover). He couldn't compete in the 2006 Summer League due to getting salmonella and played just eight games the following year. After one year in Spain he retired, at 26 to pursue the only life cushier than that of an NBA star: minister.
Acie Law
College: Texas A&M
College stats: 13.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.3 SPG
NBA stats: 188G, 3.9 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 1.6 APG
The first step to being a "hero," (in the sporting sense, of course) is being given a nickname. That shows you're becoming a fan favorite. Acie Law was christened with the title "Captain Clutch" for his ability to take over games late. His most memorable moment was nailing "The Shot," to beat Texas as a junior. The next year he was a first team All-American and won both the Bob Cousy Award (best collegiate point guard) as well as the Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award. That was good enough to get him drafted 11th overall by the Atlanta Hawks, who seem to be making a habit of choosing players on this list.
Law started eight games as a pro, made less than a quarter of his three-point attempts, and was traded three times in two years. Like a lot of players on this list, he took his talents across the Atlantic where he displayed them for fans in Serbia and (currently) in Greece. While his career isn't officially over, we're pretty sure Steve Blake (who we know is reading because he Googles his name everyday) isn't nervous about Law making up the ground necessary to get off of this list.
Luke Harangody
College: Notre Dame
College stats: 19.2 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 1.6 APG
NBA stats: 70 G, 3.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG
As a sophomore Luke Harangody took home the honor of Big East Player of the Year. It was also the first of three consecutive seasons he spent as an All-American. He ended his days in South Bend with more than 1200 rebounds and just under 2500 points. To put it in technical terms: He was a big fuckin' beast.
Harangody was good enough to be taken by the Celtics late in the second round of the 2010 Draft. Boston's brass didn't even give him a full season before trading him to the A.L. (after LeBron) Cavs, a fate worse that getting your peehole pecked by crows. He started one game for them in a year and a half before (wait for it) using his visa and playing in Russia where he's currently No. 2 on the depth chart behind former North Charleston Lowgator Chuck Eidson. We really should've just named this list: NBA Busts Who Played Overseas.
Casey Jacobsen
College: Stanford
College stats: 18.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.7 APG
NBA stats: 53G, 5.2 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 1.1 APG
Casey Jacobsen was a first team All-American as a Sophomore and a second teamer as a Junior. Like many Stanford undergrads he said "fuck it," to his education and turned pro early, being drafted by the Suns with the 22nd overall pick. Since he's on this list you already know it didn't work out, at least not in America. Jacobsen did get on the floor often, mainly to shoot threes, and he actually did so somewhat effectively, connecting at a .352 rate.
After spending two years playing foreign ball he made one last (unsuccessful) attempt at a career in the NBA. He spent the 2007-08 season with the Grizzlies before returning to Europe where he won his second German League Finals MVP. Currently he's playing for Brose and if you don't know where that is you're stupid. Haha.
No, just kidding. We actually have no idea either.
Stromile Swift
College: LSU
College stats: 13.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 2.6 BPG
NBA Stats: 547 G, 8.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.2 BPG
This is where we start a new trend, that of All-Americans from the 1999-2000 season making this list. Is it fair to call Stromile Swift a bust? Yes.
He had one spectacular season in the Bayou before leaving with two years of eligibility left. After leaving for the money (which we sure as shit would've done as well) Swift was taken No. 2 overall in a draft that doesn't look so great in retrospect. Swift was average at best and eventually washed out of the league at 29 to go play in China.
Dee Brown
College: Illinois
College stats: 13.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.7 SPG
NBA stats: 608 G, 2.1 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 1.8 APG
Brown, one of the most exciting players in college basketball, was a two-time All-American before being taken in the second round of the 2006 Draft by the Utah Jazz. He had the accolades to stack up against most any college player (2005 Big Ten Player of the Year, 2005 Sporting News College Player of the Year, 2006 Cousy Award, 2006 Naismith Award) but it didn't take long to figure that that meant precisely dick in the NBA. Dee played nine minutes a game as a rookie, missed the 2007-08 season while playing in Turkey and then came back home for one final season split between Phoenix and Washington.
Since then he's been a regular Carmen Sandiego with only the greatest geography wizzes (meaning fifth grade and up) able to keep up with his multi-continent career. First it was Israel, then Italy, China, Puerto Rico, back to Italy, back to Turkey and currently in Latvia (which we always thought was a fictional country ruled by Doctor Doom). He's a long way removed from his days in Champaign. But any day you're getting paid to play basketball beats the hell out of filling out brackets with your dumb co-workers in a cubicle. Even if that payment comes in Euros.
LaRue Martin
College: Loyola Chicago
College stats: N/A
NBA stats: 271 G, 5.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG
The only guy on this list we couldn't find college stats for (because apparently nobody in the early '70s gave a shit) became the first overall pick by the Trail Blazers in the 1972 Draft. His most famous collegiate game saw him outplaying one of the greatest college players of all-time (which is to say nothing of his pro career) Bill Walton. UCLA still went on to win the title that year (1972) but his performance clearly made a lasting impression. By "lasting" we mean two years, as that's as long as it took before the Blazers drafted his replacement, Bill Walton. Oh man...that sucks.
After four lackluster seasons, LaRue hung it up and finished his career with similarity scores comparable to Joel Pryzbilla. Still a lesson was learned by Portland, after drafting Martin ahead of future Hall of Famers Bob McAdoo and Julius Erving, the organization vowed to never make a similar mistake when gifted with a top draft pick. And they never did.
Keith Lee
College: Memphis State
College stats: 18.8 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 2.5 BPG
NBA stats: 187 G, 6.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.0 APG
A three time All-American in the mid-'80s out of Memphis State, Keith Lee had the credentials to pair with previous Bulls first-rounder Michael Jeffrey something to make Chicago a formidable contender. But minutes after he was drafted he was traded to the Cavaliers where he played two seasons before badly injuring his leg and finishing up (at age 26) with the Nets.
The drill for non-NBA worthy players was different in the early '90s. Instead of going straight to Europe he played for three different teams in the now-defunct USBL as well as stints in China and Argentina. At that point a newly pubescent Blake, hungry for motivation, dug up a fresh corpse from the local graveyard and stapled Keith Lee's image to it's face. He then put it under his bed and slept on top of it for two years.
Bo Kimble
College: Loyola Marymount
College stats: 22.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.8 SPG
NBA stats: 105 G, 5.5 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 0.9 APG
It's not everyday that the students of Loyola Marymount get invited to the "big dance." In fact, they've gone just five times, three of them from 1988-90 when Bo Kimble (and Hank Gathers) were leading their charge. In 1990, as a senior, Kimble led the NCAA in scoring (35.3 PPG) and was named an All-American as well as the WCC Player of the Year. After getting beat by UNLV in the Elite Eight (131-101) Kimble was on his way to test himself at the world's highest level.
The Clippers took him with the 8th overall pick. He played two seasons in L.A. ("played" being a relative term as he rarely saw the floor) and then got traded cross-country to the Knicks. After 55 minutes (over 9 games) on the actual hardwood, New York had seen enough and released him at the end of the 92-93 season. He never sniffed the NBA again and finished getting money for basketball after four seasons in the CBA.
Bobby Hurley
College: Duke
College stats: 12.4 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 7.7 APG, 1.5 SPG
NBA stats: 269 G, 3.8 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 3.3 APG
The second of three Blue Satans on this list, Bobby Hurley made a name for himself by running the point for a Duke dynasty that made three consecutive Final Four appearances and won back-to-back national titles. The former first team All-American didn't have quite the NBA success of his brethren Christian Laettner and Grant Hill. But at least he had a reason.
Drafted by the Sacramento Kings with the seventh overall pick in 1993, Hurley got off to a reasonable start in his first 19 games (7.1 PPG, 6.1 APG). But, following a rookie season matchup, Hurley was driving home when his vehicle was hit by a house painting truck. Not wearing a seat belt, Hurley was thrown through the windshield and almost died.
After that he was never quite the same player. As a rookie he logged over 26 MPG. After the accident he never averaged more than 16.3 in a season. His numbers were essentially cut in half and he exited the league, never playing again, at 26.
If you haven't figured it out by now, this list is basically our really long way of telling you to wear your seat belt.
Hasheem Thabeet
College: UConn
College stats: 10.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 4.2 BPG
NBA Stats: 217 G, 2.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG
Is 26 too early to give up on somebody? No. We gave up on this 2009 All-American (and two-time Defensive Player of the Year) well before that.
After a tough rookie season that saw a broken jaw and demotion to the D-League, second overall pick Thabeet was traded (in less than two seasons) to Houston for Shane Battier. In two seasons with the Rockets, Thabeet played in seven games before packing his bags and moving to Portland. After that experiment, Thabeet signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder where he's had "success." And by that we mean he recorded a (meaning one) double-double (13 and 10).
Steve Alford
College: Indiana
College stats: 19.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.4 SPG
NBA stats: 169 G, 4.4 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 1.0 APG
This two-time All-American famously led the nation in getting screamed at by Bobby Knight. Which is saying something, because that guy's not easy to piss off. A terrific shooter, Alford solidified status as Bloomington legend by leading the Hoosiers in their 1987 national title run.
Then the NBA came and Alford realized he wasn't in Kansas anymore (fuck, should've used that for a Jayhawk). He went from the BMOC to a benchwarmer in Dallas. Within a year he was keeping his ass glued to Golden State's bench. After that he re-signed with the Mavs where he never once started, averaged seven minutes a game, and found himself in early retirement. By 26, he was a head coach for D3 Manchester. By 31, a D1 coach. Now you can spot him on the sidelines for UCLA.
Morale: If you fail as a player, It pays to get an early start on your coaching career.
Chris Washburn
College: North Carolina State
College stats: 16.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 0.9 SPG, 0.9 BPG
NBA stats: 72 G, 3.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG
With an SAT just below 500, Washburn was arguably one of the smartest people ever admitted into North Carolina State. The fact that he was intellectually superior to his peers didn't hold him back, Washburn's college stats only suffered because he bailed after his sophomore year. In an era where early exit for the draft was uncommon, the move speaks to his alleged talent—which reached its pinnacle during a 26 point performance during a Wolfpack upset of no. 1 ranked UNC.
Word on Washburn was that he was bitten by the lazy bug (as the perfectly timed picture above illustrates). Knowing that didn't stop the Warriors from taking him third overall in 1986. He developed a kidney ailment in his rookie season and was admitted into rehab after stating he had a cocaine addiction. After three drug-related strikes, Washburn was banned from the NBA.
Jay Williams
College: Duke
College stats: 19.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.0 APG, 2.2 SPG
NBA stats: 75 G, 9.5 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.1 SPG
Jay Williams' college resume is as distinguished as any player on this list. Just a quick recap to highlight the...highlights: two-time Player of the Year, 2002 Naismith Award, 2002 Oscar Robertson Award, 2002 Wooden Award, Adolph Rupp Trophy, two-time first team All-American. Oh, and he led Duke to the 2001 title. All that seemed to justify some pretty massive hype.
After a fairly promising rookie year, Williams banged into a streetlight on Chicago's North Side. He was not wearing a helmet. But even if he was he still severed a nerve in his leg, dislocated three ligaments in his knee (including his ACL) and fractured his pelvis. To paraphrase doctors, he "Fucked himself up. Badly." Seeing minutes on the United Center hardwood became a pipe dream.
He tried his best to comeback, first with the Nets and then with the Heat. When he was too injured to play in the D-League it was time to call it a "way too short" career. The only upside for Bulls fans is that they would eventually end up with D-Rose, a point guard who's never had problems with injury.
Marcus Fizer
College: Iowa State
College stats: 18.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.9 BPG
NBA stats: 289 G, 9.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.2 APG
Another early-aughts Bull who failed to resuscitate the franchise post-Jordan. Fizer came out of Iowa State after making the 2000 All-American team. The Bulls were tumescent and selected him with the fourth overall pick.
Fizer is one of the more successful NBA players on this list (which admittedly isn't saying much) and was actually was named to the 2nd-team All-Rookie squad. He peaked in his second season with 12.3 PPG and 5.6 RPG for a Bulls team that finished 21-61. His numbers then declined sharply, and he started only two more games over his final four NBA seasons. Like many on this list, his top-flight career didn't even come close to his 30th birthday.
But, there is a silver lining. In 2006, Fizer was named MVP of the D-League. The ultimate dream of all young ballers. And you can still watch him live, assuming you live in Venezuela.
Mateen Cleaves
College: Michigan State
College stats: 12.5 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.6 SPG
NBA stats: 167 G, 3.6 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 1.9 APG
Remember Mateen Cleaves? We're going to assume you said "Uh, kind of." The last time East Lansing hoisted a title, Mateen Cleaves did the heavy lifting. When he left the Spartans he was an NCAA champ and a three-time All-American. Detroit then drafted the in-state hero with the 14th overall pick.
He played one season with the Pistons, started eight games and then was traded to Sacramento where he played a little over 200 minutes over the course of two seasons. After six seasons (and ten career starts) Cleaves pulled a Snowden and fled to Russia (or did Snowden pull a Cleaves?) Either way he now breaks down games on CBS in between his busy schedule as a music talent manager.
Ed O'Bannon
College: UCLA
College stats: 15.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.2 SPG
NBA stats: 128 G, 5.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG
Ed O'Bannon capped his career at UCLA by winning a title and claiming the 1995 Wooden Award. Both acts committed in tandem once and for all exorcised the ghost of John Wooden, even though he wasn't dead yet. The New Jersey Nets bit the college-hero bait, snatching O'Bannon with the ninth overall pick in the draft.
While initially impressed, the Nets soon soured on their first-rounder. He was too skinny to bang in the paint, and his knees (which were breaking down) made him a liability as a perimeter defender. A little over halfway through his sophomore season, O'Bannon was sent to Dallas where he played out the string of his final season (at 24 years old). He refused to blame injuries, instead stating that his confidence was shattered. For the next seven years, O'Bannon played in Europe and officially called it quits at 32, after having arthroscopic knee surgery.
Adam Morrison
College: Gonzaga
College stats: 19.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.0 APG
NBA stats: 161 G, 7.5 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.4 APG,
After being named an All-American, and splitting the co-Player of the Year Award with J.J. Redick, Gonzaga hero Adam Morrison hit the jackpot by wowing MJ and signing, after being selected third overall in 2006 NBA Draft, a two-year deal with the Bobcats worth $7.5 million.
After a tough rookie year, in which he proved himself a bad defender and poor shooter (ultimately playing his way out of the starting lineup), Morrison injured his leg a week before season two. He missed the whole year with a torn ACL. During year three he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers where he piggybacked his way to two titles.
Greg Oden
College: Ohio State
College stats: 15.7 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 3.3 BPG
NBA stats: 101 G, 8.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.2 BPG
Greg Oden's single season in Columbus was just a formality to get him into the league. With Kevin Durant, he was one of the first freshman chosen as an Associated Press All-America Team. Oden led the Buckeyes to the NCAA Championship, falling to Florida, and ended his amateur career as the top pick in the 2007 NBA draft. Then he pulled a Robin Williams from Jack move. Oden's star lasted less than one year week. That's all it took. Oden missed four entire seasons and has played in just 101 games (and started 63) since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2007 and averaged 19.6 MPG for his career. Thankfully, nobody in Portland beats themselves up because it's not like Durant was taken immediately afterward.