With March Madness upon us, it’s worth looking into how some of the greatest NBA players today first showcased their talent at the collegiate level. Although the NBA has seen a lot of international prospects as of late, the NCAA remains to be the biggest hotbed of NBA prospects. While some NBA players make the most out of the years of college eligibility, a handful only need a few to prove they’re NBA-ready. For this piece, let’s take a look at the greatest one-and-done prospects in the NBA.
10. Andrew Wiggins
At the high school level, Andrew Wiggins was already a mesmerizing prospect who was named Mr. Basketball USA. His skills translated well into NCAA basketball by averaging 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game for Kansas. After a respectable college career, Wiggins was selected with the first overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers before getting traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Wiggins made his presence felt in the NBA by taking Rookie of the Year honors. Although he had some uneventful years in the NBA, Wiggins redeemed himself after a move to Golden State, where he helped the Warriors win an NBA championship and earned his first All-Star selection.
9. Carmelo Anthony
While he was a phenom in high school, Carmelo Anthony extended his dominance into the college ranks. Averaging 22.2 points and 10.0 rebounds per outing, Melo helped Syracuse win the NCAA basketball championship and was the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player despite only being a freshman. The Syracuse star would go on to take his talents to the NBA, where he dominated in scoring and became a 10 time All-Star.
8. Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid only played one season at Kansas. However, it was enough to make his presence felt. Embiid averaged 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. Making his mark on defense, Embiid would make the Second-Team All-Big 12, Big 12 Defensive Team, and Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. He was also awarded the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. After his lone NCAA basketball season, Embiid would get drafted into the NBA by the Philadelphia 76ers with the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Since then, Embiid has gone on to become a six time NBA All-Star while being a fixture in the MVP race.
7. Kevin Love
Ever since his college days at UCLA, Kevin Love was already a double-double machine, averaging 17.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. As we all know, Love was a consensus First-Team All-American and was named Pac-10 Player of the Year. After making the jump to the NBA, Love became the first player in 28 years to tally a 30-30 double-double game. He eventually helped the Cavaliers secure the franchise’s first NBA championship after climbing out of a 1-3 series deficit against the heavily favored 73-9 Golden State Warriors.
6. Karl-Anthony Towns
For a big man, Karl-Anthony Towns was quite versatile for his size. He showed us a glimpse of his potential at Kentucky, where he averaged 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game en route to becoming a consensus Second-Team All-American and SEC Freshman of the Year. Towns would be selected with the first overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves at the 2015 NBA Draft. Since then, he has garnered a Rookie of the Year Award, three All-Star appearances and two All-NBA team selections.
5. Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh would become one of the greatest stretch forwards in the NBA. He starred for the Toronto Raptors before the 11 time All-Star went on to win two NBA championships with the Miami Heat. But back in college, Bosh was already showing signs of NBA success. Bosh averaged 15.6 points and 9.0 rebounds per outing while shooting 58% from the field and 48% from rainbow country to become ACC Rookie of the Year.
4. Derrick Rose
While Derrick Rose’s NCAA basketball career in Memphis was marred with controversy, he averaged 14.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game and was named a Third-Team All-American while leading Memphis to a 38-2 overall record. While Rose’s NBA career was hampered by injuries, no one can take away the fact that Rose is the youngest MVP in NBA history. Furthermore, Rose has carved out a successful career as a sixth man in the NBA.
3. Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving only played 11 games in NCAA basketball. Nevertheless, The Duke Blue Devils still went on to post a 32-5 win-loss record. In those 11 games, Irving averaged 17.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. But despite playing only a few games, Irving was easily NBA-ready. Irving is an eight time All-Star and helped the Cavs secure an NBA championship at the expense of the Warriors.
2. Anthony Davis
Despite only playing one season for Kentucky, Anthony Davis already accomplished a whole lot at the collegiate level. AD averaged 14.2 points and 10.4 boards per outing to help Kentucky secure a commanding 38-2 record. But more importantly, AD also carried the Wildcats to a NCAA basketball championship. AD would go on to become an eight time All-Star in the NBA and helped the Los Angeles Lakers secure a championship. According to FIBA, AD is the first player to be an Olympic gold medalist, NBA champion, and NCAA champion.
1. Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is one of the most unguardable NBA players today. He showed us a glimpse of that in the NCAA after he produced 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game for the Texas Longhorns. The consensus National College Player of the Year would become a 13 time NBA All-Star and become an NBA MVP. But more importantly, KD would win two NBA championships and Finals MVPs.
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