Aaron Craft (Ohio State)
Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
Though he never posted eye-popping stats in any of his four years at Ohio State, Craft was a coach’s dream as a player. A hard-worker on the defensive end and the table setter on offense, Craft was the quintessential tough and rugged collegiate point guard. Craft rarely ever made mistakes, and made opposing perimeter players work for everything. Due to his obvious limitations as a player, Craft never picked up much steam as an NBA prospect. However, he enjoyed a nice run in the G-League with the Santa Cruz Warriors and finished his career in Italy with the Aquila Basket Trento club. Recently, Craft graduated from medical school and matched into an otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose and throat) residency at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Bryce Drew (Valparaiso)
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Few Cinderella stories match up to Valparaiso’s storybook run in the 1998 NCAA Tournament. Bryce’s father — Homer Drew — was Valpo’s coach, and drew up a play to free up his son for a potential game-winning shot against the No. 4 seed Ole Miss. Drew buried a 23-footer as the clock expired to seal the game and finish off one of the most memorable upsets in tourney history. Drew’s Crusaders would fall two games later, but he will not soon be forgotten in Indiana.
Drew would wind up being Valpo’s first-ever first-round draft pick when he was picked 16th overall in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. Drew would go on to have a forgettable seven-year career and has since gone on to become the head coach of his alma mater, as well as Vanderbilt and Grand Canyon.
Salim Stoudamire (Arizona)
Doug Benc/Getty Images
When sharpshooters come to mind, most people would think about Davidson’s Stephen Curry or Duke’s J.J. Redick — Stoudamire was better than both of them. Stoudamire connected on 49-percent of his three-point attempts at Arizona and finished his collegiate career with a ridiculous 64.6 true-shooting percentage — including a 68.9-percent mark in his senior year.
For comparison’s sake, Zion Williamson — who dunked the ball virtually every time he touched it during his lone year at Duke — had a 70.2 true-shooting percentage in 2018. Stoudamire was as accurate of a marksman as the NCAA has ever seen, and it’s puzzling that he didn’t have a lengthy NBA career considering the league’s emphasis on outside shooting.
Russ Smith (Louisville)
Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Smith’s game is best described as ‘controlled chaos’. During his time at Louisville, Smith was one of the game’s fastest players. His speed with the ball was something to behold and made him a difficult matchup for even the nation’s best defenders. Smith broke out as an upperclassman, averaging 18.5 PPG, 3.7 APG, and 3.3 RPG during his final two years with Louisville.
He was a driving force in helping Louisville win its third national title. The following season, Smith was named a consensus All-American and a Wooden Award finalist. Following a brief stint in the G-League, Smith has played the majority of his ball overseas.
Acie Law IV (Texas A&M)
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Over his career, Law became known for his clutch shooting under pressure, exhibited by a 13-of-15 free throw shooting performance in a win over Louisville in the 2007 NCAA tournament. The Aggies would end up making the Sweet 16 in Law’s final year before being ousted by the Memphis Tigers. Law would go on to be selected in the lottery (11th overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft.
Though he was a solid offensive player, Law was a bit of a tweener and never found much success on the defensive end. After 188 career games, his NBA career was over. He most recently played in the EuroLeague where he won back-to-back league titles as a member of Olympiacos in ’13 and ’14.
Christian Laettner (Duke)
Getty Images
If you watched college basketball in the 90s and weren’t a fan of Duke, that meant you hated Christian Laettner. One of the most polarizing figures in college basketball history, Laettner made the Final Four each year he was at Duke and won two titles. The NY native also hit one of the most iconic shots in tournament history in the Elite Eight against Kentucky in 1992.
Laettner was a member of the historic 1992 Olympic ‘Dream Team’ and was selected as the third overall pick in the NBA Draft that same year. Though he wound up making an All-Star squad in ’97, Laettner never blossomed into an elite player at the NBA level.
Mateen Cleaves (Michigan State)
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
Who could forget Cleaves run with Michigan State in the 2000 NCAA Tournament which was capped off with a National Championship for Sparty? A tough and gritty guard from Flint, Cleaves was the prototypical player to lead Michigan State to the Promised Land. Continuing the in-state theme, Cleaves would go on to be drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 2000 NBA Draft.
His NBA career was a complete and utter travesty. Cleaves averaged 3.6 PPG over his career and started in just 10 games over five seasons. Cleaves most recently made headlines for an alleged sexual assault case with a woman in a hotel room, but he was eventually acquitted of all charges.
Dee Brown (Illinois)
Joe Robbins/Getty Images
The Fighting Illini have been struck with some rotten luck over the past decade, but it wasn’t too long ago that Illinois boasted the most electric backcourt in the country. In the early 2000s, Illinois employed a three-headed guard monster which included eventual All-NBA guard Deron Williams, the sharp-shooting Luther Head, and the always entertaining Brown.
Though his teammates may have found more professional success, Brown was truly a sight to behold during his college career. Listed at 6-foot-1 (and that was generous), Brown could finish at the basket as well as anybody in the country. He was fearless and endeared himself to college basketball fans on his way to capturing Big Ten Player of the Year honors in 2005. Currently, Brown is the head coach at Roosevelt University.
Harold Miner (USC)
Collegiate Images/Getty Images
Nicknamed ‘Baby Jordan’, Miner was a tremendous athlete and a highly-touted recruit out of Southern California. Known for his thunderous dunks, the USC product was awarded the Sports Illustrated College Basketball Player of the Year award over names like Christian Laettner and Shaquille O’Neal. After famously losing in the 2nd Round of the NCAA tournament to a buzzer-beater by James Forrest of Georgia Tech, Minor went 12th overall in the 1992 NBA Draft to the Miami Heat. Miner won two Slam Dunk Contests during his playing career but held a career scoring average of just 9.0 PPG. Compared to Michael Jordan’s 30.1 career PPG average, it’s no surprise Miner was considered the ‘baby’ of the two.
Ali Farokhmanesh (Northern Iowa)
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
“Farokhmanesh…a three…GOOD!” — Those words uttered by the great play-by-play commentator Kevin Harlan will forever ring in the ears of March Madness fans for the rest of eternity. Playing for Northern Iowa, Farokhmanesh and the No. 9 seed Panthers upset the top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks thanks to a gutsy three-point shot from the senior guard in the game’s closing minute. Farokhmanesh went undrafted in 2010 but made a nice career for himself overseas. He was named the Dutch Basketball League’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2014.
Rumeal Robinson (Michigan)
Steve Eichner/Getty Images
Robinson was a member of the pre-Fab Five Michigan team that won the National Championship in 1989. Robinson is most well-known for knocking down the game-clinching free throws in the final seconds against Seton Hall. The Atlanta Hawks made Robinson the 10th pick in the 1990 NBA Draft, and the team immediately regretted its decision. Robinson never found any sort of role at the NBA level and was out of the league by 1997.
Robinson ran into several legal issues following his playing career. After making millions as a player, Robinson ruined his credit through a lavish lifestyle. He took out a loan through a lesser-known bank under the illusion that he would use it to build a 25,000-acre resort in his hometown. Robinson instead used the money on jewelry, clothes, and motorcycles and paid none of the loan back. In 2010, he was convicted of fraud, bribery, and conspiracy. Robinson’s sentence included a six-year prison sentence and he was ordered to pay back $1.2 million in restitution.
Ed O’Bannon (UCLA)
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Most younger fans probably know O’Bannon as the reason why NCAA video games weren’t made for over a decade, but the LA native was also a collegiate star in his heyday. Playing for the UCLA Bruins, O’Bannon helped the team capture its 11th and most recent National Championship in 1995. O’Bannon was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player and was selected with the ninth overall pick in the NBA Draft just months later.
His tweener status and injury history forced him out of the league early, as O’Bannon registered just 128 appearances in his NBA career. After his career, O’Bannon moved his family to Nevada and continued to fight the NCAA for their alleged hypocrisy and unwillingness to change — ultimately paving the way for NIL.
U.S. Reed (Arkansas)
Getty Images
Reed is one of the most accomplished players in NCAA Tournament history. He started strong as a freshman playing a complimentary role on the Arkansas team that made the Final Four in ’77 — a team that featured Sidney Moncrief, Ron Brewer and Marvin Delph. Reed — along with Moncrief — would make it to the Elite Eight just two years later but eventually lost to a Larry Bird-led Indiana State team.
In 1981, Reed cemented his legacy by nailing a half-court shot to dethrone the defending champion Louisville Cardinals in the second round. Reed was drafted in the fifth round of the NBA Draft but never played in an NBA game. He has since found work as an assistant coach for Arkansas-Little Rock and as a real estate investor.
Juan Dixon (Maryland)
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
During his run at Maryland, Dixon was a treat to watch. Alongside fellow future NBA player Steve Blake, the Terps were must-see television whenever they stepped on the court. After falling just short in previous years, Dixon led Maryland to its first and only National Championship in 2002. A lethal scorer, Dixon was selected 17th overall in the following NBA Draft landing with the Washington Wizards.
He was never able to replicate the magic he had in college, finishing his career with an underwhelming 8.4 PPG average. After his playing career was over, Dixon joined Mark Turgeon’s staff at Maryland. He was hired as Coppin State’s head coach in 2017 and held the position until March 2023.
Peyton Siva (Louisville)
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Siva was a tough-as-nails point guard who never shied away from the big moment. After serving as a reserve for his freshman season, Siva played and started in all 113 games during his last three years in school. In his final collegiate game, Siva registered 18 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals en route to capturing the 2013 National Championship.
Following his magical tournament run, Siva was selected 56th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft. The 24 games Siva appeared in as a rookie would wind up being the only NBA action he’s received to date. He’s found more luck overseas, where he was named a BBL (German League) All-Star in 2018 and led his team to two BBL Championships (2020, 2021).
Austin Carr (Notre Dame)
Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Carr was a scoring machine at Notre Dame. Over his three-year career, Carr totaled 2,560 points — good for 34.5 per game. His career mark of 50 PPG over his seven career tournament games is a mark unlikely to be broken any time soon. Given his illustrious college career, one would have expected Carr’s elite talent to translate to the pros. His NBA career started strong with three-straight years averaging 20-plus points per game and an All-Star team nod in 1974, but that’s the best it got for Carr. Known as “Mr. Cavalier” by fans of the team, Carr helped lead Cleveland to its first winning season in franchise history.
Marcus Fizer (Iowa State)
Todd Warshaw/Allsport/Getty Images
Nowadays, Fizer’s name is generally only brought up when fans discuss what many believe to be the worst NBA Draft class of all-time. The 2000 NBA Draft only produced three NBA All-Stars, and just one player — 40th overall pick Michael Redd — ever made an All-NBA team. Fizer was selected fourth overall that year by the Chicago Bulls following a masterful collegiate career at Iowa State.
It’s no surprise that the Bulls made Fizer their pick considering they had hired Tim Floyd to be their head coach – Floyd was Fizer’s head coach during his freshman year at Iowa State just three years prior. It turned out to be an unwise decision for all parties involved. A year after being named Big 12 Player of the Year, Fizer endured a rocky rookie season in Chicago. He would go on to play just six seasons in the NBA before jumping overseas and latching on with several teams in Europe. Away from the court, Fizer has done work as a youth minister to give back to his community.
Taylor Coppenrath (Vermont)
John Heller/Getty Images
Though his Vermont teammate T.J. Sorrentine made the biggest shot in the program’s history (a 35-foot dagger against the reigning champion Syracuse Orange in the 2005 tourney), it was Coppenrath who was the star of those memorable Catamount teams. Coppenrath was a four-year star at Vermont, averaging 21.4 PPG in 114 career games and was named the American East Conference Player of the Year three times.
The Catamounts either won the AEC regular season title or tournament title in each season Coppenrath attended. Known for his feathery touch around the rim, Coppenrath signed with a team in Greece after going undrafted. He retired from basketball in 2015 and is now working as a head coach/math teacher.
Trajan Langdon (Duke)
Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Langdon was drafted by the San Diego Padres out of high school to play baseball but chose to attend Duke as the team’s star guard instead. Langdon set several three-point shooting records while playing for Duke — records that would later be shattered by J.J. Redick. Though he had an immensely successful college career, Langdon is likely best known for his traveling violation during the 1999 National Championship.
Down just one point to UConn, Langdon was called for traveling with less than five seconds left in the game — ultimately costing Duke the championship. Langdon was never able to shake his mistake, as he would go on to play just three years in the NBA before making his way to the EuroLeague. Since retiring, Langdon has kept close to basketball and in 2019 was named the general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Tyus Edney (UCLA)
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Edney wasn’t UCLA’s best player during its run through the NCAA Tournament in 1995, but he was certainly an invaluable piece to the championship-winning puzzle. The 1-seed UCLA Bruins faced elimination while trailing 8-seed Missouri by one point with just 4.8 seconds remaining. Instead of running a play for the team’s best player — Ed O’Bannon — Edney received the inbound pass and drove the ball the length of the court for a buzzer-beating layup to secure a dramatic victory for UCLA.
Though he didn’t contribute much in the National Championship due to an injured wrist, Edney’s play against Missouri ensures he will live on as a legend in Westwood for the rest of time. Edney was selected in the second-round of the NBA Draft and was named to the All-Rookie Second-Team after his first year. He eventually found massive success in Europe, winning championships in both the EuroLeague and Italian League.
Luke Hancock (Louisville)
Andy Lyons/Getty Images
The NCAA Tournament is all about moments, and there haven’t been many moments in the past decade more memorable than the time Luke Hancock commandeered the 2013 NCAA Final. In just two minutes of game time, facing a 12-point deficit, Hancock exploded with four consecutive three-point makes to bring the Cards back within striking distance before halftime.
Louisville would go on to beat the Michigan Wolverines with Hancock receiving Most Outstanding Player honors for his performance in the Final Four. After college, Hancock bounced around in the Summer League before making his way to Greece. In his sixth game playing in the Greek Basket League, Hancock tore a calf muscle and promptly retired from basketball.
Spike Albrecht (Michigan)
Leon Halip/Getty Images
Every tourney needs a hero, leading a slew of players to think it could have been them instead. Louisville sharpshooter Luke Hancock took the crown for his performance in the 2013 National Championship game, but Spike Albrecht nearly stole the show and the tournament. The nondescript guard was merely a bench player leading up to the NCAA tourney and proceeded to explode in the title game. Albrecht went for 17 points (his career-high at the time) in the first half against Louisville including a 4-for-4 mark from three-point range.
After the game, Albrecht gained even more notoriety for tweeting at swimsuit model and noted Michigan fan Kate Upton thanking her for attending the game. Unfortunately, the Wolverines lost the title game to Louisville and Upton is now married to Cy Young-winning pitcher Justin Verlander. Albrecht is now a Distributor Sales Specialist.
Eric Montross (North Carolina)
Elsa/Getty Images
North Carolina has had a rich history of star big men over the years, with Montross being the team’s go-to post-player from 1990-1994. Montross was named an All-American twice in his four-year career and was the team’s leading scorer during its title-winning campaign in 1993. The 7-footer was selected ninth overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1994 NBA Draft and made the All-Rookie Second-Team in his first year. It all went downhill from there for Montross, as he never averaged more than 7.2 PPG in any season after his rookie year. Sadly, Montross passed away due to cancer in 2023.
Scottie Reynolds (Villanova)
Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Villanova’s two recent championship runs cemented the program as a national powerhouse, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t give credit to the former players who helped build the program into what it became. Reynolds was a dynamite guard for Jay Wright’s group from 2006-2010. During his college career, Reynolds made an Elite Eight and a Sweet 16 appearance, helping legitimize the Wildcats as a top program. Though he was a skilled player, Reynolds’ lack of athleticism ultimately limited his NBA ceiling. In 2010, Reynolds became the first-ever AP All-American to not be selected in the NBA Draft since the merger.
Gerry McNamara (Syracuse)
Jim McIssac/Getty Images
McNamara used to torch nets during his collegiate career. A former teammate of Carmelo Anthony, McNamara was considered one of the deadliest three-point marksmen in all of college basketball. McNamara made a jaw-dropping 400 threes over his college career at a respectable 35.4-percent clip. He was willing to take (and usually make) big shots, and though Melo was the star, McNamara played a key role on the 2004 Syracuse team that won the title. McNamara tried several times to break into the NBA, but never made much of an impact at the professional level. After spending multiple years as the associate head coach at Syracuse, he’s now the head coach at Siena College.
Kevin Pittsnogle (West Virginia)
Jim McIssac/Getty Images
He may not look the part, but Pittsnogle was a legitimate baller at West Virginia. Pittsnogle proved to be a quality player with several strong performances in the 2005 NCAA Tournament — but didn’t rise to national fame until the next season. In the 2006 tourney, Pittsnogle — sporting a bloody nose — knocked down a clutch three-pointer to tie a game against Texas in the Sweet 16. WVU ultimately lost the game, but Pittsnogle made a name for himself.
Though he was projected to go in the second round of the NBA draft, Pittsnogle went undrafted and was eventually signed by the Boston Celtics. The NBA proved to be too much for the 6-foot-11 center, as he lasted less than four months before making the move overseas. He’s made several comeback attempts, but Pittsnogle has settled in West Virginia working as a car dealer while living with his wife and their eight children.
LeVance Fields (Pittsburgh)
Jim McIssac/Getty Images
The portly Fields wasn’t the quickest of guards in the Big East, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t electric with the basketball. Fields was a dazzling ball handler at Pitt, and could get to any spot on the floor he chose despite standing at just 5-foot-10. Though he wasn’t known as an elite shooter, Fields had a knack for sinking clutch buckets — most notably hitting a three to beat Duke in MSG and hitting another three-pointer versus VCU in the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Fields never played in an NBA game, but fans of the former point guard have been able to watch him in The Basketball Tournament where he has competed with a team of Pittsburgh alums.
Robbie Hummel (Purdue)
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
Hummel appeared destined for a lengthy NBA career. Having led Purdue to be one of the top teams in the country, Hummel was struck by the injury bug during the latter half of his college career. Hummel sat out the last few games of his sophomore season due to nagging injuries, tore his ACL 20 games into his junior season, and tore the same ACL during a practice before his senior year.
He returned to the team as a fifth-year senior in 2011 and played well enough to be drafted 58th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Unfortunately, Hummel was zapped of his leaping ability and lateral quickness and wasn’t able to stick in the NBA. In 2019, the former Boilermaker won a gold medal at the 2019 FIBA 3×3 World Cup in Amsterdam.
Jay Williams (Duke)
Craig Jones/Allsport/Getty Images
The story of Jay Williams’ NBA career is both tragic and inspiring. Williams was a collegiate megastar at Duke, having been named a consensus First-Team All-American in both ’01 and ’02. He broke several records and holds a 25.7 PPG scoring average in tournament games.
Following his three-year run at Duke, Williams was made the second overall pick by the Chicago Bulls in the 2002 NBA Draft. Williams got off to a decent start but struggled to find consistent minutes in a crowded backcourt. While gearing up for his sophomore season, Williams was involved in a near-fatal accident while driving his motorcycle. The injuries he sustained would keep him out of basketball for several years. He was never the same after the crash.
Instead of falling completely off the map, Williams decided to try and make the best out of his misfortune. He has since found success as an analyst for ESPN, wrote an autobiography, and has done work as a motivational speaker.
Adam Morrison (Gonzaga)
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
Photos of Morrison bawling his eyes out following a dramatic Sweet 16 loss to UCLA in the 2006 NCAA Tournament. Though Morrison was never able to lead the Zags to a National Title, he certainly helped build the program into the WCC powerhouse that it is today. An offensive star, Morrison led the entire nation in scoring during his junior year with 28.1 PPG.
He was named an All-American by season’s end, and the Charlotte Bobcats selected him with the third overall pick in the draft. Landing in a shaky situation, Morrison was never able to shake his limited athleticism and defensive ineptness. He did win two NBA Championships as an end-of-bench player with the Los Angeles Lakers, but we can’t help but feel Morrison was destined for more.
