http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6734891
Jon Scheyer joins an Israeli team....which reminds me of an interesting off season topic. A great collegiate BB career does not always translate to pro/NBA success.
Which MUers enjoyed star collegiate careers followed by no, or not much success in the pros?
Gene Berce, Butch Lee, Jerel McNeal, Earl Tatum, Bo Ellis,etc.,....add your own...looking for your top 10 list....
This is a little subjective...but hopefully its a diversion from, and more fun than the assault/Cottingham threads..
Maurice Lucas, Dwyane Wade, Wes Matthews.
Anthony Pieper and Craig Aamot.
Bernard Toone. It was talked about him going straight from high school to the pros. After 4 years in college he barely played in pros.
Two of my favorites fall into this category- Tony Miller and Aaron Hutchins.
Can't forget Dominic James. Nearly declared after his freshman year and hasn't played a minute of NBA ball.
Quote from: brewcity77 on July 06, 2011, 09:07:07 AM
Can't forget Dominic James. Nearly declared after his freshman year and hasn't played a minute of NBA ball.
I think he'd probably have gotten a roster spot if he declared after his freshman year.
Chris Crawford made good bank in the NBA and nobody could've seen that coming.
Damon Key.
Quote from: tower912 on July 06, 2011, 10:23:04 AM
Damon Key.
I assume Hou Warrior means NBA success. Do you also mean Warriors who didn't have NBA success, where it was expected?
Damon..no big surprise. He needed to get buff.
I never really care about NBA success, not a big NBA fan, although, it helps recruiting. Loved Cordell Henry, Tony Miller. Butch Lee and Earl Tatum are my biggest surprises.
Damon Key meets the criteria.....great MU career, no pro success. We agree on the reasons.
Jim McIlavaine - Though making $35M from the NBA is pretty impressive, but his numbers weren't very impressive..
Quote from: National Champs on July 05, 2011, 11:42:56 PM
Maurice Lucas, Dwyane Wade, Wes Matthews.
Add Jim Chones and Doc Rivers
Quote from: Stone Cold on July 06, 2011, 09:28:33 AM
Chris Crawford made good bank in the NBA and nobody could've seen that coming.
When Amal McCaskill re-surfaced in the NBA a few years out of MU, I was extremely surprised.
And after his first year at MU, I thought Roney Eford was NBA bound.
ODB, Ryan Amoroso...chin to the floor surprise they didn't make it.
Mike Kinsella, rocking the Middle East with serious ball.
Quote from: Ners on July 06, 2011, 11:37:39 AM
Jim McIlavaine - Though making $35M from the NBA is pretty impressive, but his numbers weren't very impressive..
Give me that kind of failure. Please. ;)
Roman Mueller - I couldn't sleep after we recruited him. The 1st 7 footer in MU History, I believe.
Artie Green - runner up - If only he were 9" taller! With that athleticism and leaping ability!
Quote from: ringout on July 06, 2011, 11:03:56 AM
Damon..no big surprise. He needed to get buff.
My uncle, a HUGE Marquette fan and supporter, recently saw Damon Key in Milwaukee. He couldn't articulate how large the man had become. I don't think that surprised anyone. That being said, as a kid, jingling my dad's car keys every time he shot free throws was AWESOME.
Brian Wardle, Trevor Powell, Cordell Henry, Aaron Hutchins, Bob Wolf....added to those in my first post
Quote from: MUMac on July 06, 2011, 01:11:25 PM
Roman Mueller - I couldn't sleep after we recruited him. The 1st 7 footer in MU History, I believe.
I think Majerus called Mueller the biggest sleeper since Rip Van Winkle. Turns out he was right - Roman pretty much sleepwalked through his career at MU.
depends on your definition of 'not much success in the pros', as William Earl Tatum was damn valuable his rookie year. He did a veterans job with the Lakers in the play offs, but they lost the series. Big (relatively speaking) second year contract followed by a series of trades. Dick Vitale did as much to ruin Tatum's career in Detroit as he did to ruin the Pistons by pretending he could coach. Another trade to the Cleveland Cadavers, knee injury, and so on.
If Dunlevy plays T Smith more in the 91 Finals the Lakers beat the Bulls. T Smith never got the deserved love in the NBA.
Tatum and Lee. By the way, Earl came to the BBQ. He looked like he could still play. Thanks for coming young fella.
Quote from: MARQEVANS on July 06, 2011, 11:40:08 AM
Add Jim Chones and Doc Rivers
I'd flip that. Doc Rivers had a better NBA career than MU career in my opinion.
Quote from: ChicosBailBonds on July 07, 2011, 10:40:41 PM
I'd flip that. Doc Rivers had a better NBA career than MU career in my opinion.
Agreed. He benefited from the NBA's man-man defenses. What upset me though was he was a so-so free throw shooter at MU, but very effective from the line in the NBA (% wise). What gives? (or what gave?)
Quote from: National Champs on July 05, 2011, 11:42:56 PM
Maurice Lucas, Dwyane Wade, Wes Matthews.
Wes Matthews -- The jury is out
DWade -- yeah right
Maurice Lucas -- Probably one of the best MU players ever. All-Star, beloved in Portland and a great guy. Rest in Peace, Mo. You are outta your mind!
Quote from: dgies9156 on July 07, 2011, 11:06:41 PM
Wes Matthews -- The jury is out
DWade -- yeah right
Maurice Lucas -- Probably one of the best MU players ever. All-Star, beloved in Portland and a great guy. Rest in Peace, Mo. You are outta your mind!
Teal, bro...teal.
George Thompson and Dean Meminger
Quote from: ChicosBailBonds on July 07, 2011, 10:40:41 PM
I'd flip that. Doc Rivers had a better NBA career than MU career in my opinion.
Absolutely, and that was essentially due to the fact that the talent surrounding Doc here was so bad that he had to do virtually everything, including jump center. BTW, DWade's NBA career is infinitely better than what he showed at MU also. That's easily attributed to the poor head coaching he got while here.
Quote from: dgies9156 on July 07, 2011, 11:06:41 PM
Wes Matthews -- The jury is out
DWade -- yeah right
Maurice Lucas -- Probably one of the best MU players ever. All-Star, beloved in Portland and a great guy. Rest in Peace, Mo. You are outta your mind!
Yeah...what was he thinking. ::)
Quote from: 4everwarriors on July 08, 2011, 05:09:15 AMAbsolutely, and that was essentially due to the fact that the talent surrounding Doc here was so bad that he had to do virtually everything, including jump center. BTW, DWade's NBA career is infinitely better than what he showed at MU also.
Isn't that amazing? I mean, Wade was a consensus All-American (though only 2nd team according to the NABC) but didn't win player of the year. If you look at the other guys on the first team, none are even close to him. Collison, the player of the year, hasn't been awful but is little more than a role-player. TJ Ford, David West, and Josh Howard have all been pretty good pros, but none are the superstar that Wade is. The only other guy close to him in terms of college players from 2003 is Carmelo, who is also a superstar, but I would still say a definite step below Wade in terms of accomplishments.
The guy played two years here and is widely regarded as one of if not the best player in school history and his pro career has been vastly better. I'd have to think that if they made another all-time top 50 list for the NBA, Wade would be on it. How far he's come is truly remarkable.
Another on the positive side--Jerome Whitehead. He had a good three years at MU on tremendous teams and then had a long and productive career in the NBA.
Quote from: 4everwarriors on July 08, 2011, 05:09:15 AM
Absolutely, and that was essentially due to the fact that the talent surrounding Doc here was so bad that he had to do virtually everything, including jump center. BTW, DWade's NBA career is infinitely better than what he showed at MU also. That's easily attributed to the poor head coaching he got while here.
Teal is your friend. You should use it. Or you should tell him so he stops giving that head coach so many props and wearing the shorts of the school he now coaches. ;D
Quote from: brewcity77 on July 08, 2011, 08:58:47 AM
Isn't that amazing? I mean, Wade was a consensus All-American (though only 2nd team according to the NABC) but didn't win player of the year. If you look at the other guys on the first team, none are even close to him. Collison, the player of the year, hasn't been awful but is little more than a role-player. TJ Ford, David West, and Josh Howard have all been pretty good pros, but none are the superstar that Wade is. The only other guy close to him in terms of college players from 2003 is Carmelo, who is also a superstar, but I would still say a definite step below Wade in terms of accomplishments.
The guy played two years here and is widely regarded as one of if not the best player in school history and his pro career has been vastly better. I'd have to think that if they made another all-time top 50 list for the NBA, Wade would be on it. How far he's come is truly remarkable.
I think that's 100% attributable to where he played. That award usually goes to someone from a major conference program or a program that has been doing well for a long time consistently.
I'd also ask how much better could Wade get at MU, seriously. He was already all-world and had three other future NBA guys on the team. He was not a selfish player, he got them all involved. The pro game also allows him to do things he couldn't in college. Against uw-madison he had 2 fouls when he took his first breath...in the NBA with the star treatment, he needs to mug someone to get two fouls. Wider lanes, more spacing, etc, etc...the NBA game is ideal for someone like Wade because of the way that game is played...which is a different type of basketball game than college.
This is a great post - thanks! I finally tried to systematically answer it on crackedsidewalks, but please always keep in mind:
4500 D1 college players every year plus many in Europe
About 50 new spots a year for NBA?
Just making it is incredible.
Averaging double figures is for the truly elite (7 in MU history)
Among those who don't average double figures, don't disregard what an accomplishment it is to be good enough to play 400 games, even if as a defensive specialist like McIlvaine and Tony Smith
That being said, I believe Jerel had the greatest college career of any MU player not to play in an NBA game yet.
Quote from: ChicosBailBonds on July 08, 2011, 05:35:25 PM
I think that's 100% attributable to where he played. That award usually goes to someone from a major conference program or a program that has been doing well for a long time consistently.
I'd also ask how much better could Wade get at MU, seriously. He was already all-world and had three other future NBA guys on the team. He was not a selfish player, he got them all involved. The pro game also allows him to do things he couldn't in college. Against uw-madison he had 2 fouls when he took his first breath...in the NBA with the star treatment, he needs to mug someone to get two fouls. Wider lanes, more spacing, etc, etc...the NBA game is ideal for someone like Wade because of the way that game is played...which is a different type of basketball game than college.
100% attributable to where he played? LOL. Usually the POY is from a "Big Six" conference because, well, that's where most of the good players go. Since Wade, Jameer Nelson (St Joes), Andrew Bogut (Utah) and Jimmer Fredette (BYU) have been named POY. If these guys can be POYs from mid majors, why not a top 5 NBA star?
Quote from: ChicosBailBonds on July 07, 2011, 10:40:41 PM
I'd flip that. Doc Rivers had a better NBA career than MU career in my opinion.
Have to agree Jim Chones, although a good NBA player, would be in my top 10 to ever put on a Marquette uniform. His jump to the pros during the tournament was the most devasting thing to hit campus!
Jimmy actually left MU in February 1972 following the Warriors' victory at home vs. Jacksonville.