Kudos to Jucos: MTSU's Dendy Joins J.C. Recruits Who Became League MVP
May 17th, 2012 - 22:28
It wasn't long ago when only a splinter group of maverick coaches were sufficiently bold to liberally dot their rosters with junior college players stereotyped as discipline problems, academic risks or simply unsuitable to go directly from high school to major college programs. "Jucoland" was labeled by misguided observers as little more than basketball rehabilitation where free-lance players enjoyed free rein to make Great Plains arenas their own personal H-O-R-S-E stables
But a glance at NBA rosters over the years and the backgrounds of many of the nation's prominent Division I coaches suggests there probably never should have been a stigma attached to the J.C. ranks. Observers seldom hear college or NBA commentators credit a J.C. beginning, but approximately 40 NBA players annually played for a two-year school at some point in their college careers
Forwards Jae Crowder (Marquette/Big East) and LaRon Dendy (Middle Tennessee State/Sun Belt) became the latest junior college recruits to join the following alphabetical list of more than 80 players who became MVP/Player of the Year in an NCAA Division I conference:
| Player of Year | Pos. | School | Conference | Season(s) | Junior College(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richie Adams | C | UNLV | PCAA | 1983-84 & 1984-85 | Massachusetts Bay |
| Tony Allen | G | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | 2003-04 | Butler County (KS) & Wabash Valley (IL) |
| Delvon Anderson | F | Montana | Big Sky | 1991-92 | San Francisco |
| Harold Arceneaux | F | Weber State | Big Sky | 1998-99 & 1999-00 | Eastern Utah & Midland (TX) |
| Mike Bell | F | Florida Atlantic | Atlantic Sun | 2004-05 | Palm Beach (FL) |
| Walter Berry | F-C | St. John's | Big East | 1985-86 | San Jacinto (TX) |
| Terry Boyd | G | Western Carolina | Southern | 1991-92 | Southern Union State (AL) |
| Odell Bradley | F | IUPUI | Mid-Continent | 2003-04 | Aquinas (TN) |
| Tim Brooks | G | UT-Chattanooga | Southern | 1992-93 | Sullivan (KY) |
| Antonio Burks | G | Memphis | Conference USA | 2003-04 | Hiwassee (TN) |
| David Burns | G | St. Louis | Metro | 1980-81 | Navarro (TX) |
| Lawrence Butler | G | Idaho State | Big Sky | 1978-79 | Western Texas |
| Gilberto Clavell | F | Sam Houston State | Southland | 2010-11 | Collin County (TX) |
| Donald Cole | F | Sam Houston State | Southland | 2002-03 | Navarro (TX) |
| Tank Collins | F | New Orleans | American South | 1990-91 | Southern Idaho & Salt Lake (UT) |
| Lester Conner | G | Oregon State | Pacific-10 | 1981-82 | Los Medanos (CA) & Chabot (CA) |
| Jae Crowder | F | Marquette | Big East | 2011-12 | South Georgia Tech & Howard County (TX) |
| Greg Davis | G | Troy State | Atlantic Sun | 2003-04 | Bossier Parish (LA) |
| Miah Davis | G | Pacific | Big West | 2003-04 | Modesto (CA) |
| LaRon Dendy | F | Middle Tennessee State | Sun Belt | 2011-12 | Indian Hills (IA) |
| Ledell Eackles | F | New Orleans | American South | 1987-88 | San Jacinto (TX) |
| Blue Edwards | F | East Carolina | Colonial Athletic | 1988-89 | Louisburg (NC) |
| Muhammad El-Amin | G | Stony Brook | America East | 2009-10 | Lansing (MI) |
| Al Fisher | G | Kent State | Mid-American | 2007-08 | Redlands (CA) |
| Darrell Floyd | G-F | Furman | Southern | 1954-55 & 1955-56 | Wingate (NC) |
| Carlos Funchess | G-F | Northeast Louisiana | Southland | 1990-91 | Copiah-Lincoln (MS) |
| Winston Garland | G | Southwest Missouri State | Mid-Continent | 1986-87 | Southeastern (IA) |
| Armon Gilliam | F-C | UNLV | Big West | 1986-87 | Independence (KS) |
| Detric Golden | G | Troy State | Trans America | 1999-2000 | Northwest Mississippi |
| Ed Gray | G | California | Pacific-10 | 1996-97 | Southern Idaho |
| Faron Hand | F | Nevada | Big West | 1996-97 | Dixie (UT) |
| Tony Harris | G-F | New Orleans | American South | 1989-90 | Johnson County (KS) |
| Darington Hobson | G-F | New Mexico | Mountain West | 2009-10 | Eastern Utah |
| Lester Hudson | G | Tennessee-Martin | Ohio Valley | 2007-08 & 2008-09 | Southwest Tennessee |
| Bobby Jackson | G | Minnesota | Big Ten | 1996-97 | Western Nebraska |
| Avery Johnson | G | Southern | SWAC | 1987-88 | New Mexico |
| Larry Johnson | F | UNLV | Big West | 1989-90 & 1990-91 | Odessa (TX) |
| Vinnie Johnson | G | Baylor | SWC | 1977-78 & 1978-79 | McLennan (TX) |
| Arnell Jones | F | Boise State | Big Sky | 1987-88 | San Jose |
| Kevin Kearney | F | Montana | Big Sky | 1990-91 | State Fair (MO) |
| Larry Kenon | F | Memphis State | Missouri Valley | 1972-73 | Amarillo (TX) |
| Frankie King | G | Western Carolina | Southern | 1993-94 & 1994-95 | Brunswick (GA) |
| Orlando Lightfoot | F | Idaho | Big Sky | 1992-93 & 1993-94 | Hiwassee (TN) |
| Lewis Lloyd | F | Drake | Missouri Valley | 1979-80 & 1980-81 | New Mexico Military Institute |
| Quadre Lollis | F-C | Montana State | Big Sky | 1995-96 | Northland Pioneer (AZ) |
| Kevin Magee | F | UC Irvine | Big West | 1980-81 & 1981-82 | Saddleback (CA) |
| Marcus Mann | F-C | Mississippi Valley State | SWAC | 1995-96 | East Central (MS) |
| Andrew Mavis | F | Northern Arizona | Big Sky | 1997-98 | Snow (UT) |
| De'Teri Mayes | G | Murray State | Ohio Valley | 1997-98 | Wallace-Hanceville (AL) |
| Ed McCants | G | Wisconsin-Milwaukee | Horizon League | 2004-05 | Paris (TX) |
| Kellen McCoy | G | Weber State | Big Sky | 2008-09 | Northern Oklahoma |
| Cliff Meely | F-C | Colorado | Big Eight | 1970-71 | Northeastern (CO) |
| Mate Milisa | C | Long Beach State | Big West | 1999-2000 | Pensacola (FL) |
| Lee Nailon | F-C | Texas Christian | Western Athletic | 1997-98 | Southeastern (IA) & Butler County (KS) |
| Ruben Nembhard | G | Weber State | Big Sky | 1994-95 | Paris (TX) |
| Ken Owens | G | Idaho | Big Sky | 1981-82 | Treasure Valley (CA) |
| Artsiom Parakhouski | C-F | Radford | Big South | 2008-09 & 2009-10 | Southern Idaho |
| Sonny Parker | G-F | Texas A&M | SWC | 1974-75 | Mineral Area (MO) |
| Ricky Pierce | F | Rice | SWC | 1981-82 | Walla Walla (WA) |
| Chris Porter | F | Auburn | Southeastern | 1998-99 | Chipola (FL) |
| Isaiah "J.R." Rider | F | UNLV | Big West | 1992-93 | Allen County (KS) & Antelope Valley (CA) |
| Hector Romero | F | New Orleans | Sun Belt | 2001-02 | Independence (KS) |
| Curt Smith | G | Drake | Missouri Valley | 1992-93 | Compton (CA) |
| Mike Smith | G-F | Louisiana-Monroe | Southland | 1999-2000 | Bossier Parish (LA) |
| Riley Smith | C-F | Idaho | Big Sky | 1989-90 | Odessa (TX) |
| Willie Smith | G | Missouri | Big Eight | 1975-76 | Seminole (OK) |
| Adarrial Smylie | C-F | Southern | SWAC | 1998-99 & 1999-00 | Pearl River (MS) |
| Ryan Stuart | F | Northeast Louisiana | Southland | 1991-92 & 1992-93 | Lon Morris (TX) |
| Johnny Taylor | F | UT-Chattanooga | Southern | 1996-97 | Indian Hills (IA) |
| Thomas Terrell | F-C | Georgia State | Atlantic Sun | 2001-02 | Copiah-Lincoln (MS) |
| Charles Thomas | G | Northern Arizona | Big Sky | 1996-97 | Cuesta (CA) |
| Joe Thompson | F | Sam Houston State | Southland | 2004-05 | Lee (TX) |
| Marcus Thornton | G | Louisiana State | Southeastern | 2008-09 | Kilgore (TX) |
| Jamaal Tinsley | G | Iowa State | Big 12 | 2000-01 | Mount San Jacinto (CA) |
| George Trapp | F-C | Long Beach State | PCAA | 1969-70 & 1970-71 | Pasadena City (CA) |
| Darrell Walker | G | Arkansas | SWC | 1982-83 | Westark (AR) |
| David Wesley | G | Baylor | SWC | 1991-92 | Temple (TX) |
| Gary Wilkinson | F | Utah State | WAC | 2008-09 | Salt Lake (UT) |
| Isiah Williams | G | Utah Valley | Great West | 2010-11 | Eastern Utah |
| Sam Williams | F | Iowa | Big Ten | 1967-68 | Burlington (IA) |
| Tony Windless | F | Georgia Southern | Trans America | 1991-92 | Cowley County (KS) |
| Ricky Woods | F | Southeastern Louisiana | Southland | 2005-06 | Paris (TX) |