Star Light: Teams Can Still Thrive Despite Losing Undergrads to NBA Draft
March 31st, 2024 - 10:34
For the 14th straight tourney, at least one team reached the Final Four after losing a vital player who could have still been eligible if not defecting to make himself available for the NBA draft or turn pro overseas. Alabama and Connecticut each lost two undergrads in 2023 NBA draft. Bama's Brandon Miller (2nd selection overall) joined Kentucky's John Wall (1st in 2010) and Duke's Jabari Parker (2nd in 2014) as highest picks to miss out on Final Four the next year and is having a regal rookie campaign. Former Bama teammate Noah Clowney and UConn's Jordan Hawkins plus Andre Jackson are spare parts as NBA yearlings. Last year's MOP Adama Sanogo (Connecticut) went undrafted after leaving school with eligibility remaining although he did sign as a free agent with the Chicago Bulls and played in a handful of games this season. Guard Terquavion Smith abandoned ship after two seasons with North Carolina State and also wasn't drafted although he hooked on with the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent.
Among schools losing a prominent undergraduate early, UConn last year (after losing guard James Bouknight) joined [Kentucky](schools/kentucky '98) (Ron Mercer), Duke '10 (Gerald Henderson) and UK '12 (Brandon Knight) as the only teams still capturing a crown sans such a standout early departure. In a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, UK returned to the national semifinals in 2011 after losing five undergraduates who became NBA first-round draft choices.
The Final Four has had at least one team arrive after losing a prominent undergraduate to the NBA draft 21 times in the last 22 tourneys. Following is a list of the 44 squads unfazed by the early loss of key player(s) who left college with eligibility still remaining:
Final Four Team Prominent Undergraduate Defection in Previous Year Marquette '74 Larry McNeill, F (25th pick overall in 1973 NBA draft) Louisiana State '81 DeWayne Scales, F (36th pick in 1980 draft) Georgia '83 Dominique Wilkins, F (3rd pick in 1982 draft) Houston '83 Rob Williams, G (19th pick in 1982 draft) Houston '84 Clyde Drexler, G-F (14th pick in 1983 draft) Louisiana State '86 Jerry "Ice" Reynolds, G-F (22nd pick in 1985 draft) Syracuse '87 Pearl Washington, G (13th pick in 1986 draft) Kentucky '97 Antoine Walker, F-G (6th pick in 1996 draft) North Carolina '97 Jeff McInnis, G (37th pick in 1996 draft) Kentucky '98 Ron Mercer, G-F (6th pick in 1997 draft) Indiana '02 Kirk Haston, F (16th pick in 2001 draft) Kansas '03 Drew Gooden, F (4th pick in 2002 draft) Georgia Tech '04 Chris Bosh, F (4th pick in 2003 draft) Louisiana State '06 Brandon Bass, F (33rd pick in 2005 draft) UCLA '07 Jordan Farmar, G (26th pick in 2006 draft) North Carolina '08 Brandan Wright, F (8th pick in 2007 draft) Kansas '08 Julian Wright, F (13th pick in 2007 draft) UCLA '08 Arron Afflalo, G (27th pick in 2007 draft) Duke '10 Gerald Henderson, G (12th pick in 2009 draft) Kentucky '11 John Wall, G (1st pick in 2010 draft) Kentucky '11 DeMarcus Cousins, F (5th pick in 2010 draft) Butler '11 Gordon Hayward, F (9th pick in 2010 draft) Kentucky '11 Patrick Patterson, F (14th pick in 2010 draft) Virginia Commonwealth '11 Larry Sanders, F (15th pick in 2010 draft) Kentucky '11 Eric Bledsoe, G (18th pick in 2010 draft) Kentucky '11 Daniel Orton, C-F (29th pick in 2010 draft) Kentucky '12 Brandon Knight, G (8th pick in 2011 draft) Kansas '12 Markieff Morris, F (13th pick in 2011 draft) Kansas '12 Marcus Morris, F (14th pick in 2011 draft) Kansas '12 Josh Selby, G (49th pick in 2011 draft) Syracuse '13 Dion Waiters, G (4th pick in 2012 draft) Syracuse '13 Fab Melo, C (22nd pick in 2012 draft) Kentucky '14 Nerlens Noel, C (6th pick in 2013 draft) Kentucky '14 Archie Goodwin, G-F (29th pick in 2013 draft) Michigan State '15 Gary Harris, G (19th pick in 2014 draft) Duke '15 Rodney Hood, G-F (23rd pick in 2014 draft) Duke '15 Jabari Parker, F (2nd pick in 2014 draft) Kentucky '15 Julius Randle, F (7th pick in 2014 draft) Kentucky '15 James Young, G (17th pick in 2014 draft) North Carolina '16 J.P. Tokoto, F-G (58th pick in 2015 draft) Syracuse '16 Chris McCullough, G (29th pick in 2015 draft) Gonzaga '17 Domantas Sabonis, F-C (11th pick in 2016 draft) Kansas '18 Josh Jackson, G-F (4th pick in 2017 draft) Michigan '18 D.J. Wilson, F (17th pick in 2017 draft) Michigan State '19 Miles Bridges, F (12th pick in 2018 draft) Michigan State '19 Jaren Jackson, F (4th pick in 2018 draft) Texas Tech '19 Zhaire Smith, F (16th pick in 2018 draft) Gonzaga '21 Filip Petrusev, C (withdrew from draft and returned to native Serbia) Houston '21 Nate Hinton, G-F (played in NBA G League after going undrafted) Duke '22 Matthew Hurt, F (undrafted before playing in NBA G League until incurring season-ending injury) Duke '22 Jalen Johnson, F (20th pick in 2021 draft) Duke '22 D.J. Steward, G (undrafted before playing in G League for Sacramento Kings) North Carolina '22 Day'Ron Sharpe, F (29th pick in 2021 draft) Villanova '22 Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, F (32nd pick in 2021 draft) Connecticut '23 James Bouknight, G (11th pick in 2021 draft) Alabama '24 Noah Clowney, F (21st pick in 2023 draft) Connecticut '24 Jordan Hawkins, G (14th pick in 2023 draft) Connecticut '24 Andre Jackson, G (36th pick in 2023 draft) Alabama '24 Brandon Miller, F (2nd pick in 2023 draft)