Junior Achievement: Cleanthony Early May Be Latest Juco MVP in DI League

"Some kids need those two years to prepare them to come to a four-year school. We should not look down on those kids." - Western Kentucky/Minnesota coach Clem Haskins, an All-American for WKU

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 many premier NBA players competed for a two-year school at some point in their college careers - Tiny Archibald, Mookie Blaylock, Ron Boone, Ron Brewer, Fred Brown, Mack Calvin, Sam Cassell, Michael Cooper, Mel Daniels, Steve Francis, Artis Gilmore, Harvey Grant, Spencer Haywood, Lionel Hollins, Avery Johnson, Dennis Johnson, Gus Johnson, Larry Johnson, Vinnie Johnson, Freddie Lewis, Jim Loscutoff, Shawn Marion, Bob McAdoo, Nate McMillan, Ricky Pierce, Mitch Richmond, Dennis Rodman, Latrell Sprewell, John Starks, Jamaal Tinsley, Nick Van Exel, Ben Wallace and Gerald Wilkins.

Denny Crum, Lute Olson, Nolan Richardson and Jerry Tarkanian are former juco coaches who eventually guided teams to NCAA Tournament titles. Forward Cleanthony Early (Wichita State/Missouri Valley) should become the latest junior college recruit (Sullivan County, NY) to join the following alphabetical list of more than 80 players who were MVP/Player of the Year in an NCAA Division I conference: