One and Done: First 13 NBA Picks Were Freshmen and Non-College Players

Potential hero today, prospect gone tomorrow. We barely got to know you. The newcomers are the latest not to give themselves sufficient time at the college level to amass one-for-the-books or one-for-the-ages career records. A year ago, eventual Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero (Duke) was the 14th freshman in a 16-year span to become first overall choice in NBA draft. But be careful out there with any focus on freshman fascination despite eight yearlings and five non-college players becoming first 13 picks this year! Greg Oden, the first pick in the 2007 NBA draft, scored a grand total of 30 playoff points in three injury-plagued campaigns compared to Kevin Durant, the second selection in the 2007 draft, dominating a couple NBA Finals and becoming all-time leading scorer for U.S. Olympic Team. Washington's Markelle Fultz, the first overall pick five years ago before inexplicably misplacing his shooting touch, averaged only 7.1 ppg in 14 contests as a rookie with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sacramento Kings are among the franchises collecting the most "one-and-done" draft selections but the underaged pros haven't helped them appear in NBA playoffs since 2006.

Incredibly, coach John Calipari's first 31 frosh defectors (4 with Memphis and 27 with Kentucky) became first-round picks in the NBA draft until UK forward Kahlil Whitney went undrafted three years ago. Perhaps it stems solely from the volume. But believe it or not, the Wildcats' one-and-done freshmen frequently have been underestimated by NBA scouting gurus. It seems absurd that Bam Adebayo (14th), Eric Bledsoe (18th), Devin Booker (13th), Tyler Herro (13th) and Tyrese Maxey (21st) weren't Top 10 selections in various drafts from 2010 through 2020.

Manute Bol (Bridgeport CT) and Bol Bol (Oregon) represent the only father-son combination in this first-year category. An all-time record 16 first-round choices in 2017 are among the following alphabetical list of 255 freshmen and G-Men (at least three from G League each of last three years), Alabama's Brandon Miller only the 37th hanging around long enough to become an All-American (five in 2017), leaving universities since troubled Dontonio Wingfield became the first major-college "one 'n done" frosh upon departing from Cincinnati in 1994:

NOTE: Manute Bol (DII Bridgeport in 1985) and Shawn Kemp (JC Trinity Valley in 1989) were the first two non-NCAA DI players selected as freshmen. Ledo did not play with PC for academic reasons.