What Were They Thinking? Low-Scoring Freshmen Feel They're NBA Worthy
In their brief college academic careers, these scholars must have taken a stimulating course in how to have a healthy self-esteem. Despite failing to compile a double-digit scoring average, freshmen Nassir Little (North Carolina/9.8 ppg) and Kevin Porter Jr. (Southern California/9.5 ppg) feel they are sufficiently talented to make a transition to the NBA. Ditto Jontay Porter (Missouri/9.9 ppg in 2017-18 before missing all of last season as medical redshirt). Emmitt Williams (Louisiana State/7 ppg) appeared bound for the pros, too, before reconsidering in "Smart" fashion. Williams resembled his coach (Will Wade), going from strong-ass offer to weak-ass response. Little and the Porters aspire to join the following alphabetical list of yearlings in this suspect category who were selected in the NBA draft over the previous three years after only one college campaign:
| Freshman | Pos. | College | PPG. | Drafted By | Year | Round | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ike Anigbogu | C | UCLA | 4.7 | Indiana Pacers | 2017 | 2nd | 47th |
| Tony Bradley | C | North Carolina | 7.1 | Los Angeles Lakers | 2017 | 1st | 28th |
| Deyonta Davis | F-C | Michigan State | 7.5 | Boston Celtics | 2016 | 2nd | 31st |
| Cheick Diallo | F-C | Kansas | 3.0 | Los Angeles Clippers | 2016 | 2nd | 33rd |
| Harry Giles | C | Duke | 3.9 | Portland Trail Blazers | 2017 | 1st | 20th |
| Skal Labissiere | F-C | Kentucky | 6.6 | Phoenix Suns | 2016 | 1st | 28th |
| Jarred Vanderbilt | F | Kentucky | 5.9 | Orlando Magic | 2018 | 2nd | 41st |
NOTE: None of the seven players on this list has averaged as much as 8 ppg during NBA career.