Zion Williamson and the 20 best one-and-done players in college basketball history

6. Greg Oden, Ohio State, 2006-2007

In terms of pure college dominance, there may not be a more worthy player to grace the one-and-done list than Greg Oden. Oden’s one year at Ohio State was simply magical, as he averaged 15.7 points per game and 9.6 rebounds per night, but Oden wowed scouts by blocking 3.3 shots a night.

The Buckeyes made it all the way to the national championship game behind Oden and fellow one-and-done point guard Mike Conley, but they were outmatched by a Florida team that went on to defend its title the following year, the last college team to win back-to-back championships. Oden immediately declared for the draft after the season was over, where he was selected first overall by the Portland Trail Blazers.

The one thing that could have derailed Oden’s career was injuries, which is unfortunately what happened for the Trail Blazers. Oden’s NBA journey got off to a bad start when he needed microfracture surgery on his knee in September of 2007, ending his rookie year before it even started.

A string of injuries ruined Oden’s potential, turning him into a shell of himself, and he played in exactly 82 games for Portland over two years before getting waived. Oden turned up again in Miami at the end of 2014, but he couldn’t stick there either and has spent the past few years playing overseas to try and rebuild his career.

The plight of Oden is an extreme cautionary tale for those franchises hoping Williamson will be their savior, and hopefully, his story has a far better ending than Oden’s did.