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Michigan State basketball: 5 great Spartans who didn’t live up to the NBA hype

By Mike Phillips

Denzel Valentine of the Michigan State Spartans. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images)
Denzel Valentine of the Michigan State Spartans. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images) /
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Michigan State basketball, NBA busts
(Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /

2. Michigan State basketball busts: Denzel Valentine

The most recent addition to this list, Denzel Valentine’s pro career has been shockingly bad. This development was absolutely stunning since he left Michigan State as a truly well-rounded player in all aspects.

Valentine was a leader at Michigan State where he was asked to fill a point-forward role on occasion while working at either the two or three spots. The Spartans did plenty of winning with Valentine too, who took home the AP’s Player of the Year award as a senior in 2006.

The magnitude of Valentine’s accomplishments helped him become a lottery pick in 2016 when he was taken 14th overall by the Chicago Bulls. The adjustment to the NBA was far from smooth for Valentine, who received multiple G-League assignments as a rookie.

Valentine’s second year was a bit better as he started 37 games and averaged 10.2 points per game, doubling his production as a rookie. A knee injury ended that season and subsequent issues with his ankle saw Valentine miss the next year.

The year off diminished Valentine’s stock with the Bulls, who assigned him to the G-League for part of this season. Valentine also saw his minutes drop significantly, a sign he will need a new home to try and live up to some of the potential he showcased at Michigan State.