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

1. Michigan State basketball busts: Mateen Cleaves

There is no question Cleaves is one of the best players Michigan State has ever seen. A three-time captain for the Spartans, Cleaves was one of the unquestioned leaders of Michigan State’s national championship-winning team.

Cleaves also made three All-American teams, the only Spartan ever to do that, and took home two straight Big Ten Player of the Year awards. As a senior Cleaves was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, helping Michigan State win their second NCAA title.

There wasn’t a better platform to set Cleaves up for success in the NBA, where he was drafted 14th overall by the Detroit Pistons. Playing for his hometown team didn’t work out for Cleaves, who started just eight games in his rookie year before getting traded to the Sacramento Kings.

Cleaves bounced around the league as a backup point guard for a few years, never making enough of an impression to earn big minutes. The last time Cleaves suited up in an NBA game was in the 2005-06 season as a member of the Seattle Supersonics.

The expectations for Cleaves coming out of school were sky-high and his pro performance was mediocre, to say the least. It hurts Spartans’ fans since Cleaves is a legend at the collegiate level, but there is no denying he has been the biggest Michigan State bust as an NBA player.

For more NCAA basketball news, analysis, opinion and features, check out more from the FanSided college basketball section to stay on top of the latest action.