30 forgotten college basketball stars who flamed out in the NBA

Whatever happened to these 30 college basketball stars who flamed out in the NBA?

NEWARK, NJ - JUNE 28: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (R) of the Kentucky Wildcats greets NBA Commissioner David Stern (L) after he was selected number two overall by the Charlotte Bobcats during the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft at Prudential Center on June 28, 2012 in Newark, New Jersey. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

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DURHAM, NC – FEBRUARY 13: Former Duke player Jahlil Okafor attends the game between the Virginia Cavaliers and the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 13, 2016, in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

20. College basketball stars who flamed out in NBA: Jahlil Okafor

The one-and-done era has produced plenty of talented college stars who never carried their collegiate success to the NBA ranks. One of the most glaring examples in recent memory is Jahlil Okafor, a key member of Duke’s most recent national championship team.

Okafor was a dominant center for the Blue Devils, averaging 17.3 points per game and 8.5 rebounds a night, earning the ACC’s Player of the Year Award and First-Team All-American status. Duke rode Okafor heavily in the NCAA Tournament, where he teamed with fellow freshman Tyus Jones and Grayson Allen to help head coach Mike Krzyzewski secure his fifth national title.

Despite questions about his commitment to defense, Okafor was a prized commodity in the 2015 NBA Draft, where he was taken with the third overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers. Okafor had a solid rookie year in Philadelphia but he quickly fell out of favor with the 76ers, who already had a much more complete center prospect in Joel Embiid, quickly sliding out of the rotation.

The big problem that Okafor ended up running into is that he played in the wrong era as a classic back-to-the-basket big man in a modern age where centers are expected to be able to shoot threes as well as defend all over the court. Okafor would probably have been a much more successful NBA player if his career began two decades earlier than it did.