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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13. College basketball stars who flamed out in NBA: Raef LaFrentz

There will certainly be complaints from Kansas fans about the fact that Raef LaFrentz is on this list. LaFrentz did carve out a solid pro career for himself but the superstar potential he displayed as a big man for the Jayhawks never really translated to the NBA.

The Jayhawks were the beneficiaries of a dynamic duo between LaFrentz and future NBA legend Paul Pierce in the late 1990s, but LaFrentz was actually the headliner of the pair. LaFrentz was named the Big 12’s Player of the Year in 1997 and 1998 and was one of just three players in the 1990s to earn first-team All-American status in multiple years.

The other two to achieve that distinction were Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan, which offered perhaps an unfair barometer for LaFrentz’s pro potential. LaFrentz was taken with the third overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets and developed into a solid if unspectacular starting center.

The Nuggets sold high on LaFrentz, trading him to Dallas after the 2001-02 season, and that was the point at which LaFrentz became more of a role player. LaFrentz did play in the NBA until 2009, a very respectable 11-year career, but his skill set would have translated much better to the modern NBA than the era he played in which was dominated by traditional back-to-the-basket bigs like O’Neal and Duncan.