Whatever happened to these 30 college basketball stars who flamed out in the NBA?
9. College basketball stars who flamed out in NBA: Sean May
Another dominant big man from the Duke-North Carolina rivalry, Sean May found himself squaring off with Williams plenty of times throughout their careers. May became the Tar Heels’ starting center as a sophomore and quickly became one of the linchpins of Roy Williams’ first great North Carolina squad.
An All-American as a junior, May was the key figure in North Carolina’s victory against a strong Illinois squad in the national championship game. May scored 26 points on 10-of-11 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds on his way to being named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, parlaying that strong performance into a professional career.
The Charlotte Bobcats selected May with the 13th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, setting the stage for some huge expectations for the North Carolina star to make good in the pros. That never happened as injuries plagued May’s career early on, including a microfracture surgery that cost him the entire 2007-08 season.
Conditioning was also an issue for May, who was out of the NBA by 2010. May did play for a few years overseas before returning to his alma mater, where May currently serves as the Tar Heels’ director of basketball operations.