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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8. College basketball stars who flamed out in NBA: Marvin Williams

While May was one of the stars of that North Carolina championship team in 2005, the most exciting player of the group was Marvin Williams. A freshman dynamo, Williams was an athletic sparkplug off the bench, winning the ACC’s Rookie of the Year honors.

Scouts were drooling over the raw talent Williams possessed as a 6-foot-8 wing who could defend and shoot well from beyond the arc. The Atlanta Hawks fell in love with Williams during the pre-draft process and took him with the second overall pick in the 2005 draft, putting a ton of pressure on the 19-year old to become a superstar.

Williams developed into a steady starter for an ascending Hawks team but never became the kind of regular All-Star Atlanta thought they were getting. The team moved on after the 2012 season, shipping Williams to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Devin Harris.

Williams proceeded to play in the NBA for another eight years after the deal, retiring after the 2020 season as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. A 15-year pro career is nothing to sneeze at but Williams never truly lived up to the immense hype he developed in his one year at North Carolina.