NCAA Basketball: 3 recent examples where "one and done" has worked

NCAA Basketball: 3 recent examples where “one and done” has worked

NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 02: Anthony Davis #23 of the Kentucky Wildcats looks on before taking on the Kansas Jayhawks in the National Championship Game of the 2012 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on April 2, 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – APRIL 06: Jahlil Okafor #15 of the Duke Blue Devils celebrates with fans after defeating the Wisconsin Badgers during the NCAA Men’s Final Four National Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 6, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Duke defeated Wisconsin 68-63. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

2015 Duke Blue Devils

While Spellman was a key contributor on a team that won a national title, the 2015 Duke Blue Devils were the most recent team to be led by a one-and-done player, they were led by three. Duke went 35-4 that season, they suffered back-to-back losses to N.C. State and Miami in January and were tripped up twice by Notre Dame, the last came in the ACC Tournament. They would then run off six straight wins, culminating in a 68-63 win over Wisconsin for the title.

That team had four players average at least 11 points per game and three of them were freshmen. Center Jahlil Okafor led the team in both scoring and rebounding with 17.3 and 8.5 respectively, and fellow freshmen Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow combined for over 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 7.7 assists. The first-year trio would make a lasting impression in their last game, as the three combined for 44 points and 17 rebounds in the title game.

All three left for the NBA that summer and all three were drafted in the first round, Jones by Minnesota where he has played the last four seasons, Winslow by Miami where he averaged over 12 points per game this season, and Okafor was taken 3rd overall by Philadelphia and despite two solid seasons to begin his career, he played in just 28 games between Philadelphia and Brooklyn in 2017-18, before bouncing back with New Orleans this season, averaging eight points and four rebounds.

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