NBA Draft: Top 25 one-and-done prospects of all-time

Tristan Thompson was another defensive stopper that spent one season in the college basketball ranks. He was a member of the Texas Longhorns’ 2010-11 squad under head coach Rick Barnes. Thompson played alongside two other eventual NBA Draft picks in sophomore Jordan Hamilton and fellow freshman Cory Joseph.

The Longhorns compiled a record of 28-8 and finished 13-2 in conference action during the regular season. Thompson averaged 13.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.3 assists per game through 36 appearances as a freshman. He went on to win the Big 12 Rookie of the Year award and Big 12 All-Defensive honors while racking up 10 double-doubles.

The Longhorns made it to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed. Thompson shined in his debut, recording 17 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocks in an 85-81 victory over the Oakland Golden Grizzlies. In the second round, they lost 70-69 to Solomon Hill and the Arizona Wildcats.

Thompson went on to get selected as the fourth overall in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. During his rookie season, he was named to the 2011-12 All-Rookie team, producing 8.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per contest. During the 2015-16 season, he won his one and only NBA Championship alongside Kyrie Irving and LeBron James.

Thompson put up 6.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game while starting in all 21 games. He’s still a member of the Cavaliers, though his last season was cut short due to injury. He’ll be back in 2019-20 for his eighth official season in the league with Cleveland.