NCAA Basketball: Top 50 “One and Done” players since 2000
By Bryan Mauro
20. Ben Simmons – LSU Tigers
19.2 Points, 11.8 Rebounds, 4.8 Assists
The Australian big man is one of the more polarizing players on this list. Every fan and media member have a strong opinion on Ben Simmons the basketball player. Simmons showed great athleticism as a member of the LSU Basketball team. It was unheard of to see a player of his size at 6’10” dribble and pass the way he could. The game that put Simmons on the national radar was a loss against Marquette in that game the big man had 21 points, 20 rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Games like these are what prompted Magic Johnson to call the Australian the next LeBron James. The big man was not good enough to lead LSU to the NCAA tournament. Simmons was honored with the SEC Freshman of the Year after his one season.
19. Anthony Bennett – UNLV Rebels
16.1 Points, 8.1 Rebounds,1.2 Blocks
The native of Toronto, was extremely efficient in college. The efficiency led to a player who dominated the entire Mountain West Conference from the second he stepped foot on a basketball floor. The forward played less than 30 minutes a night due to a lingering injury. Bennett shot 53% from the floor to go along with 37% from the three. He helped lead the Rebels to an NCAA tournament appearance where they would be bounced in the second round.
18. DaJuan Wagner – Memphis Tigers
21.2 Points, 2.5 Rebounds, 3.6 Assists
It has been awhile since a John Calipari coached player has been on this list. Everyone will remember Wagner for his natural ability to score the ball, as evidenced by his 100-point game in High School. The New Jersey native arrived on the scene and scored 32 points in only his second career game. When he left, he held the freshman scoring record for Memphis with 762 total points. The guard was never given a chance to decide if he would like to play his remaining years at Memphis. Coach Calipari told the NIT MVP that he was revoking his scholarship after one season, because he should not pass up the money, he had coming to him. Wagner is still one of the best players to play at Memphis, and his team never made the NCAA tournament.
17. Chris Bosh – Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
15.6 Points, 9.0 Rebounds, 2.2 Blocks
Georgia Tech has not had an easy time on the basketball court the last handful of years. Bosh will take Yellow Jacket fans back to a better time for the program. Bosh never made the NCAA tournament, but he set the tone for the teams to come after him. The big man led Georgia Tech in most offensive categories and head coach Paul Hewitt always had the ball in Bosh’s hand with the game on the line. Bosh led the ACC in field goal percentage at 56%. He become only the second freshman behind Antwan Jamison to ever lead the ACC in that category. Bosh made a living on the defensive end of the floor being named to the All Acc defensive team and averaging 2.2 blocks per game.
16. OJ Mayo – USC Trojans
20.7 Points, 4.5 Rebounds, 3.3 Assists
When the guard’s name is mentioned in college basketball his name is synonymous with scandal and improper benefits. Mayo received numerous perks from boosters, and it cost then head coach Tim Floyd his job. Despite all that Mayo was a force on the floor in the Pac-12. The guard was named to the Pac 12 All-Freshman team, all-tournament team and all-conference team. He would have even more conference and national awards to his credit if he did not have to compete with his crosstown rivals UCLA and their great freshman Kevin Love. Mayo is arguably the best basketball player that USC has ever produced.