Kansas basketball holds a long list of alum who have made it to the NBA, but not all of them have panned out in the next level.
The Kansas Jayhawks have never had a shortage of NBA talent. There are currently eleven former Jayhawks in the NBA, and they have produced 83 NBA players since its inception in 1946. That number ranks fifth in history behind fellow blue-blood schools Kentucky, UCLA, Duke, and UNC.
Some Jayhawks have gone on to the NBA and immediately excelled. Look no further than Joel Embiid, who is considered by many to be the league’s MVP this season. Meanwhile, other players have not been able to handle the pressure of playing on the biggest stage of their careers.
No one can deny that Kansas has produced some of the best basketball players in the NBA’s extensive history. Wilt Chamberlain was the greatest of his time, and the school also boasts Hall of Famers such as Paul Pierce and Jo Jo White. Now, we will look at players who did not live up to their expectations.
One caveat worth noting is that the player’s time at Kansas was not considered when making this list. It only accounts for where they were drafted, their expectations coming into the league, and how their NBA career turned out. These are the ten biggest Kansas basketball busts of all time.
Stats retrieved from ESPN.com and NCAA.com
2005 NBA Draft, selected 29th overall
Miami Heat, 2005-2007
Simien did not enter the league with lofty expectations, but he virtually amounted to nothing in the NBA. After a storied college career with Kansas, where he was a finalist for the Wooden Award in his senior season, everything went downhill for the big man.
He averaged a 20-point double-double in 2004-05 after being a serviceable contributor for the team the past three years. Simien was one of the most skilled big men of the Bill Self era.
The Miami Heat selected him in hopes that they were drafting a steal. Instead, they picked a player who was out of the league by the time he was 23 years old. These are Simien’s NBA averages:
- 51 games played
- 3.3 points
- 1.9 rebounds
- 46.9% FG
His skill set in college was not transferable to the pros. He eventually spent some time in the EuroLeague before retiring from basketball in 2009. Although he has a long list of accomplishments with Kansas, the same cannot be said for the NBA.
2010 NBA Draft, selected 11th overall
Oklahoma City Thunder, 2010-2012
Houston Rockets, 2012-2013
Sacramento Kings, 2013
New York Knicks, 2013-2015
Los Angeles Clippers, 2015-2016
Minnesota Timberwolves, 2016-2018
If you are a Kansas fan, it is hard not to like Cole Aldrich. He is one of the program’s most prolific shot-blockers ever, collecting two Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year awards while being a consensus All-American. Aldrich was also part of the 2008 national championship-winning team.
Drafted by the then-New Orleans Hornets, he was a draft day trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pelicans probably still smirk about that move.
One of the things that everyone remembers about Aldrich is his hockey player-type smile. He lost a tooth in a game while he was a member of the Jayhawks, and it was an attestation to his toughness. Unfortunately, his willingness to lose a tooth did not equate to NBA success.
The 6-foot-11-inch center from Minnesota spent eight seasons in the NBA. During this time, he accumulated these stats:
- 339 games played
- 3.1 points
- 3.3 rebounds
- 0.7 blocks
- 52.7% FG
Aldrich had a respectable NBA career, and he would not be considered a bust if he was a late first or early second-round selection. However, he was expected to be an elite rim-protecting big and did not nearly live up to the hype that a lottery pick should.
A player included later in this list was selected directly one pick after him, so Aldrich can take home the title of best KU player from the 2010 NBA Draft.
1972 NBA Draft, selected 7th overall
Seattle SuperSonics, 1972-1974
New Orleans Jazz, 1974-1977
Isaac “Bud” Stallworth is likely one of the lesser-known names on this list. Stallworth is best known for dropping 50 points against arch-rival Missouri during his final game in Allen Fieldhouse. It is the second-highest single-game scoring total of any Kansas player, only trailing Wilt Chamberlain’s 52-point game.
He was the leading scorer on one of the worst KU teams ever in 1971-72 when the school won eleven games. Nonetheless, his 25.3 points per game average were enough for him to be taken as a top-ten pick in the draft.
Taken by the Seattle SuperSonics, Stallworth could have formed a top-notch tandem with young star Spencer Haywood. Instead, he spent just two years with Seattle and five seasons in the NBA. His resume in the league is not all that impressive:
- 313 games played
- 7.7 points
- 2.8 rebounds
- 41.4% FG
Stallworth was not a bad player in the pros, but as is the case for Aldrich, he did not do enough in the NBA when taking his expectations into account. It also does not help his case that Dr. Julius Erving was taken a few picks after him.
2007 NBA Draft, selected 13th overall
New Orleans Hornets, 2007-2010
Toronto Raptors, 2010-2011
Wright was one of the most fun college players to watch in his era. He did not possess an outside shot, but his ceiling was tremendously high.
One of the highest flyers of his generation, it seemed that all of his shot attempts were dunks. NBA scouts saw his ridiculous vertical and fell for the bait. Unfortunately, he did not have many skills other than his bounce.
When the New Orleans Hornets decided to draft him, it was based entirely on his upside. They knew he was a risky selection and a project player. Wright never tapped into his potential during his time in the NBA.
- 231 games played
- 3.9 points
- 2.3 rebounds
- 49.9% FG
- 58.4% FT
Any hopes of him developing a jump shot were shot down rather quickly after his rookie season. He sunk 16 threes throughout his brief NBA career and never expanded his offensive game.
In hindsight, the Hornets should not have made this pick. But players like Giannis Antetokounmpo have been drafted with high picks due to upside, so we cannot fault them entirely for thinking that Wright could have budded into something special.
2002 NBA Draft, selected 4th overall
Memphis Grizzlies, 2002-2003
Orlando Magic, 2003-2004
Cleveland Cavaliers, 2004-2008
Chicago Bulls, 2008-2009
Sacramento Kings, 2009
San Antonio Spurs, 2009
Dallas Mavericks, 2009-2010
Los Angeles Clippers, 2010
Milwaukee Bucks, 2010-2013
Washington Wizards, 2013-2016
The highest drafted player on the list thus far, Gooden is another example of someone who did not have the NBA career that a 4th overall pick is expected to. Although it is hard to criticize a player who lasted fourteen seasons in the league and played for ten separate teams, he could not even make it through his rookie season with the Grizzlies without being dealt to another squad.
He is one of KU’s many great big men throughout history. Gooden averaged 19.8 points and 11.4 rebounds as a junior, winning the Big 12 Player of the Year award and leading his team to the Final Four.
Let’s look at Gooden’s stats and one accolade across his career:
- 790 games played
- 11.0 points
- 7.1 rebounds
- 46.2% FG
- 2002-03 All-Rookie First Team
Solid player? Yes. Good enough to be a top-five pick in the NBA Draft? Probably not. Gooden was a journeyman in the NBA and was the most traded person in the league at one point. His inability to maintain a spot on a team is evidence that he was not too desirable of a player during the course of his career.
2010 NBA Draft, selected 12th overall
Memphis Grizzlies, 2010-2011
New Orleans Hornets, 2011-2013
Los Angeles Lakers, 2013-2015
Henry is the blueprint of a one-and-done that came into the NBA much too early. The southpaw was an inexperienced 19-year-old when he first took a step on an NBA court, and his career went exactly how many Kansas fans thought it would.
His lone season at Kansas was a successful one. Henry showed flashes of his jump shot and defensive capability. However, it was surprising to see him leave the program so early.
He is the first player on the list who was a true bust. It is one thing to be a serviceable role player in the NBA, but watching Henry play in the pros was painful. He was projected as a 3-and-D wing yet was timid offensively and overpowered by bigger, stronger NBA players. These are his stats:
- 185 games played
- 5.7 points
- 1.9 rebounds
- 40.6% FG
- 32.5% 3PT
All Kansas fans can agree that his departure from the university was premature. He could have been a premier wing in the NBA today, but he was flustered by the superior competition. Constant injuries also did not benefit him. Henry didn’t play another NBA game after his age-23 season.
1998 NBA Draft, selected 3rd overall
Denver Nuggets, 1998-2002
Dallas Mavericks, 2002-2003
Boston Celtics, 2003-2006
Portland Trail Blazers, 2006-2008
LaFrentz dominated the competition he faced in college. He was the first and second-ever Big 12 Player of the Year after the conference transitioned from the Big 8, winning it in 1997 and 1998. However, he had a more difficult time adjusting to the NBA than he did while playing at Kansas.
One of the worst parts about LaFrentz being drafted third overall is who was selected behind him. The Nuggets took him over current and future Hall of Famers such as Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, and fellow Jayhawk Paul Pierce. He and Pierce were a dynamic tandem at KU, but “The Truth” is the one who had the majority of the NBA success.
The Kansas product was a mediocre stretch big who could block shots and sink some threes. He did show some promise, averaging 2.7 blocks per game in 2001-02, although his averages dipped significantly after his first few seasons. Here are his stats as an NBA player:
- 563 games played
- 10.1 points
- 6.1 rebounds
- 1.6 blocks
- 46.6% FG
- 36.3% 3PT
Lasting a decade in the NBA is something to be proud of, but the Nuggets must deeply regret their selection on the day of the 1998 draft. Instead of taking a perennial All-Star and one of the greatest power forwards ever, they settled for a middling role player who only lasted three full years with the team.
1988 NBA Draft, selected 1st overall
Los Angeles Clippers, 1988-1994
Atlanta Hawks, 1994
Phoenix Suns, 1994-1999
Milwaukee Bucks, 1999-2000
Utah Jazz, 2000-2001
Dallas Mavericks, 2001-2002
Detroit Pistons, 2002-2003
It feels wrong to have the best player that ever put on a Kansas uniform on this list. Injuries derailed his career, as he tore his ACL multiple times — the first was halfway through his rookie season. The second he set foot on an NBA court, Manning and his knees were doomed.
The former Wake Forest head coach is the most accomplished player in KU’s lengthy history. He won three consecutive Big 8 Player of the Year awards, made three consecutive All-American teams, and won the Wooden Award the same year he carried the Jayhawks to a national title.
Manning would have been a terrific NBA talent had he not always been hurt, but that was not the case. After dominating the college scene for multiple years, he could not be the same excellent player in the pros he once was with the Jayhawks. His statistics suggest he had several impressive seasons, yet Kansas fans know that if he tapped into his full potential, he would have been an All-NBA caliber guy.
- 883 games played
- 14.0 points
- 5.2 rebounds
- 2.3 assists
- 1.1 steals
- 51.1% FG
- 2-time All-Star
- 1998 Sixth Man of the Year
He was held to towering expectations coming into the league because of what he showed he was capable of in college. Manning might be the best NBA player on this list, but the number one pick in the draft typically performs better than he did during his career.
Considering the achievements he garnered at Kansas, anything would have been viewed as disappointing for Manning. We will never know what he could have amounted to if he did not have a degenerative knee condition.
2017 NBA Draft, selected 4th overall
Phoenix Suns, 2017-2019
Memphis Grizzlies, 2020
Detroit Pistons, 2020-2022
Sacramento Kings, 2022
A few years back, Jackson would not have been placed so highly on this list. Andrew Wiggins needed some time to find his niche in the NBA, and he became a vital piece to an NBA Finals-winning team. Now that Jackson is not with an NBA organization, though, it is safe to call him a sure-fire bust.
He was KU’s second most highly touted recruit ever, and he certainly lived up to those expectations with the Jayhawks. He and Frank Mason III were a scary duo for opposing teams. So why did Jackson’s game change drastically when he came to the NBA? No one knows for sure.
The man who once dominated Big 12 competition began to take ill-advised shots and play sloppily in the NBA. He has a reputation for being a lazy defender. There is nothing good to say about Jackson’s NBA career, as he has been shadowed by other draftees and even had character issues off the court.
Although he could get another crack at NBA basketball, he has not played a single game this year outside of the G-League. These are his statistics right now, and they might stay like this forever if he does not return soon:
- 291 games played
- 11.3 points
- 4.0 rebounds
- 1.8 assists
- 41.6% FG
- 29.2% 3PT
The 6-foot-8-inch wing had all the tools to be an effective player — size, length, athleticism, and defensive potential. It is a shame what has happened to the once promising Jayhawk. If he ever does see an NBA court again, it will possibly be his last shot to prove himself.
2012 NBA Draft, selected 5th overall
Sacramento Kings, 2012-2013
Houston Rockets, 2013
Portland Trail Blazers, 2013-2015
Philadelphia 76ers, 2015
Brooklyn Nets, 2015-2016
Los Angeles Lakers, 2016-2017
Robinson’s case to be the top spot on this list is a strong one. Not only is he KU’s biggest draft bust of all time, but he is also one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history.
After a dominant junior season where he and Tyshawn Taylor led Kansas to a national championship game, the Sacramento Kings took him with the 5th overall pick. Robinson was a powerful post-scorer who would have been the ideal big man in the 1990s. Perhaps he played in the wrong period, although it is hard to imagine a world where Robinson is a sufficient professional player.
He was a terrific college player, but his time in the NBA soiled his reputation. Robinson could play bully ball at Kansas because of his exceptionally mature body, using brute strength to muscle opposing defenders down in the post. When he reached the next level, he struggled to find ways to score and became alarmingly inefficient.
Here are Robinson’s NBA stats:
- 313 games played
- 4.9 points
- 4.8 rebounds
- 47.0% FG
- 50.5% FT
Robinson’s skill set just did not fit the modern NBA. In a different era, he might have been a good NBA player. His lack of post-moves and poor awareness made him a useless player.
Most Kansas fans were confused about how a player that was once so impressive could play so poorly in the pros. Even his demeanor changed, as the once likable Robinson became bitter and often jawed at his coaches. Being the fifth pick and struggling as much as he did makes Robinson an easy choice to top off this list.