Step ahead? UM, MSU players have mixed results leaving early
As the NBA draft gets more early entries each year, there are more young players who go undrafted and have to find alternate routes in their pro careers.
With NBA commissioner Adam Silver pushing more for ending the one-and-done road, there’s likely to be a different avenue: players going straight from high school to the Development League or playing overseas.
Michigan’s D.J. Wilson and Moritz Wagner both put their names in the NBA draft, though Wagner changed his mind before the deadline and decided to return to Ann Arbor for his junior season. Wilson stayed in the draft, marking another early departure for the Wolverines, who total 18 early entries since 1979.
Michigan State’s Miles Bridges, who likely would have been a lottery pick, opted not to test the draft process and to return for his sophomore season. The Spartans have had seven early entries since Magic Johnson famously won the national title and moved to the NBA after his sophomore season in 1979.
Here’s a look at players from Michigan and Michigan State who left college early to enter the NBA draft since 1979, and how their decisions worked out.
MICHIGAN
1979: Phil Hubbard, junior, first round, 15th overall: Hubbard helped Michigan reach the NCAA championship game in 1976 against Indiana. He was taken by the home-state Pistons in the draft and had a solid 11-year NBA career in Detroit and Cleveland, playing 665 games, averaging 23.9 minutes, 10.9 points and 5.3 rebounds.
1984: Tim McCormick,junior, first round, 12th overall: In three years at Michigan, he averaged 9.9 points and 5.3 rebounds. The 6-foot-11 McCormick had more than 4,000 points and 2,300 rebounds in his eight NBA seasons. His best year was in 1987, when he averaged 12.8 points and 7.5 rebounds with the Philadelphia 76ers.
1984: Eric Turner, junior, second round, 32nd overall: He averaged 14.7 points and 5 assists in three years at UM. The Pistons selected him in the second round. Turner never played in the NBA but got some time in the CBA with the Detroit Spirits, with whom he was the CBA rookie of the year.
1990: Sean Higgins: junior, second round, 54th overall: After helping UM to the 1989 national title, Higgins stuck around another year before heading to the draft. He played more than 200 games in the NBA, posting 6.3 points per game in six seasons. He also played overseas in Greece before becoming a head coach at a Edmonds Community College in Washington.
1993: Chris Webber, sophomore, first round, first overall: Webber had an exceptional two years in college — which all was erased due to his involvement in the Ed Martin scandal. He’s still a divisive figure in many UM circles, but he had an excellent NBA career, as the No. 1 overall pick by the Magic before being traded to the Warriors. Webber was rookie of the year, a five-time All-Star and All-NBA in 2001. He’s now working as an analyst on TNT.
1994: Juwan Howard,junior, first round, fifth overall: After his time with the Fab Five at UM, Howard was picked by the Washington Bullets and had a 19-year NBA career. He was an All-Star in his second season, when he averaged a career-best 22.1 points and 8.1 rebounds. After his playing career ended in 2013, he began as an assistant coach with the Miami Heat.
1994: Jalen Rose, junior, first round, 13th overall: The leader of the Fab Five had a very good 13-year NBA career, averaging 14.3 points and 3.8 assists, primarily with the Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers. He’s also parlayed his playing career into a good run as an ESPN analyst and producer, with his 30-for-30 documentary on the Fab Five.
1997: Maurice Taylor, junior, first round, 14th overall: Taylor was Big Ten freshman of the year in 1995 and helped the Wolverines to the NIT championship in 1997 but tarnished his legacy at UM when he was linked to the Ed Martin scandal. After three years each with the Clippers and Rockets, he finished a 10-year career with the Kings in 2007 and played overseas.
1998: Robert Traylor,junior,first round, sixth overall: “Tractor” Traylor punctuated a good playing career at UM with the first-ever Big Ten tournament title. But Traylor was dogged by his involvement in the Ed Martin scandal, and those NCAA violations plagued the basketball program for another decade. He was picked by the Mavericks and notably was traded for Dirk Nowitzki. He died from a heart attack in Puerto Rico in 2011.
2000: Jamal Crawford: freshman, first round, eighth overall: After a tumultuous single season with the Wolverines, including a six-game suspension for accepting improper benefits, Crawford jetted for the NBA draft. He was selected by the Cavaliers but has played for six teams in his career. He’s had a very good career, notable as being the only three-time winner of the Sixth Man Award.
2010: Manny Harris, junior, undrafted: Harris had an outstanding three years in Ann Arbor, but bolted early for the draft. He went undrafted but carved out a four-year career — mostly on 10-day contracts — in the NBA, with the Cavaliers and Lakers and even this season with the Mavericks.
2011: Darius Morris,sophomore, second round, 41st overall: After a good sophomore year, Morris surprisingly jumped to the NBA, where he struggled with the hometown Los Angeles Lakers, then bounced around with four teams in his final two seasons. He had good size at 6-foot-4, but didn’t have a singular excellent NBA skill and didn’t play more than 48 games in any season.
2013: Trey Burke, sophomore, first round, ninth overall: After taking the Wolverines to the national title game and being chosen as consensus national player of the year, he opted for the NBA and averaged 12.1 points and 4.2 assists in three seasons with the Utah Jazz. He’s now a backup point guard with the Washington Wizards and looking to rejuvenate his career.
2013: Tim Hardaway Jr.,junior, first round, 24th overall: Building on the trip to the championship game with UM, Hardaway had his best year as a junior and vaulted to the all-rookie team with the New York Knicks, before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks. He’s blossoming into a good shooting guard and set to earn a huge raise this summer, as his rookie contract has expired.
2014: Mitch McGary, sophomore, first round, 21st overall: McGary fought injuries in his college career but was the sparkplug during the Wolverines’ run to the ‘13 title game, averaging 14.3 points and 10.8 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament. He faced a one-year suspension for marijuana use and decided to enter the draft, where he was selected by the Thunder. He’s had an up-and-down two seasons and faces another 15-game suspension for marijuana.
2014: Glenn Robinson III, sophomore, second round, 40th overall: Looking to benefit from the run to the title game in ’13 and the Elite Eight the following season, Robinson made the jump to the draft. He bounced from the Timberwolves to the Sixers as a rookie, but seems to have found a home with the Indiana Pacers. He won the Slam Dunk contest this year at All-Star weekend and averaged a career highs of 6.1 points and 3.6 rebounds.
2014: Nik Stauskas, sophomore, first round, eighth overall: The Big Ten player of the year and second-team All-America seized on his outstanding sophomore season to head to the draft. He spent his first year with the Sacramento Kings before being traded to the Sixers, where he has had a decent two seasons, averaging 9 points and 2.7 rebounds. His rookie contract ends next year, when he’s due a bigger payday.
MICHIGAN STATE
1979: Magic Johnson, sophomore, first round, first overall: There’s no real supposition about what would have happened if Magic had stayed — after the ’79 title, he swept into NBA lore, along with Larry Bird. He remains one of the all-time greats both on and off the court, with five championships, three MVPs and three Finals MVPs to his credit. He’s been a part-owner of the Lakers and now is helping to run the front office.
2001: Zach Randolph,freshman, first round, 19th overall: After just one season and a trip to the Final Four with MSU, Randolph made his way to the NBA, where he’s enjoyed a very good career, including two All-Star appearances. In 16 seasons, he’s averaged 16.8 points and 9.3 rebounds and, at 36, could be looking for a new contract.
2001: Jason Richardson, sophomore, first round, fifth overall: As a reserve on the 2000 championship team, Richardson found his niche and was MSU’s leading scorer as a sophomore, teaming with Zach Randolph as a formidable duo. He had a standout 13-year NBA career with five teams, averaging 17.1 points and 5 rebounds and was one of the best slam-dunk champions in league history.
2002: Marcus Taylor,sophomore, second round, 52nd overall: In one of the biggest cautionary tales about leaving early, Taylor had a heralded high school career and spent two promising seasons in East Lansing before surprisingly leaving for the draft. He dropped to the second round and never played in the NBA, bouncing around in the CBA and playing internationally. His departure seemed to be based on potential — which was never realized.
2006: Shannon Brown, junior, first round, 25th overall: Brown had an outstanding junior season with the Spartans, posting 17.2 points and 4.4 rebounds. He left in the draft and went in the first round to the Cavaliers. His career lasted nine seasons, ending with the Heat in 2015. His best year was 2012, when he averaged 11 points for the Phoenix Suns. He also won two NBA titles with the Lakers.
2014: Gary Harris, sophomore, first round, 19th overall: He was the Big Ten freshman of the year and All-Big Ten as a sophomore, choosing to leave after only two years. He was drafted by the Bulls but traded to the Denver Nuggets, where he has had a good three-year run, with a career-high 14.9 points and 2.9 assists this season. His rookie contract ends next year and he’ll sign for big money.
2016: Deyonta Davis,freshman, second round, 31st overall: After just one season with coach Tom Izzo, Davis raised some eyebrows with his decision to leave so quickly. He looked to be a first-round selection, but dropped to the first pick in the second round, by the Boston Celtics and traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. He had a tough first season, playing in 36 games and averaging just 1.6 points and 1.7 rebounds.
Rod.Beard@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @detnewsRodBeard