One might call it a statistical oddity. Arguably (and certainly in my opinion) the most successful college program of all time hasn't produced a single top-50 NBA scorer.
Sure, there were Louie Dampier (#1 in the ABA at 13276 points) and Dan Issel (#2 in the ABA at 12823). But none of the UK products have come anywhere close to the current threshhold for the NBA's top 50. The line right now is 19202 points (Eddie Johnson), but will soon eclipse 20K as some stars like Kevin Durant fly past that mark.
The #1 UK-produced scorer in NBA history? That would be, believe it or not, ANTOINE WALKER. He's #116 on the NBA list with 15647 points.
Others of note, who at least fall in the top 200:
#138 Dan Issel (14659 points in the NBA for an impressive combined total of 27482 which places him 11th on the NBA/ABA composite list)
#177 Cliff Hagan (13447 points in the NBA, 14870 combined placing him 142nd on the composite list)
What about other notable scorers and stars in UK history? Why couldn't anyone else make the top 50? Let's consider a few examples...
1) Jamal Mashburn? A prolific scorer (19.1 ppg) and legitimate NBA star, but injury-plagued. Retired at age 31 and finished with 11644 points. Healthy, I'm sure he would be in or near the top 50.
2) Tayshaun Prince? He was capable of shooting the lights out, but was often more of a solid role player in the NBA than a true star (never averaging more than 14.7 ppg in a season) and finished with 11272 points. I'm a firm believer that he could've put up bigger numbers, but a combination of coaches, teammates and his lack of offensive selfishness held him back in this regard.
3) Rex Chapman? Injuries here, too. He finished with 9731 points because he wasn't healthy enough to last.
4) Kevin Grevey? He was on pace for solid numbers (although I highly doubt he ever would have reached 19-20K), but also was derailed by injury in the early '80s. Finished with 7364 points.
5) Ron Mercer? This is one of the most mysterious examples. His career at the pro level seemed promising, but after the Chicago-to-Indiana trade, he fell off the table and was out of the league by age 28, with only 5892 career points.
6) Sam Bowie? Infamous for being drafted ahead of Jordan and then struggling through injuries to a total of only 5564 points.
7) Kenny Walker? "Sky" also had significant injuries and finished with 3128 points.
8) Jack Givens? One would have thought that the "Goose" (after putting up 41 in the 1978 title game) was destined for a solid pro career. Not so. 1040 total points.
What about hope for the future? With John Calipari putting a handful of guys into the league every single year, the NBA has taken on more of a UK flavor than it's ever had before. Will any of the recent draftees reach 20K? Here are the active players with hope...
1) DeMarcus Cousins - he's already at 9293 points and averaging 29 per game in his 7th season. Can he stay healthy and keep putting up these ridiculous numbers?
2) John Wall - 8339 points and, like Boogie, averaging a career-high (23 per game) in his 7th season.
3) Anthony Davis - 6380 points in only his 5th season, and also at a career-high (28 per game).
4) Karl-Anthony Towns - 2235 points in his 2nd season. The 2016 ROY has a bright future.
5) Devin Booker - 1683 points in his 2nd season. He's scoring, but not efficiently. 33% on threes after hitting 41% for the Cats is puzzling.
My prediction? With health coming into play, you never can tell...but I believe that at least one of the group of awesome big men (Cousins, Davis and Towns) will cross the 20,000 point barrier.
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