Most current and former NBA stars played for the massive Power Five schools that you would expect. However, every so often, a player is drafted from a smaller NCAA Division II or III, NAIA, or JUCO school. Here are some NBA stars who went to small colleges and fulfilled the underdog dream:
1. Scottie Pippen: Central Arkansas
Today, the University of Central Arkansas is a Division I school. However, when NBA legend Scottie Pippen played there, it was an NAIA program. Pippen was a walk-on at UCA and ended up earning two NAIA All-American honors and was the fifth overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft. He played 17 years in the NBA, winning six NBA championships and two Olympic gold medals.
2. George Gervin: Eastern Michigan
George Gervin attended Eastern Michigan University from 1971-1972. In his sophomore season, Gervin averaged 29.5 points and 15 rebounds per game. He scored 1,044 points in two seasons and was named a first-team All-American. Gervin went on to stardom in both the American Basketball Association and the NBA. He was named the NBA Player of the Year for the 1977-78 season and was a 6x NBA All-Star.
3. Dennis Rodman: Southeastern Oklahoma State
NBA legend Dennis Rodman played three seasons of NAIA basketball at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Rodman never even played varsity high school basketball. An assistant coach saw his potential while scouting and ended up recruiting Rodman. He left Southeastern as a 3x NAIA All-American and averaged 25.7 points and 15.7 rebounds per game. Rodman was the 27th pick in the 1986 NBA Draft and he went on to win five NBA Championships, lead the league in rebounding for seven seasons, was a 2x Defensive Player of the Year, and was named to eight All-Defensive teams.
4. Stephen Curry: Davidson
Steph Curry played at Davidson College for three seasons. Curry still holds the NCAA single-season record holder with 162 3-pointers and averaged 23.7 points per game. He was named the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, a 2x All-American, and was the NCAA scoring leader in his final season. Stephen Curry was the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. Since then, Curry has become a 4x NBA Champion, 2x NBA MVP, and 9x All-NBA selection.
5. Robert Parish: Centenary
Robert Parish played four years of college basketball at Centenary College of Louisiana. Parish averaged 21.6 points and 16.9 rebounds per game, but was overshadowed by an intense penalty that was issued by the NCAA. Parish took a standardized test that wasn't approved by the NCAA, so he converted his score to fit the NCAA eligibility requirements. However, the NCAA told Centenary that Parish and four other players would be ineligible to play college basketball. They told the school that the program wouldn't be punished if they took away those five players scholarships. When the school refused, the NCAA placed Centenary on probation and the program wasn't allowed to play in any post-season tournaments for six years. After college, Parish was the eighth overall pick in the 1976 NBA Draft. He became a 4x NBA Champion, 9x NBA All-Star, and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
6. Jimmy Butler: Tyler Junior College
Jimmy Butler played one year at Tyler Junior College at the JUCO level before transferring to Marquette University. At TJC, Butler averaged 19 points per game. He led the NJCAA in average points, total points, and free throws made in that season. After playing three seasons at Marquette, Butler was the 30th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. He has since become a 6x NBA All-Star, 5x All-NBA, and was named the NBA Most Improved Player in 2015.
7. Ben Wallace: Cuyahoga Community College/Virginia Union
Ben Wallace first played for Cuyahoga Community College and averaged 17 rebounds and 6.9 blocks per game. He then transferred to Virginia Union University. There, he won two CIAA Championships, was an All-American, and 2x first-team All-CIAA. Wallace went undrafted in 1996 but was eventually picked up by the Washington Wizards. Wallace eventually became an NBA Champion, 4x NBA All-Star, and 4x NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
Image Credit: Southeastern Oklahoma State University Athletics / Davidson College Athletics
