The 25 greatest junior college basketball players of all time

The man known as "Tiny," Archibald was a New York City basketball legend, but needed some time at the junior college level before becoming an NBA great. Archibald's prep hoops career began at Arizona Western College, where he averaged 29.5 points during the 1966-67 season. From there, Archibald landed at UTEP, playing for the iconic Don Haskins, then was a six-time NBA All-Star. Archibald won an NBA championship with Boston in 1980-81.

Another New York City playground icon, Berry eventually lived up to his early hype by starring at St. John's during the mid-1980s, when the program reached the Final Four in 1985. Despite a rocky high school career in the classroom, Berry had the chance to play at San Jacinto (Texas) Junior College, where he earned National Junior College Player of the Year honors for averaging 28.9 points and 14 rebounds. In 1983-84, he also helped San Jacinto win its second straight national championship, averaging 30 points during that tournament.

Butler has had an interesting NBA career, to say the very least. But when focused, he's still one of the best in the game. That was the case during his one season at Tyler (Texas) Junior College. During the 2007-08 campaign, Butler averaged 18.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 29 games. From there, he landed at Marquette, enjoyed more success in three seasons and was a first-round pick of the Chicago Bulls in 2011. In late 2024, the six-time All-Star gave back to Tyler, by setting up a deal for the program to wear his Li-Ning brand on their uniforms and shoes. 

From one Marquette standout to another. Crowder, actually played at two junior colleges before starring with the Golden Eagles. First, Crowder starred at South Georgia Tech (2008-09), where he helped the Jets go 27-1 and make their first NJCAA Division I tournament appearance. He was also named Georgia Junior College Athletic Association (GJCAA) Player of the Year. Crowder then transferred to Howard College (TX), where he averaged 18.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.4 steals, was named State Farm Junior College Player of the Year and helped the program win its first national title. Like Nate Archibald, Walter Berry and Jimmy Butler, Crowder is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Men’s Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.

One of the great NBA success stories of all time. Eaton went from auto mechanic to NBA All-Star and two-time defensive player of the year with the Utah Jazz. Eaton was a reserve on his high school team in Orange County, Calif. While working as a mechanic, the 7-foot-plus Eaton was discovered by an assistant basketball coach at nearby Cypress College, where earned a tryout in 1978. In two seasons at Cypress, Eaton averaged 14.3 points and helped the team win the 1980 national championship before landing at UCLA. 

A troubled youth who dropped out of high school, basketball was the only positive aspect of Francis' time growing up in the Washington D.C. area. Thanks to some AAU success, Francis earned his GED and a place on the San Jacinto (Texas) College basketball team, where he averaged 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 1996-97. The next season, Francis moved closer to home, playing at Allegany (MD) Community College, and averaging 25.3 points,8.7 assists and 7.0 rebounds. Both teams went undefeated during Francis' time, which led to a successful run at Maryland and a nine-year NBA career, featuring three All-Star nods.

An all-time great in the ABA and NBA, Hall-of-Famer Gilmore began his college basketball career at Gardner-Webb College in 1967-'69, before it became a four-year institution in its current designation as Gardner-Webb University. A two-time junior college All-American, the 7-foot-2 Gilmore averaged 22.5 points and 16.9 rebounds during his two seasons there. He then headed to Jacksonville University, where he helped his 1969-70 squad reach the finals of the NCAA Tournament.

Before Chicago-native Green became a star at Michigan, he set the table for JUCO basketball powerhouse Vincennes (Ind.) University. In his two seasons at Vincennes, from 1973-'75, the silky smooth, 6-2 Green totaled nearly 1,300 points and earned All-American status. From there, Green averaged more than 19 points during his two years at Michigan. He then played 14 seasons in the NBA, earning an All-Star nod with Utah in 1984.

There's an argument to be made that Hall-of-Famer Haywood is the greatest junior college basketball player of all time, if not the most important. Haywood spent only one season (1967-68) at Trinidad State, in Colorado, and averaged a stellar 28.2 points and 22.1 rebounds. That opened the door for Haywood to gain a spot on the 1968 United States Olympic team, which won gold in Mexico City. After earning a hardship victory to turn pro earlier than basketball players at the time were allowed, Haywood enjoyed an exceptional season in the ABA. He then was a four-time NBA All-Star and world champion with the 1980 Los Angeles Lakers.

"DJ" went from troubled teen with promising basketball talent to a five-time NBA All-Star and three-time world champion (with the then-Seattle SuperSonics and Boston Celtics). A street hoops phenom for the Los Angeles area, Johnson made his way to Los Angeles Harbor College. He averaged 18.3 points and 12.0 rebounds, and, reportedly, was kicked off the squad three times during his two seasons there. However, Johnson's game at Harbor earned him a spot at Pepperdine, where he starred before his brilliant NBA career.

How many casual basketball fans of a certain age remember that this UNLV legend was also one of the great JUCO players of all time" After backing out of a verbal commitment to SMU coming out of high school, Johnson landed at Odessa (Texas) College, where he averaged more than 22 points as a freshman and better than 29 in his second year. Sporting those numbers, Johnson became the first to win NJCAA Division 1 Player of the Year in each of his two years at that level. 

The man known as "The Microwave," started heating up as a college basketball player at McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas, from 1975-'77. The hot-shooting guard, who was also known for his air-tight defense, earned NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American recognition in his first season. The next year, Johnson averaged 29 points during a full-blown All-American season for the Highlanders, who reached the NJCAA national tournament in the 1976-77. Johnson stayed in town to attend Baylor, where he was a second-team All-American, from The Associated Press, then enjoyed a 13-year NBA career, winning two titles with Detroit.

We begin our stretch of three straight stars from Vincennes (Ind.) University. Landry, who hailed from Milwaukee and eventually became a standout at Purdue, more than cut his collegiate basketball teeth at Vincennes. As a freshman in 2002-03, Landry averaged 14.7 points and 7.8 rebounds despite missing time with a broken hand. Poised for a more complete second season, the 6-8 Landry averaged 19.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. In 2012, he was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame.

One of the great JUCO scorers and rebounders of all time, Marion ranks second on Vincennes' career scoring (1,685 points) and rebounding (923) lists in 72 games from 1996-'98. Marion shot 56 percent during his first season with the Trailblazers, then 60 percent in his final run to solidify himself as one of the school's best. Named NJCAA David Rowlands Male Student Athlete of the Year in 1998, Marion then went to UNLV, where he was an All-Mountain West Conference performer. That all led to a 16-year NBA career, during which Marion was a four-time All-Star, won a title with Dallas (2011) and has his jersey retired by the Phoenix Suns.

Like Landry and Marion, the great Bob McAdoo's Vincennes' jersey is hanging from the rafters of the school's gymnasium. Though McAdoo would eventually be lauded for his time at North Carolina, winning the 1975 NBA MVP award and being part of two world championship teams with the Los Angeles Lakers (1982, '85), the foundation for that Hall-of-Fame career was laid at Vincennes. McAdoo totaled 1,202 points in two JUCO seasons from 1969-'71. He averaged 19.3 points with 10.0 rebounds during Vincennes' run to the NJCAA Division I Men’s Basketball title in his first season. McAdoo was even better the next year, averaging 25.0 points and 11.0 during his All-American campaign.

It can be claimed that McMillan put North Carolina's Chowan College on the two-year school basketball map. From 1982-'84, McMillan was the program's initial first-team All-American. During the 1983-84 season, McMillan averaged approximately 10 points, 10 rebounds and more than 10 assists per contest for a squad that reached the NJCAA Final Four. McMillan, whose jersey was retired by the school in 2016, went on to North Carolina State, then spent his entire 12-year NBA playing career with the Seattle SuperSonics. He's also coached four NBA teams (Seattle, Portland, Indiana, Atlanta).

Pressey is one of three All-Americans produced by Western Texas College and was the leader of the school's 1979-80 37-0 national championship squad, which was coached by Nolan Richardson, who also won an NCAA Division I title at Arkansas. Pressey was MVP of the NJCAA Tournament that season. Her averaged 14 points and 7.9 rebounds during his time at Western Texas, which led to more individual success at Tulsa and an 11-year NBA career, where he was considered one of the era's best defenders.

Richmond might be the most prestigious player to come out of Kansas State, but before thrilling in the "Little Apple," he scored 1,023 career points at Missouri's Moberly Area Community College, from 1984-'86. Richmond averaged 13.1 points and 5.6 rebounds during his JUCO tenure, which paved the way for him to star at Kansas State. A six-time NBA All-Star, the Hall-of-Famer Richmond won a world championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2002.

A post-high school growth spurt to 6-foot-7, Rodman felt a potential basketball career was more possible than ever. Rodman's quest began at Cooke County College (currently known as North Central Texas College) in Gainesville, Texas. Rodman lasted just one semester during the 1982-83 season before leaving due to poor grades, but averaged 17.6 points and 13.3 rebounds. He then resurfaced at NAIA Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where he was an All-American. A seemingly unlikely Hall-of-Fame NBA career followed for one of the most hardworking and controversial players of all time.

An NBA All-Star in 1970 with the Seattle SuperSonics, Rule began his playing career at California's Riverside Community College. He played for eventual UNLV coaching icon Jerry Tarkanian for two seasons during the first half of the 1960s. The 6-7, 210-pound Rule averaged 25.7 points during the 1963-64 campaign, when he led Riverside to an undefeated season and state junior-college championship. The school lost just three games during Rule's two seasons. He then went on to Colorado State.

The second player drafted out of the junior college ranks into the NBA. Scrubb was taken by Brooklyn in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft, then traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. Though Scrubb's NBA career, to this point, covered 24 games over three seasons, he got there on the heels of two strong season's at downstate Illinois' John A. Logan College. As a freshman, the athletic Scrubb averaged 20.2 points, while shooting 46 percent from 3-point range, 8.9 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and was named NJCAA Region 24 Player of the Year. The next season, Scrubb put up 21.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game to earn National Association of Basketball Coaches NJCAA Division I Player of the Year.

So, if Jay Scrubb was the second NBA draft pick right out of the JUCO ranks, who was the first? That would be Smith, taken in the second round by Atlanta in 2004. Now, Smith's NBA career lasted 61 games over two seasons, but his junior college days at Southeastern Illinois College were pretty special. He averaged 15.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists during the 2002-03 season and more than 25 points and 7 rebounds the next campaign. Smith was slated to attend his hometown school at Louisville, but pulled out of his commitment to turn pro, much to the dismay of then-Cardinals coach Rick Pitino. 

The enigmatic and often volatile Sprewell was a quality basketball player when focused. That was the case at Missouri's Three Rivers Community College. where Sprewell left as the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,488 points in two seasons from 1988-'90. He also left Three Rivers as the school leader in points for season (1,064), made field goals in a season (421) and career scoring average (26.6). Sprewell then went to Alabama before a 13 NBA career that featured four All-Star selections and plenty of self-induced controversy. 

A member of the NJCAA Hall of Fame, Van Exel went from Kenosha, Wis, all the way to Athens, Texas (roughly 70 miles southeast of Dallas) to begin his college career at Trinity Valley Community College. He averaged approximately 25 points during his two-year stint for the Cardinals from 1988-'90. Known as "Nick the Quick," during his time at Trinity Valley, Van Exel then helped the University of Cincinnati reach the Final Four in 1992. From there, Van Exel played 13 seasons in the NBA and was named an All-Star in 1998 for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Arguably the best defensive player on this list. Wallace honed that skill while playing two seasons at Cuyahoga Community College, in the Cleveland area, from 1992-'94. During that successful tenure at Tri-C, Wallace began his Hall-of-Fame career by averaging 17.0 rebounds and nearly seven blocks per contest. Wallace, who went on to play at Virginia Union, then was a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and world champion with Detroit, had his number retired at Tri-C in 2023.