10 college standouts who won't be selected in NBA Draft

The NCAA is a stepping stone to the NBA, but an impressive college career doesn’t always translate to success as a pro. In fact, many of the NCAA’s brighter stars don’t have the skills to make an impact in the NBA. Here are 10 who won't be selected Thursday in the NBA Draft:

Luke Maye, North Carolina

After playing sparingly his first two seasons, Maye was a vital part of a Tar Heels team that won an NCAA championship in 2017. He was named preseason ACC Player of the Year last year, and he lit up Duke for 30 points in February. But Maye's game is too limited. He'll have a long climb to make an NBA roster.

Josh Perkins, Gonzaga

Perkins was a four-year fixture at point guard for a highly successful Gonzaga team. Flanked by two potential lottery picks in the front court in Brandon Clarke and Rui Hachimura, he made the Bulldogs go. Although he is a capable floor general and has a consistent jumper, he probably won't be drafted.

Barry Brown Jr., Kansas State

In four seasons with Brown in Kansas State's backcourt, the Wildcats won 88 games. He never missed a game, and head coach Bruce Weber could always rely on Brown and his slashing style to score. He isn’t just a one-dimensional player either -- Brown was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year last season. Even with an impressive resume, Brown has too many questions about his game -- notably his outside shooting -- to warrant being drafted.

Chris Clemons, Campbell

In 2019, Clemons drew national attention for his scoring prowess. He scored 3,225 points in college, third on the all-time scoring list. Despite that accomplishment, Clemons is a 5-foot-9 point guard with tunnel vision who played in the underwhelming BIg South Conference.

Ethan Happ, Wisconsin

During his four seasons in a successful program, Happ drew attention for good and bad reasons.  He's a terrific rebounder and a whirling dervish in the post, with the passing and handling skills of a guard. Happ also is an awful free-throw shooter -- he shot .466 from the line last season. His underwhelming size (6-foot-10, 237 pounds), unimpressive athleticism and poor jump shot drag down the rest of his delightfully eclectic game.

Caleb Martin, Nevada

Martin averaged 18.9 points in 2017-18 and 19.2 points last season, so we know he can score. But his game isn’t attracting much NBA attention. He's an inefficient, indiscriminate shot-taker, not a player an NBA team will consider on draft night.

Cody Martin, Nevada

While his twin brother Caleb provided scoring punch, Cody ran the show. The point guard has a unique combination of size (listed at 6-foot-7) and play-making skills (4.9 assists in 2018-19). But he doesn't have the dominating skills to justify allowing him to dominate the ball in the NBA. His appeal is limited in an off-the-ball role.

Jon Elmore, Marshall

Elmore burst onto the scene during the 2017-18 season, leading Marshall to an upset of No. 4 seed Wichita State in the NCAA Tournament. In college, he displayed scoring and play-making skills. Marshall didn’t have as much success in 2019, but Elmore posted an impressive stat line (20.3 points, 5.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game.) Unfortunately for Elmore, NBA teams have too many questions about his middling outside shooting and whether the offensive system at Marshall inflated his production.

Bennie Boatright, Southern Cal

It seems as if Boatright has been part of USC’s frontcourt for an eternity. In four seasons at Southern Cal, he never averaged less than double figures in scoring. But Boatright lacks a defining skill, making it hard for an NBA team to justify using a draft pick on him.

Matt Rafferty, Furman

The Paladins were an afterthought in college hoops until the 2018-19 season. Led by Rafferty, a slick-shooting center, Furman registered impressive non-conference wins and earned its first Top-25 ranking. However, Rafferty is drastically undersized (he’s listed at 6-foot-8) for a center and lacks the athleticism and jump shot to make it in the NBA.