The NCAA’s Greatest Scorers Who Never Played in the NBA (Part 1)

We’ve seen many great players scorers come and go in the NCAA. Some go on to have illustrious NBA careers while others just don’t produce as they did in college. While we know some of the bigger names to no “live up to the type” as NBA scorers (Doug McDermott, Tyler Hansbrough, Jimmer Fredette, etc.), what about the great NCAA scorers that didn’t even get to the NBA? We’ve seen many lists that address the greatest undrafted players in NBA history (active and/or All-Time). But what we don’t discuss is the best NCAA scorers that never even suited up for an NBA game. Some of these guys had a tiny bit of hype coming into their drafts while others simply didn’t garner much attention at all from scouts. Let’s go over some of the leading scorers in NCAA history who never stepped foot in the NBA.

1. Mike Daum (South Dakota State, 2015-2019)

3,067 NCAA Points (7th All-Time)

Career Stats: 22.4 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 50.4 FG%, 41.0 3P%

Mike Daum is an odd player to judge, which is likely why he went undrafted and remains out of the NBA despite being only 25 years old. Daum joined a South Dakota State team that was just over a decade into being a Division I college team. While coming off the bench in his freshman year, Daum managed to put up 15.2 PPG in barely over 20 minutes a game. That scoring success would continue as he grabbed the starting spot the following season, going for 25.1, 23.9, and 25.3 PPG in his next three seasons. Unfortunately for Daum, none of his scoring or rebounding (10.3 and 11.7 RPG in his final two seasons) was enough to make an NBA team take him in the 2019 NBA draft, not even as a flyer 2nd round pick.

Questions of his fit on the next level on both ends of the court hurt Daum’s stock as an NBA prospect. Standing at 6’9” and 235 pounds, Daum had solid size for an NBA forward. You’d think he’d be an ideal stretch-4 on the next level as he hit over 40% of his threes on nearly 5 attempts per game in college, however, his lack of athleticism (particularly on defense) and lack of experience against elite competition (setback of playing for a non-power conference team) held doubts around him.

Daum did receive a small shot at an NBA career when the Portland Trail Blazers signed him to a summer league contract. But things didn’t pan out for him as he failed to impress in his limited time.

2. Harry Kelly (Texas Southern, 1979-1983)

3,066 NCAA Points (8th All-Time)

Career Stats: 27.9 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 48.5 FG%

Harry Kelly, nicknamed Machine Gun Kelly because of his ability to light up the scoreboard, is a sad story. He’s a victim of his era, despite being a record-setter and a Houston legend. As a four-year Texas Southern basketball player, Kelly became the 1st NCAA player to reach 3,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. As a freshman, Kelly put up an astounding 29.0 PPG. However, his team finished the season with a 9-17 record. The following season wasn’t much different as Kelly averaged 23.7 PPG in a 13-13 season. While he was able to help turn the team around in his final two seasons, they failed to make an NCAA Tournament appearance, making Kelly’s draft status questionable. Teams didn’t seem to believe in his talents translating on the next level despite the 6’7” forwards scoring prowess.

Kelly would eventually get drafted in the 4th round of the 1983 NBA draft (a 10-round draft). Unfortunately for him, not many players selected beyond the 1st three rounds had a good shot at actually carving out an NBA career. Of the 145 players drafted after Kelly, only eight players wound up playing in the NBA, with only two having sustained, lasting careers (Manute Bol and Sedale Threatt). Kelly was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks but cut before the season in favor of the players selected before him.

3. Keydren Clark (St. Peter’s, 2002-2006)

3,058 NCAA Points (9th All-Time)

Career Stats: 25.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 4.2 APG, 2.2 SPG, 40.2 FG%

Keydren Clark was a high-volume guard who was a SG stuck in a PG’s body. Standing at about 5’10”, Clark managed to hoist up 20.4 field goal attempts per game during his 4-year, 118-game NCAA career. Despite his ability to score at a high-rate and occasionally create for others, Clark failed to ever take St. Peter’s to the NCAA Tourney. He simply lit up the scorer’s table while taking over 10 threes a game. Clark is most famously known for battling out with JJ Redick for the then-leading career NCAA 3-pointers made list. Clark led the way with 435 threes made for a brief moment before Redick surpassed him later that season with 457 career threes.

Clark didn’t garner any attention heading into the 2006 NBA Draft, leading him into a solid basketball career overseas. Clark quickly made the decision to play overseas after going undrafted but didn’t give up his NBA dream. A year later, Clark found his way onto the Utah Jazz’s summer league roster, but it led nowhere. That didn’t stop Clark as he continued to play professionally overseas and make appearances in yearly summer tournaments. Once again in ‘13-’14, Clark was able to land a spot on an NBA summer league roster, the Minnesota Timberwolves. Unfortunately, Clark was let go after an impressive, efficient 8.7 PPG (54.1 FG% and 52.2 3P%) along 6 games.

4. Kevin Bradshaw (Bethune-Cookman, 1983-1985; U.S. International, 1989-1991)

2,804 NCAA Points (18th All-Time)

Bethune-Cookman Stats: 15.9 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 43.2 FG%

U.S. International Stats: 34.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 41.2 FG%

Career Stats: 25.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 41.9 FG%

Kevin Bradshaw was a bucket-getter, but realistically, never had a shot at the NBA. After improving as a scorer from his freshman year to sophomore year, Bradshaw decided to join the Navy. Though he had success playing alongside NBA legend David Robinson while in the Navy, it wasn’t for the Navy’s NCAA outfit, but for the All-Navy team that traveled the country.

Bradshaw’s age and experience most definitely played a part in his success as a scorer when he returned to the NCAA to further pursue his education. Bradshaw was a 24-year-old seasoned junior college player going up against average competition. Regardless of his advantages, Bradshaw’s numbers were impressive. He averaged 31.3 PPG in his junior season, then an astounding 37.6 PPG in his senior year. He holds the record for the most points against a Division I opponent in NCAA history with 72 points in a loss to Loyola Marymount.

Though he never landed on an NBA team, Bradshaw would go on to have an illustrious overseas career playing professionally in Israel for 11 years. Who knows how Bradshaw’s basketball career would have panned out if he went a different route? Regardless, his career and contributions are appreciated.

5. Hank Gathers (USC, 1985-1986; Loyola Marymount, 1987-1990)

2,723 NCAA Points (22nd All-Time)

USC Stats: 8.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 52.9 FG%

Loyola Marymount Stats: 28.0 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 59.0 FG%

Career Stats: 23.3 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 58.5 FG%

The death of Hank Gathers will forever be remembered. His inclusion on this list comes with a big, bold asterisk. He was just about a consensus 1st overall pick, to be selected before Syracuse big man Derrick Coleman. Even if he didn’t go #1, he was a shoo-in to go top 5 in the 1990 NBA draft.

In his junior season, Gathers averaged an incredible 32.7 PPG with 13.7 RPG, but his Loyola Marymount team was ousted in round 1 of the NCAA Tournament by the higher-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks. Gathers returned for his senior season ready to expand on his success. Unfortunately, early in the season, Gathers collapsed during a game and was diagnosed with a heart condition. He champed his way through the season with 29.0 PPG and 10.8 RPG in 26 appearances. Sadly, Gathers collapsed again later in the season and passed away playing the sport he loved.

As a 6’7” combo forward, he may not have had become a superstar on the next level, but he could have easily become a starter-quality forward for a contending team.