Murray State’s Ja Morant is set to become one of the top picks in this year’s NBA Draft. #12 Murray State will face off against #5 Marquette and Markus Howard in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.
Not many mid-major guards get taken in the first round of the NBA Draft. Even fewer played in the NCAA Tournament (Weber State never made the Big Dance when Damian Lillard was there).
Here, Pure Hoops Media takes a look at some of Morant’s predecessors from the last 10 years: mid-major guards who played in the NCAA Tournament and then went on to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.
Elfrid Payton (Louisiana-Lafayette)
- 2014 NBA Draft: #10 overall
- NCAA Tournament appearances: 1 (2014)
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- #3 Creighton def. #14 Louisiana-Lafayette, 76-66. Payton had a team-high 24 points and played all 40 minutes
| Opponent | Pts | FG | 3-pt | FT | Reb | A | TO | Blk | Stl | Min |
| Creighton | 24 | 9-20 | 1-4 | 5-9 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 40 |
- National POY Doug McDermott had 30 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Blue Jays past Payton and Louisiana-Lafayette. McDermott was taken one pick after Payton in the NBA Draft that year.
CJ McCollum (Lehigh) 09/10-12/13
- 2013 NBA Draft: #10 overall
- NCAA Tournament appearances: 2 (2010, 2012)
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- 2010: #1 Kansas def. #16 Lehigh, 90-74. McCollum led all freshmen in scoring his rookie year
- 2012: #15 Lehigh def. #2 Duke, 75-70. McCollum had his sixth 30-point game of the season against the Blue Devils and led Lehigh to the first NCAA Tournament win in program history
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- #10 Xavier def. Lehigh, 70-58, in the Second Round
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| Opponent | Pts | FG | 3-pt | FT | Reb | A | TO | Blk | Stl | Min |
| Kansas | 26 | 7-21 | 2-8 | 10-13 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 37 |
| Duke | 30 | 9-24 | 2-7 | 10-16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 39 |
| Xavier | 14 | 5-22 | 0-6 | 4-4 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 34 |
| Averages | 23.3 | 31% | 19% | 73% | 7 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 36 |
Norris Cole (Cleveland State)
- 2011 NBA Draft: #28 overall
- NCAA Tournament appearances: 1 (2009)
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- #13 Cleveland State def. #3 Wake Forest, 84-69
- #12 Arizona def. Cleveland State, 71-57, in the Second Round
| Opponent | Pts | FG | 3-pt | FT | Reb | A | TO | Blk | Stl | Min |
| Wake Forest | 22 | 8-18 | 1-6 | 5-6 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 37 |
| Arizona | 17 | 7-15 | 1-7 | 2-2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 33 |
| Averages | 19.5 | 45% | 15% | 88% | 0.5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 35 |
- Cole was a sophomore on that Cleveland State team, averaging 13.3 PPG and 2.4 APG. As a senior, Cole would go on to average 21.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 5.3 APG and 2.2 SPG.
Eric Maynor (VCU)
- 2009 NBA Draft: #20 overall
- NCAA Tournament appearances: 2 (2007 and 2009)
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- 2007: #11 VCU def. #6 Duke, 79-77
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- #3 Pitt def. VCU, 84-79
- 2009: #6 UCLA def. #11 VCU, 65-64
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| Opponent | Pts | FG | 3-pt | FT | Reb | A | TO | Blk | Stl | Min |
| Duke | 22 | 8-16 | 0-1 | 6-8 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 39 |
| Pitt | 14 | 5-14 | 0-1 | 4-4 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 42 |
| UCLA | 21 | 5-15 | 1-3 | 10-13 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 39 |
| Averages | 19 | 40% | 20% | 80% | 3.3 | 7.6 | 2 | 0 | 2.3 | 40 |
- Maynor is VCU’s all-time leader in points (1,953) and assists (674) and is in the Top 10 in steals and minutes played
Stephen Curry (Davidson)
- 2009 NBA Draft: #7 overall
- NCAA Tournament appearances: 2 (2007 and 2008)
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- 2007: #4 Maryland def. #13 Davidson, 82-70
- 2008: Curry and #10 Davidson advance to the Elite 8
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- First Round: Davidson def. #7 Gonzaga, 82-76
- Second Round: Davidson def. #2 Georgetown, 74-70
- Sweet 16: Davidson def. #3 Wisconsin, 73-56
- Elite 8: #1 Kansas def. Davidson, 59-57
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| Opponent | Pts | FG | 3-pt | FT | Reb | A | TO | Blk | Stl | Min |
| Maryland | 30 | 9-21 | 5-14 | 7-7 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 36 |
| Gonzaga | 40 | 14-22 | 8-10 | 4-6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 39 |
| Georgetown | 30 | 8-21 | 5-15 | 9-10 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 36 |
| Wisconsin | 33 | 11-22 | 6-11 | 5-5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 37 |
| Kansas | 25 | 9-25 | 4-16 | 3-3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 40 |
| Averages | 31.6 | 46% | 42% | 90% | 3.4 | 3.4 | 1.8 | 0 | 3.2 | 37.6 |
- Curry set the NCAA D-1 record for made 3-pointers in a season with 162 as a sophomore, the year he took Davidson to the Elite 8. Curry’s record still stands
Ja Morant (Murray State)
- 2019 NBA Draft: ???
- NCAA Tournament appearances: 1 (2018)
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- #5 West Virginia def. #12 Murray State, 85-68.
| Opponent | Pts | FG | 3-pt | FT | Reb | A | TO | Blk | Stl | Min |
| WVU | 14 | 5-10 | 0-2 | 4-5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 36 |
- Morant’s 2 assists were a season-low. Morant’s 6.3 APG his rookie year was 2nd among in the nation among freshmen, behind only Oklahoma’s Trae Young (8.1 APG).