The 2017 NBA draft is either making a mockery out of the NBA’s age requirement or proving it works, depends on your view. But the one-and-done phenomenon (see Ben Simmons) where players spend just a year at an elite college before they’re eligible for the NBA has never been more evident that this year. Of the first 11 players chosen, there was only the Frenchman Frank Ntilikina, taken by the Knicks at #8, who did not come straight out of his freshman year at an American university.
In other words, the first 10 American players chosen in the 2017 NBA draft were one-and-done players. Here are the top 10 Americans and their schools
- 76ers: Markelle Fultz, Washington
- Lakers: Lonzo Ball, UCLA
- Celtics: Jayson Tatum, Duke
- Suns: Josh Jackson, Kansas
- Kings: De’Aaron Fox, Kentucky
- Magic: Jonathan Isaac, Florida State
- Bulls: Lauri Markkanen, Arizona
- Knicks: Frank Ntilikina, France
- Mavs: Dennis Smith Jr., North Carolina State
- Trail Blazers: Zach Collins, Gonzaga
- Hornets: Malik Monk, Kentucky
Trust the process.
Markelle Fultz is the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 #NBADraft.#ProDawgs // #HuskyFamily
PC: @BleacherReport pic.twitter.com/6bi5W0ReF5
— UW Men’s Basketball (@UW_MBB) June 22, 2017
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