Former NCAA Superstars—Are They Having Hoop Dreams or Hoop Nightmares?

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Bobby Hurley, Duke University—Then

Bobby Hurley was part of Duke University's basketball program from 1989 to 1993. How good was he? Hurley was the point guard on a team that went all the way to the Final Four three times, winning in 1991 and 1992, the year he was named the Final Four's most outstanding player. Note: Most outstanding player is sort of like most valuable player, except that it isn't. Don't ask. Basically, he was awesome.

Bobby Hurley—Now

When he left Duke for the NBA, Hurley was drafted seventh overall by the Sacramento Kings. Shortly thereafter, in December 1993, he was seriously injured in a car crash. Because of the accident, Hurley's NBA career never lived up to the promise he showed in college, and he retired in 1998. He eventually found his way to coaching—no surprise, since his father, Bob Hurley Sr., is the legendary coach of St. Anthony High School in Jersey City—working with his brother, Dan Hurley. Both Hurley brothers left Staten Island's Wagner College to coach at the University of Rhode Island. In 2013, Hurley was named head coach of the Buffalo Bulls men's basketball team.

Susan Ragan/AP Photo

Christian Laettner, Duke University—Then

Christian Laettner played for Duke from 1988 to 1992, winning two championships with teammate Bobby Hurley and receiving NCAA Final Four MOP honors in 1991. It was in 1992 that Laettner made this amazing buzzer-beating basket that came to be known as The Shot. That same year, he was the only college player selected for the gold medal-winning 1992 United States Olympics dream team.

Susan Ragan/AP Photo, Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for USOC

Christian Laettner—Now

Here is Christian Laettner at the 2009 U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame induction ceremony. After leaving Duke, Laettner was selected third overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He went on to a respectable NBA career, playing for a number of teams before retiring in 2005. He returned to the court in 2011, playing for the ABA Jacksonville Giants; the ABA is sort of the NBA's minor league. It's possible that he needed cash—it was recently revealed that the former all-star handled a basketball much better than he handled his money. According to published reports, he owes over $26 million to various creditors. On a lighter note, Laettner's bodacious buzzer-beater was featured in a UPS TV ad, one that nicely points out the role of Grant Hill's pass that allowed Laettner to attempt his game-winning shot in the first place. Kentucky fans, including state senator Ernie Harris, were annoyed and wanted UPS to pull the ad. Guys. It was a long time ago. Let it go.

Bob Jordan/AP Photo

Corliss Williamson, Arkansas—Then

Corliss Williamson played for Arkansas from 1992 to 1995, leading his team to an NCAA championship in 1994 and earning most outstanding player honors the same year. Here are some highlights from the 1994 championship game against Duke, in which Williamson scored 23 points.

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Corliss Williamson—Now

Williamson was drafted 13th overall by the Sacramento Kings in 1995 and won an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004 before retiring as a King in 2007. Williamson's nickname was Big Nasty, partly because of games like this one, where he and one of his Detroit Pistons teammates were ejected for being a bit too aggressive with the Sacramento Kings' Brad Miller. Williamson was the head coach of the Central Arkansas Bears until 2013 when he left to be an assistant the Sacaramento Kings.

Brian Horton/AP Photo

Darrell Griffith, Louisville—Then

You've heard of Dr. J. How about Dr. Dunkenstein? That was Darrell Griffith's nickname, and as you can see in this video from 1980, it was well-deserved. Griffith played for Louisville from 1976 to 1980, leading his team to an NCAA championship and winning the Final Four most outstanding player award in his final year. (We're detecting a pattern here.)

Darrell Griffith—Now

Griffith, pictured here in 2009, was drafted second overall by the Utah Jazz and spent his entire NBA career with the club, retiring in 1991. He claimed the NBA rookie of the year award in 1981. In 2008, Geico ranked the Top 10 college dunkers of all time. The list includes better-known names such as Shaquille O'Neal and Michael Jordan, but Darrell Griffith, Dr. Dunkenstein, was No. 1. In 2011, he was named one of the greatest players in Louisville history by USA Today. Griffith currently holds an annual post-Kentucky Derby party, The Darrell Griffith Foundation All-Star Celebrity Affair, to raise money for Louisville charities.

Ed O'Bannon, UCLA—Then

If not for a gift from a dead person, Ed O'Bannon might not have been able to play college basketball. No, this isn't a zombie movie. O'Bannon injured his left knee during his first year at UCLA and recovered thanks to an Achilles tendon transplant from a cadaver. (Cue the spooky music.) He then went on to an NCAA championship and Final Four MOP honors in 1995, his final year at the school. (Like we said—pattern. We're noticing one.)

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Ed O'Bannon—Now

O'Bannon was drafted ninth overall by the New Jersey Nets, where he played until 1997, when he had a brief stint with the Dallas Mavericks. Things weren't working out for him in the NBA, so he played overseas in Italy, Spain, Greece, Argentina, and Poland. After working for a car dealership, he became the coach of Henderson International School boys' basketball team. His name was in the news the past couple of years when he was the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the NCAA over the money earned from the use of college players' images in video games and other media.

AP Photo

Ed Pinckney, Villanova—Then

In 1985, Ed Pinckney led Villanova to an upset victory against Georgetown. How big of an upset was it? Well, the talking head in this video says that "nobody" thought there was any chance that Villanova would win. But win they did, becoming the lowest-seeded team ever to do so. Pinckney, of course, received the Final Four MOP award.

Ed Pinckney—Now

Pinckney was drafted 10th overall by the Phoenix Suns, but many fans remember him for his time with the Boston Celtics (1989-1994). He retired in 1997 as a member of the Miami Heat. After leaving the NBA, he worked as a television analyst, and in 2010 he was hired by the Chicago Bulls as an assistant coach.

Glen Rice, Michigan—Then

Glen Rice played college ball for the University of Michigan from 1985 to 1989. Guess what? In his final year, his team won the NCAA Championship and Rice won the Final Four most outstanding player award. We know, the suspense was killing you.

Gustavo Caballero/WireImage

Glen Rice—Now

Rice was selected fourth overall by the Miami Heat. His NBA career was better than many college champs'—he was a three-time NBA all-star and won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers. His name was in the news recently for a decidedly non-sports reason—Rice reportedly had a "one-night stand" with former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in 1987. In other fun news, Rice's son, Glen Rice Jr. currently plays for the Washington Wizards.

Ed Reinke/AP Photo

Juan Dixon, Maryland—Then

Juan Dixon follows our pattern. He played for the University of Maryland from 1998 to 2002. In 2002, he led the team to their first NCAA championship and won Final Four MOP honors. It was Maryland's first championship, though. That's definitely different. Sadly, Dixon's parents both died of AIDS-related illnesses when he was only 17 years old; they were heroin addicts. He was raised by his grandparents.

Juan Dixon—Now

Dixon was drafted 17th overall by the Washington Wizards in 2002. He remained there until 2005 before moving to the Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons, and then back to the Wizards. He then started playing overseas, first with Greece, then Spain, and joined a Turkish team in 2011. In 2013, Dixon joined the Maryland Terrapin coaching staff. Fun fact—Juan's aunt Sheila Dixon was named Baltimore's first female mayor in 2007 after a scandal caused the incumbent to step down.

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Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State—Then

Mateen Cleaves has an awesome name, and played college ball for Michigan State. The team won a championship in 2000, and Cleaves was named most outstanding player. Things almost went awry, however. During a recruiting trip to the University of Michigan in 1996, Cleaves was a passenger in a car crash. Said car crash led to an investigation, which led to a big-time scandal involving a number of future NBA players and a booster named Ed Martin. It was ugly. Cleaves decided to go to Michigan State—U. of M.'s rival—instead.

Jed Jacobsohn/ALLSPORT/Getty Images, Mike Householder/AP Photo

Mateen Cleaves—Now

Cleaves was drafted 14th overall by the Detroit Pistons, but his career never really caught on in the NBA. He bounced around the league for a while, played overseas, and retired in 2009. He became an ESPN analyst in 2010 and is currently promoting a young rapper named Jon Connor.

Ed Reinke/AP Photo

Miles Simon, Arizona—Then

Miles Simon played for the University of Arizona from 1994 to 1998. Guess what? He helped the team win the NCAA championship and received most outstanding player honors, but he did it in 1997, which was not his final year as a college player. He played one more year. He is also probably the only player on this list to be born in Sweden. If we're wrong, tell us. We can take it.

Ed Reinke/AP Photo, Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Jordan Brand Classic

Miles Simon—Now

Simon was indeed a great college player, but his game didn't translate to the NBA. He was drafted in the second round by the Orlando Magic in 1998 and only played there for a year. He did very well in the CBA, and also played for teams in Israel and Italy. He was an assistant coach at his alma matter from 2005 to 2008. He currently works as an ESPN college basketball analyst.

Pervis Ellison, Louisville—Then

Pervis Ellison has an awesome name. He also was on an NCAA championship team and won the Final Four most outstanding player award when he was a University of Louisville freshman in 1986. Where do you go from there? He was nicknamed Never Nervous Pervis, but if you watch this video, you'll find out what it is that makes Pervis nervous. It also caused him to, shall we say, break like the wind. Seriously, watch the clip, it's worth your time.

Pervis Ellison—Now

Pervis Ellison was drafted first overall by the Sacramento Kings in 1989; it was immediately after this unexpected announcement that he got a little anxious. (Watch the video!) Never Nervous Pervis became Out-of-Service Pervis because of injuries, but he battled back to become the NBA's most improved player in 1992. Ellison retired in 2000 and currently coaches basketball at the Life Center Academy in New Jersey.

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Sean May, North Carolina—Then

At 27, Sean May is the youngest player on our list. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and led the team to an NCAA championship in 2005, receiving the obligatory-for-this-list Final Four most outstanding player award. It was UNC Chapel Hill's first championship since 1993, and May was indeed outstanding, scoring 26 points in the final game.

Sean May—Now

Sean May was selected 13th overall by Charlotte Bobcats in the 2005 NBA draft, but injuries kept him on the sidelines for much of his tenure with the team. He spent a year with the Sacramento Kings, then took his game international, playing in Turkey and Croatia. He signed with a French team in 2012.

AP Photo

Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Michigan State—Then

So Magic Johnson, you've heard of. Unless you try really, really hard to avoid knowing the names of the most famous sports figures of all time. Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (his father was Earvin Sr., not Magic Sr.) played for Michigan State University from 1977 to 1979. In 1979, he helped Michigan State beat an Indiana State University team led by one Larry Bird. And yes, Johnson was named most outstanding player.

AP Photo, Andy Kropa/Getty Images

Earvin "Magic" Johnson--Now

Magic Johnson went on to have one of the best NBA careers of all time—for a while anyway. He started out with the Los Angeles Lakers, who selected him first overall in the 1979 NBA draft. He quickly won an NBA championship and the NBA finals MVP—in his first year as a pro. He went on to four more championship seasons with the Lakers. Then came 1991, when Johnson announced he was HIV positive. This led to his retirement, a brief return, then another retirement, and a final return to the game in 1996, after which he retired for good. Since then, Johnson has had a late-night talk show (not so successful), many businesses (more successful), and has worked as a broadcaster. He also works with HIV-related charities, including his own Magic Johnson Foundation.