2010′s “One and Done” NCAA Basketball Stars

No one likes the one and done, no matter what it refers to. One beer and done makes for a boring night; one roll in the hay and done may leave your girlfriend wanting more (but since you got yours, so what), and there is no way you can just lick a Tootsie roll pop just once and be done either.

However, what has to be the most annoying one and done in the world is the dreaded “One and done” that has become common for some of the best basketball players in the NCAA. Coaches go through the trouble of recruiting them; the fans get excited about the team; and right when the next few years look to be good ones for your favorite college team- he’s gone.

Guys like O.J Mayo, Kevin Durant, Michael Beasley, Eric Gordon, and Kevin Love gave their schools a huge boost while they were there only to bring them down by ditching higher education for higher bank balances after just one year.

College basketball fans have to ask themselves now whether their favorite player is going to help create a legacy over the next four years or are they just like a meeting a hot girl on a group date and losing her number- exciting in the moment, but disappointing in the end.

This year’s crop of freshman ballers is not as talented as the last couple years, but the following players are some guys you might not want to get too attached too.

John Wall, Guard, Kentucky

A guy that gets suspended for taking money before he even plays might not be one you want to hold on to anyway. When that same guy scores 27 points and pulls down 9 boards in just 28 minutes (like Wall did in his first game, an exhibition contest against Clarion) you tend to forgive his indiscretions. Not convinced by an exhibition game? In his first regular season contest he produces a respectable stat line- 19 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals- and sinks the game winner with less than a second on the clock. Sorry for you Wildcats, but this guy is gone!

Xavier Henry, Guard, Kansas

To put it simply this kid can shoot! His 27 points against Hofstra set a new school record for a début performance by a freshman. Against LaSalle he became the first freshmen to score more than 30 (he hit 31 that night) since Paul Pierce (and he’s not doing too shabby). That 31 was four short of the Kansas freshmen single game scoring record, one he will undoubtedly own before the season is done. He may help Kansas back to the dance this year, but this guy’s scoring ability alone will be tempting to many of the NBA’s offensively challenged teams.

DeMarcus Cousins, Forward, Kentucky

Anyone that can average nearly a double-double on barely 20 minutes of game time (15.3 points and 9.3 boards through 18 games) will be getting a lot of attention from NBA teams. He tends to throw around his 6’11” 260 pound body and foul a bit much, but someone that pulls down the boards like this guy is bound to have a few foul issues. With the number of second chance points and defensive boards this guy is bound to produce a few fouls can be forgotten.

Tiny Gallon, Forward, Oklahoma

This guy should be included for having the most ironic name in college hoops. At 6’9” and close to 300 pounds there is nothing tiny about this guy. Like Cousins, this guy is also close to averaging a double-double a night (11.3 points and 9.1 boards through 17 games in 24 minutes).Also like Cousins he tends to have some foul issues as well, but he too has the skills and talents a number of NBA teams could use right now.

Avery Bradley, Guard, Texas

This guy is the least likely of the five to be done in one due to the slow start he had in November and December. That being said if he continues to improve at the rate at which he has shown lately there is a good chance that Texas fans will not see much of this young man next year. His defense has been stellar throughout the year for the Longhorns and his shooting accuracy is on the rise. With the national attention this team is getting showcasing his talents it would not be surprising to see him on an NBA hard court next season.