It’s been two decades since Kansas hired Bill Self in 2003. Since his hire, he’s produced 20 players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, including helping Andrew Wiggins become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. As time would tell, Wiggins’ teammate and defending NBA MVP Joel Embiid would go on to have the better peak in the NBA.
Embiid is coming off one of the best scoring seasons a big man has had at the NBA level. He led the NBA in points per game with 33.1. After battling injuries early in his career, including a stress fracture in his right foot before the 2014 NBA Draft which forced him to miss the 2014-15 and 2015-16 NBA seasons, it appears his peak is just getting started and could go down as one of the best scoring bigs in NBA history.
As for Wiggins, he looked as if he would never live up to his potential with the Minnesota Timberwolves that scouts predicted he would achieve. Wiggins was traded to the Golden State Warriors, revived his NBA career in the Bay Area and helped his team win a championship.
Self hasn’t produced the NBA talent Kentucky has during the last 10 years, but there have been a handful of players drafted that went on to have solid NBA careers. Here is the list of the greatest NBA players at their peak out of Kansas by Self.
1. Joel Embiid
There is no debate that Embiid is the best player Self has produced at Kansas. It’s hard to believe that there was a time that injuries looked like they would derail Embiid’s career. He missed two full seasons before playing an NBA game. Now he’s considered one of the best players in the world and a dominant force inside for the Philadelphia 76ers. Embiid has been in contention for MVP the past few seasons but he finally broke through and won the award. No one else on this list is going to be able to top that. The next step for Embiid is helping the 76ers get over the hump and making a deep playoff run.
2. Andrew Wiggins
A change of scenery was the best thing for Wiggins’ career. Once considered a “bust” Wiggins proved his ability to be an elite two-way player during Golden State’s playoff run in 2022. He is a major reason why the Dubs were able to beat the Celtics in six games after falling behind 2-1 in the series. Wiggins is part of one of the most notable NBA trades to happen this century. The Cavs traded away Wiggins in exchange for Timberwolves star big man Kevin Love to pair with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, which paid off big time for Cleveland. Wiggins missed a big chunk of last season due to personal issues but his impact in the playoffs was felt immediately when he returned. Kansas was only able to reach the Round of 32 in the lone season Wiggins and Embiid were on the same team.
3. Marcus Morris
During his NBA career, Morris has played for six different NBA teams and almost added to that list when he was nearly dealt to the Washington Wizards in a three-team deal before it fell apart just 24 hours after it was reportedly accepted. The best statistical season of his career came during the 2019-20 season with the New York Knicks where he averaged 19.6 points and 5.4 rebounds. He’s played in almost 800 NBA games during his career and is a respected veteran in the NBA. Morris was never considered a star and hasn’t won any major NBA awards, but his longevity has to be admired.
4. Devonte’ Graham
Graham’s best season came during his second year in the league. He was given a larger role with the Hornets during the 2019-20 season and averaged 18.2 points, 7.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 63 games. He spent one more season with the Hornets before being traded to the Pelicans in 2021. Graham spent this past season with the Spurs but only appeared in 20 total games. It appears his best days in the NBA are behind him.
5. Mario Chalmers
Chalmers hit one of the biggest shots in program history against Memphis in the national championship game in 2008. His shot sent the game to overtime before Kansas won Self’s first title at the school. Chalmers carved out an impressive career in the NBA as a second-round pick and contributed to two different championships with the Miami Heat. The best statistical season of his career came during the 2015-16 NBA season where he averaged 10.8 points, 3.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds. He’s been out of the NBA since 2018 and has been playing overseas since. He will forever be remembered as a Kansas basketball legend because of that shot.
6. Kelly Oubre Jr.
Oubre Jr. is coming off the best statistical season of his career. The 27-year-old averaged 20.2 points and 5.2 rebounds for the Hornets. He’s made steady improvements every season of his career after only averaging 3.7 points in 10.7 minutes during his rookie season with the Wizards. He’s thrived as an offensive player on rebuilding teams during his NBA career but he is one of only a handful of players on this list to have a 20 point scoring season in the NBA.
7. Christian Braun
You may wonder why a player that just completed his rookie season is on the list but it’s pretty simple. Braun proved to be one of the best rookies down the stretch of the season and played a key role for the Nuggets during their championship run. Braun is one of only two rookies (Keegan Murray with the Sacramento Kings being the other) to play significant minutes as a rookie in last season’s playoffs. His peak is just getting started, but his rookie season went as well as it could’ve gone for a late-first-round pick.
8. Markieff Morris
Morris is an NBA journeyman who peaked early in his career. He averaged 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds during his fourth season in the league and has played 750 games in the NBA on eight different teams. He only appeared in eight games last season for the Dallas Mavericks and hasn’t played in a full season since the 2014-15 campaign. He and his brother, Marcus, were both stars at Kansas before they became the first set of twins to be drafted in the lottery during the same NBA Draft. Marcus may get bragging rights for career NBA earnings, but both brothers have had solid NBA careers.
9. Ben McLemore
McLemore may be considered a “bust” for where he was drafted (No. 7 overall in 2013) but he bounced back after getting sent to the G-League in 2017. He returned back on an NBA roster with the Memphis Grizzlies after a few games in the G-League and made appearances on the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers before his NBA career likely ended. McLemore’s peak came in his second season when he averaged a career-high in points (12.1), rebounds (2.9), assists (1.7) and steals (0.9). He’s played in over 500 games in his NBA career and now he currently plays overseas.
10. Brandon Rush
Rush’s last season in the NBA came during the 2016-17 campaign. Before that, he appeared in nearly 500 NBA games and averaged 6.8 points and 2.9 rebounds. The best season of his NBA career came during the 2011-12 season with the Warriors when he averaged 9.8 points and 3.9 rebounds. He won a championship with the Warriors in 2015 and was an all-star in the Greek League in 2020.