Recruits: Big East 2nd best path to NBA, and MU 2nd best NBA path in BE

With the guaranteed 2-year contracts going to 1st round picks Wesley Johnson, Greg Monroe, Dominique Jones and our own Lazar Hayward, the Big East has 69 players coaching or playing the NBA, more than any other conference except the ACC (74).

What is truly amazing is that if Hamady N'Diaye of Rutgers makes the Wizards then all 16 Big East teams will have former players in the NBA (despite all having fewer tams, no other conference has every team represented in the NBA).

Not only does the Big East have the 2nd most players in the NBA, but among Big East schools, Marquette ranks 2nd at getting players to the NBA. Here is the complete list:

1st) Connecticut 12 - Allen, Ray (G-Boston), Thabeet, Hasheem (C-Memphis), Okafor, Emeka (C-New Orleans), Boone, Josh (C-New Jersey), Villanueva, Charlie (F-Detroit), Gay, Rudy (SF-Memphis), Hamilton, Richard (G/F-Detroit), Butler, Caron (SG-Dallas), Gordon, Ben (G-Detroit), Williams, Marcus (PG-Memphis), Ollie, Kevin (PG-Oklahoma City), Price, A. J. (PG-Indiana). Trying out (2nd round, 10-day or end-of-season contacts, etc.); Robinson, Stanley (SF-Orlando).

2nd) Marquette 8 - Doc Rivers (Coach-Boston), Wesley Matthews (G-Utah), Jim Boylan (Assistant-Milwaukee), Maurice Lucas (Assistant-Portland), Novak, Steve (F-LA Clippers), Hayward, Lazar (SF-Minnesota), Wade, Dwyane (SG-Miami), Diener, Travis (PG-Portland).

3rd) Notre Dame 7 - Monty Williams (Coach-New Orleans), Adrian Dantley (Assistant-Denver), Bill Laimbeer (Assistant-Minnesota), John Shumate (Assistant-Phoenix), Murphy, Troy (PF-Indiana), Carroll, Matt (SG-Dallas), Quinn, Chris (PG-New Jersey). Trying out (2nd round, 10-day or end-of-season contacts, etc.); Kurz, Rob (F-Chicago), Harangody, Luke (F-Boston).

4th) Syracuse 7 - Frank Hamblen (Assistant-LA Lakers), Thomas, Etan (C-Oklahoma City), Warrick, Hakim (PF-Chicago), Greene, Donté (SF-Sacramento), Anthony, Carmelo (SF-Denver), Johnson, Wesley (SF-Minnesota), Flynn, Jonny (PG-Minnesota). Trying out (2nd round, 10-day or end-of-season contacts, etc.); Rautins, Andy (G-New York).

5th) Villanova 6 - Alvin Williams (Assistant-Toronto), Allen, Malik (PF-Denver), Cunningham, Dante (PF-Portland), Thomas, Tim (F-Dallas), Foye, Randy (G-Washington), Lowry, Kyle (PG-Houston).

6th) DePaul 5 - Tyrone Corbin (Assistant-Utah), Hunter, Steven (C-Memphis), Simmons, Bobby (SF-New Jersey), Richardson, Quentin (SF-Miami), Chandler, Wilson (G/F-New York).

7th) Georgetown 5 - Patrick Ewing (Assistant-Orlando), Hibbert, Roy (C-Indiana), Monroe, Greg (F/C-Detroit), Green, Jeff (PF-Oklahoma City), Summers, DaJuan (F-Detroit).

8th) Pittsburgh 4 - Tim Grgurich (Assistant-Denver), Gray, Aaron (C-New Orleans), Blair, DeJuan (F/C-San Antonio), Young, Sam (SF-Memphis).

9th) Louisville 3 - Clark, Earl (F-Phoenix), Williams, Terrence (SF-New Jersey), García, Francisco (SG-Sacramento).

10th) Seton Hall 3 - Adrian Griffin (Assistant-Milwaukee), Mark Bryant (Assistant-Oklahoma City), Dalembert, Samuel (C-Sacramento).

11th) South Florida 3 - Jones, Solomon (C-Indiana), Jones, Dominique (SG-Dallas), Atkins, Chucky (G-Detroit).

12th) Cincinnati 2 - Maxiell, Jason (F/C-Detroit), Martin, Kenyon (PF-Denver). Possible addition Stephenson, Lance (SG-Indiana).

13th) St. John's 2 - Robert Werdann (Assistant-New Orleans), Artest, Ron (SF-LA Lakers).

14th) Providence 1 - Gomes, Ryan (SF-Portland).

15th) West Virginia 1 - Alexander, Joe (SF-Chicago). Trying out (2nd round, 10-day or end-of-season contacts, etc.); Butler, Da'Sean (SF-Miami) and Ebanks, Devin (SF-LA Lakers).

16th) Rutgers 0 – None. Trying out (2nd round, 10-day or end-of-season contacts, etc.); N'Diaye, Hamady (C-Washington).

The players listed are among the 593 players who are currently on an NBA roster, AND are also; 1, a head coach; 2, an assistant coach; 3, a 1st round pick with a guaranteed 2-year contract; or 4, a returning player who earned at least $100,000 last year in the NBA. Any player who earned less than $100,000 last year is typically someone who was just picked up on a 10-day or end of season contract, which is why they are listed with 2nd round players who often don’t make rosters under “trying out.” Of course there are other players like Jerel McNeal getting a good look from Charlotte who are “trying out” but not listed.

MU > Wisconsin and Big East > Big 10

The good news for recruiting in state is that Marquette’s 8 former players top the 2 for Wisconsin, and the Big East easily tops the Big 10 by a 69 to 42 margin.

Here is the list for Wisconsin and the conference-by-conference ranking:

Wisconsin 2 - Harris, Devin (PG-New Jersey), Finley, Michael (SG/SF-Boston). Trying out (2nd round, 10-day or end-of-season contacts, etc.); Stiemsma, Greg (C-Minnesota) and Butch, Brian (C-Denver).

Top Conferences (top 2 teams in each conference)
1. ACC (74) – UNC 22, Duke 17
2. Big East (69) – UConn 12, Marquette 8
3. Pac 10 (60) – UCLA 16, Arizona 11
4. SEC (53) – Kentucky 16, Florida 10
5. Big 12 (44) – Kansas 12, Texas 10
6. Big 10 (42) – Ohio State 10, Michigan State and Indiana tied 6
7. Atlantic 10 (20) – Xavier 5, St. Joe’s 3
8. Mountain West (14) – UNLV 7, New Mexico 2
9. WAC (10) – Fresno State 3, Nevada 3
10. Conference USA (10) – Memphis 5, Marshall 2 AND West Coast Conference (10) – Gonzaga 3, Santa Clara 2