Ben Hansbrough headlines list of best undrafted college players

To appreciate how little stock NBA franchises sometimes put in a draft prospect's college production, consider this example for a moment.

Among the players selected Thursday night was a little-known former Connecticut center who averaged a mere 2.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in his brief 26-game college career. Not so fortunate was last year's Big East Player of the Year.

That the Lakers selected Ater Majok with a second-round pick yet Ben Hansbrough went undrafted has to be extremely frustrating for the ex-Notre Dame standout. Hansbrough averaged 18.5 points per game as a senior and shot 45.1 percent from 3-point range, but NBA scouts apparently thought the 6-foot-3 guard lacked the upside, quickness or athleticism to merit even a throwaway second-round pick.

The only good news for Hansbrough is he's far from the only highly successful college player not to be selected in this year's draft. Here's a look at a list of the top college players who were not selected Thursday night the same way first-team All-American Scottie Reynolds, Duke star Jon Scheyer and Kansas standout Sherron Collins all went undrafted last June:

1. Ben Hansbrough, G, Sr., Notre Dame

Comment: The second-team All-American worked out for six NBA teams, but he still didn't hear his name called Thursday night as many teams preferred to draft foreign players they could stash in Europe in the late second round. At least Hansbrough will have a teammate who shares his pain: Notre Dame forward Carleton Scott also went undrafted.

2. Jacob Pullen, G, Sr. Kansas State

Comment: If the NBA draft has taught us anything over the years, it's that there's no place in the league for an undersized shooting guard. The 6-foot Pullen averaged 20 points per game and showcased deep range and tremendous heart the past two seasons, but he lacked the vision and passing skills to play point guard, and the size and wingspan to play off the ball.

3. Austin Freeman, G, Sr., Georgetown

Comment: The Big East's Preseason Player of the Year lived up to his press clippings, overcoming diabetes to average 17.6 points per game and lead the Hoyas to the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately for Freeman, that did little to change NBA scouts' opinion that he lacked the athleticism or the quickness to thrive in the NBA as a shooting guard.

4. Talor Battle, G, Sr., Penn State

Comment: It's no mystery why a kid who averaged 20.2 points and almost singlehandedly willed Penn State to the NCAA tournament went undrafted: His height. Battle worked out for� six NBA teams the past few weeks to attempt to prove that stigma wrong, but there's typically just no place in the NBA for a 5-foot-11 shooting guard.

5. Malcolm Delaney, G, Sr., Virginia Tech

Comment: The lone member of the All-ACC First Team not to be drafted, Delaney was another who lacked the size to play off ball in the NBA. The 6-foot-2 Virginia Tech star averaged at least 18 points each of the past three seasons and raised his 3-point percentage to 40.8 last season, but NBA teams were unconvinced he could set up his teammates as a point guard.

6. Matt Howard, F, Sr., Butler

Comment: Back-to-back appearances in the national title game and an ability to maximize his limited physical tools were not enough for Howard to persuade NBA teams he had a place in the league. The 6-foot-8 Howard averaged 16.5 points and 7.7 rebounds and shot 39.8 percent from 3-point range, but he lacks the size and athleticism of most NBA power forwards and is nowhere near quick enough to play on the perimeter.

7. Kalin Lucas, G, Sr., Michigan State

Comment: A season-ending Achilles injury in the 2010 NCAA tournament didn't help Lucas' NBA stock, nor did his erratic decision-making as a senior. Six-foot-1 guards need to prove they can run the point to have any chance to make it in the NBA, but Lucas posted his lowest assist-to-turnover ratio of his career and shot only 42.8 percent from the floor, sealing his fate to become an undrafted free agent.

8. Rick Jackson, F, Sr., Syracuse

Comment: Considering the 6-foot-9 Jackson has sufficient size to play in the paint in the NBA and averaged a double-double as a senior, the NBA's lack of interest in him is more mysterious than some of the above players. He lacks elite athleticism and a mid-range game, and his conditioning isn't a strength, but typically there's a place in the league for someone who rebounds as well as Jackson.

Honorable mention: David Lighty, F, Ohio State; Dwight Hardy, G., Sr., St. John's; Corey Fisher, G, Sr., Villanova; LaceDarius Dunn, G, Sr., Baylor; Demetri McCamey, G, Sr., Illinois.

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