The Best One-And-Done College Basketball Players

Pat Alexander
Updated March 15, 2025 115 items
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Vote up the greatest college hoops stars who only played one season in the NCAA.

Who is the best one-and-done in college basketball history? The one and done rule in college basketball means a player must spend at least one year in college before they are allowed to enter the NBA. The byproduct of a rule established under the NBA's 2005 collective bargaining agreement, high school basketball stars have the option to attend college, go play overseas (a la LaMelo Ball), or join the G League. Look no further college hoops fans, because we've got you covered with all the best college basketball players who played college basketball for one season. Who are the best one-and-dones of all time? Which one and done college basketball players do you love?  

Out of all the one and done NCAA basketball stars, three national champions stand out. Carmelo Anthony at Syracuse, Anthony Davis at Kentucky, and Jahlil Okafor at Duke all took their teams to the title and won it all like true freshman phenoms, then landed as top draft picks in the subsequent NBA draft. Other incredible NCAA one and dones like Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, and Chris Bosh went on to have great NBA careers. Then there's modern NBA stars like Zion Williamson, Ben Simmons, and Trae Young who were all the best freshman in college basketball at one point.

Vote up your favorite college hoops one and dones of all time! Then, check back every year as new college basketball freshman are added to the list!

Most divisive: Lauri Markkanen
Over 100 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Greatest One-and-Done College Players Ever
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