Top 5 greatest Colorado Buffaloes to play in NBA
BOULDER, Colo. (BVM) — There have been nearly three dozen former University of Colorado basketball players drafted by NBA teams over the years, and while not many of them found the same amount of success in the pros as they did in college, there are some former Buffaloes who have fared pretty well after taking their game to the highest level.
These are the top five former CU basketball players who managed to make a name for themselves in the NBA and/or the ABA after making a big impact for the Buffs.
5. Alec Burks
He only played a couple of seasons in Boulder, but Burks made a big impact for the Buffaloes, becoming the school’s first-ever Big 12 Freshman of Year in 2010 and earning Big 12 First Team honors in 2011. Burks decided to forgo his junior season and declared for the NBA Draft after scoring 1,291 points in two years at CU. The Utah Jazz drafted him with the 12th overall pick in 2011 and he’s gone on to have a solid pro career that’s lasted over a decade. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard, who’s now a valuable player off the bench for the New York Knicks, has averaged 10.5 points over 10-plus seasons.
4. Jay Humphries
Humphries held the record for most career assists in Colorado hoops history up until last season when McKinley Wright IV set a new mark (683), but the 6-foot-3 guard who played in Boulder from 1980-84 still holds the school record for most steals in a career (309), a season (115) and a single game (10). Humphries was drafted 13th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 1984 NBA Draft and he carved out a nice 13-year career in the league, averaging 11.5 points, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals over 788 games played with four different teams. Humphries retired as a player in 1995 and has since coached overseas in China and South Korea and in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Brooklyn Nets.
3. Chuck Williams
Not only did Williams play college basketball in Colorado, but he also graduated from
Denver East High School and would eventually spend time with both of Denver’s pro hoops franchises — ABA’s Rockets and the NBA’s Nuggets. After averaging 18 points and earning All-Big Eight honorable mention honors as a senior at CU, the 6-foot-2 point guard was selected in the sixth round of the 1968 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. Williams however wouldn’t play in the NBA until 1976, instead opting to play his first six professional seasons in the ABA. Over his eight-year pro career, Williams scored 6,984 points (10.8 per game) and was a two-time All-Star (1972-73 and 1975-76), with his best season coming with the San Diego Conquistadors in 1972-73 when he averaged a career-best 17.7 points and 7.0 assists.
2. Scott Wedman
Another local athlete who played both his prep and college ball in his home state, Mullen High School grad Wedman left CU for the pros in 1974 after being a two-time All-Big Eight Conference selection and leading the Buffaloes in scoring during both his junior and senior seasons. The 6-foot-7 small forward who scored 1,251 career points at CU was drafted sixth overall by the Kansas City-Omaha Kings in 1974. Wedman would play seven seasons with the Kings, averaging 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals and earning a pair of All-Star game selections. He later went on to win two NBA titles (in 1984 and ‘86) with the Boston Celtics before retiring after 13 seasons in the league.
1. Chauncey Billups
The greatest former Colorado Buffalo to play in the NBA was also a local product who, like Williams, started his basketball career in Denver and eventually found his way back in the pros. Billups was a four-time Colorado Mr. Basketball for Denver High before becoming a star with the Buffaloes, who he would lead to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 28 years in 1997. A consensus second team All-American who averaged 18.5 points, 5.1 assists, and 5.6 rebounds over his two seasons at CU, Billups was selected with the No. 3 overall pick by the Boston Celtics in the 1997 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-3 point guard put together a stellar 17-year career in the league and spent time with seven different teams, but arguably his best days came in his six-plus seasons with the Detroit Pistons. Billups made three All-Star teams as a Piston and led the team to the NBA title in 2004 when was named the Finals MVP. He also had two All-Star seasons with his hometown Nuggets and was a three-time All-NBA selection. Billups, who’s now the head coach of the Portland Trailblazers, finished his 17-year NBA career with 15,802 career points (15.2 per game), 2,992 rebounds (2.9) and 5,636 assists (5.4).
