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Mon Jun 15, 2009 8:37 pm EDT

NCAA Riches to NBA Rags: No. 6, Juan Dixon

By Chris Chase

NCAA Riches to NBA Rags is The Dagger's countdown of the best college basketball players who went on to have disappointing NBA careers. For an explanation of the criteria used in compiling this list, check out our introductory entry. Today we look at No. 6, Juan Dixon of Maryland.

There was a solid two-month stretch in 2002 when all I did was watch 'Charles in Charge' and talk about Juan Dixon. (My college roommate: "Yup.") I talked about Juan during classes and beer pong games, discussed his silky-smooth jumpshot with friends and strangers. I even once cornered Josh Howard at a party to talk about the greatness of Juan. He concurred, and I don't think it was just because he wanted to get away from the conversation.

Yet, in the cocoon of Juan-love that I nested myself within, I became unaware that the national perception of Dixon didn't mesh with his ACC reputation.

Oh, he was well-respected nationally (first-team All-American), but not as revered as he was on the east coast. Case in point: Juan (first name only, please) won the 2002 ACC Player of the Year, but lost out to Duke's Jason Williams for both major national POY trophies.

Dixon validated himself by leading Maryland to the NCAA championship (winning Most Outstanding Player honors in the process), but today that feels like a forgotten achievement. There is frequent talk about '01 Duke, '03 Syracuse, '04 Connecticut and both championship Carolina teams, but when's the last time you heard about those Terps? When's the last time you heard about Juan Dixon?

A lot of that has to do with the fact that we often retroactively diminish a player's college achievements based on their lack of success in the NBA. The memory of Juan Dixon, NBA vagabond, supersedes the memory of Juan Dixon, college great, because that's what's freshest in our minds. That Dixon went No. 17 in the '02 draft only further reinforces the notion that he wasn't that a spectacular college player.

He was.

NCAA Riches to NBA Rags countdown:

No. 7 -- Billy Owens

No. 8 -- J.R. Reid

No. 9 -- Adam Morrison

No. 10 -- Danny Ferry

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59 Comments

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  1. KimG
    1. Posted by KimG Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:03 pm EDT

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    how on earth you've conjured Juan Dixon into this list is beyond belief. Just google "nba draft busts" and you'll come up with more, and better, detailed listings than this garbage being passed for journalism.
    I watched Dixon at Maryland, and he was the pivotal player on that Maryland team in '02 (and the season before when the Terps went to the final four). However, easily counting for the prior 25 drafts, there have got to be 10 pivot men alone who rank ahead of Dixon. Joe Smith, anyone? Sam Bowie, anyone ?
    A 2-guard undersized by NBA standards...dime a dozen. although i loved him at Carolina, Wayne ellington may follow Juan's career path.
  2. gottagotowork3
    2. Posted by gottagotowork3 Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:41 pm EDT

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    I agree with KimG
    There are alot MORE players you could've come up with. I didn't the first 5 who were they?
  3. Chris C
    3. Posted by Chris C Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:44 pm EDT

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    Read the criteria used and you'll see why Joe Smith and Sam Bowie wouldn't fit on this list.
  4. kobeisfree8
    4. Posted by kobeisfree8 Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:01 am EDT

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    4th and i think dixon shoulda been number 9
  5. kobeisfree8
    5. Posted by kobeisfree8 Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:01 am EDT

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    4th and i think dixon shoulda been number 9
  6. D.N. Nation
    6. Posted by D.N. Nation Tue Jun 16, 2009 9:28 am EDT

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    Maryland turning into an annual bubble team hasn't helped long-term perceptions of that '02 squad.
  7. KimG
    7. Posted by KimG Tue Jun 16, 2009 9:58 am EDT

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    I re-checked your criteria....explain to us all again why / how Joe Smith or Sam Bowie do not fit on this list. Dominant college players go in the top 10...not 17th like Dixon. Bowie was a dominant college player at Kentucky, and summarily hyped as such under the drafting process.
    Joe Smith was a dominant post player at Maryland, so maybe that's a "Washburn" analogy. But, Smith played two years at Maryland and went # 1 in his draft. He dominated his position, i want to recall, at Maryland for much of those 2 seasons.
    Maryland's bubble status maybe due more to Gary Williams recruitment process...doesn't help his case much to see talents like Durant or Beasley leave that area for big 12 schools.
  8. The Wiz
    8. Posted by The Wiz Tue Jun 16, 2009 11:56 am EDT

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    Terrible pick for this... if you look at his stats, production was there when he played, now be it they weren't amazing stats but contributing none the less. Look at the roster for the Wizards now, Arenas is 6'4 and he is the PG. Juan is the smallest person on the team pretty much. I also don't think that Juan's styl of play translated as well in the NBA, which no team expected him to be a Derrick Rose and basically set up the offense to fit him.
  9. Patrick M
    9. Posted by Patrick M Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:27 pm EDT

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    The first post guy is obviously a Maryland fan. All those guys are crazy. He was a bust, I don't even know who he plays for in the NBA. Once he left MD he fell off the face of the earth. He should definitely be on the list.
  10. KimG
    10. Posted by KimG Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:54 pm EDT

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    not a Terps fan, just bored. Since the list got started last week, may as well see who finishes out the top 5
    there are bigger busts than a smallish-2 guard drafted 17th. maybe he parallels well to a Miles Simon, who won MOP in 1997 following Arizona's title run (but played largely overseas, according to the bio on him).
  11. Castor T
    11. Posted by Castor T Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:57 pm EDT

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    Sam Bowie's career was undoubtly hampered by injuries (he missed an entire season in college with fractures in both legs) but still posted a solid (if unspectacular) 10 points, 7 rbs and almost 2 block per game average over an 11 year career before retiring with the Lakers (who asked him not to retire because they thought he could still contribute) in 1995. His only sin is being taken ahead of Jordan by Portland (a team who already having Clyde the Glyde had no need for another athletic sf/sg and no one could have forseen at the time the force that Jordan was to become both on the court and off of it) who were in need of a big.
    If Bowie had been blessed with healthy legs (he was never the same player he was after his injury in college) he would have been an all time great with his length, athleticism, shooting touch and footwork. The questions with Bowie were never (as is the case of some other players on this list like Juan Dixon) if he could play in the league but if he could be heatlhy enough to be a dominant force. Even with massive injuries due to defect in his bone density in his legs he still manged to carve out a solid career in the pros.
  12. The Bastard Child of Dick Vitale
    12. Posted by The Bastard Child of Dick Vitale Wed Jun 17, 2009 2:11 pm EDT

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    I enjoyed watching that Maryland team --- I actually won my pool at work that year cause I had the gift of foresight for once in an NCAA pool and picked Maryland and Indiana in the finals with Maryland winning. But I am not sure he is a bust. First in a relatively week draft year was picked 17th. He was a player without a pro position. Too little to be a two guard and too much of a chucker to be a one. But man was he fun to watch in college! I hate comparing the the two leagues in all honesty they are really very different games just and international basketball is vastly different than the NBA, oh well.
  13. Chris L
    13. Posted by Chris L Fri Jun 19, 2009 12:07 pm EDT

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    Joe Smith and Sam Bowie had respectable careers, that's why they can't make the list. Juan Dixon hasn't done much of anything in the NBA.
  14. kaka
    14. Posted by kaka Thu Jun 25, 2009 1:18 pm EDT

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    hmm since when is the 17th pick in a draft considered a bust
    if they doesn't pan out, im not saying dixon doesnt suck but
    no nba team really expected anything out of him unlike the others
    already on this list
  15. Eric
    15. Posted by Eric Sun Jun 28, 2009 2:50 pm EDT

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    As put before, he was undersized. He was undersized in college. He just happened to make the most out of his opportunities. He started his UMD career behind Steve Francis (perhaps another candidate for this list). But his game simply did not translate to the NBA. Everyone knew that going in, that's why he dropped to 17.
  16. Brad C
    16. Posted by Brad C Sun Jun 28, 2009 2:52 pm EDT

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    No one expected him to be good in the NBA. He's too small.
  17. Kyle
    17. Posted by Kyle Sun Jun 28, 2009 3:09 pm EDT

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    I love the Terrapins, but Gary Williams doenst seem to create professional players but instead creates good collge teammates who work well together, Steve Blake is just mediocre in the NBA but also a brilliant college player
  18. Brothers F
    18. Posted by Brothers F Sun Jun 28, 2009 3:17 pm EDT

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    Why should guys like Juan Dixon be on the list at all? He was a 17th pick. Is it that much of a shock he didn't have a successful NBA career? How is a 17th pick categorized as a bust? Don't we usually relate lottery picks to bust? Hey, David Rivers had a successful career at Notre Dame. Lakers took him at 24th in the '88 draft. Is he a bust?
  19. bigbpunisher
    19. Posted by bigbpunisher Sun Jun 28, 2009 3:21 pm EDT

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    Did you guys forget about Kenny "sky" Walker? DUH!
  20. SpAzZ
    20. Posted by SpAzZ Sun Jun 28, 2009 3:39 pm EDT

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    What makes this list sort of suspect is that you're listing guys who haven't finished they're NBA career with guys who's NBA careers are over. Doesn't make "apples to oranges" sense to me.
  21. Timothy G
    21. Posted by Timothy G Sun Jun 28, 2009 3:58 pm EDT

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    Juan Dixon seriously? Juan's work ethic overcame his lack of superstar talent in college, but was never expected to be anything great in the NBA. If anything, he exceeded expectations once again in the pros.
  22. gafas de sol
    22. Posted by gafas de sol Sun Jun 28, 2009 4:07 pm EDT

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    this is a solid pick. as much as i loved juan dixon and his playing days at Maryland, i don't think i've heard his name spoken or seen his name anywhere as of late
  23. AZZKICKERS
    23. Posted by AZZKICKERS Sun Jun 28, 2009 4:13 pm EDT

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    Somebody tell me where the hell is sam bowie on this list?
  24. Neecon R
    24. Posted by Neecon R Sun Jun 28, 2009 4:16 pm EDT

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    Darko milicic?
  25. K
    25. Posted by K Sun Jun 28, 2009 4:17 pm EDT

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    The author of this blog doesn't know anything about basketball. He probably doesn't even know who Yinka Dare is!!!

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