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Fri Jun 12, 2009 11:25 am EDT

NCAA Riches to NBA Rags: No. 7, Billy Owens

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 hit No. 7: Syracuse's Billy Owens.

When unsigned rookie Billy Owens was traded to Golden State for Mitch Richmond in November of 1991, Warriors coach Don Nelson said, "Billy is a big, strong, excellent young basketball player who can play three positions -- power forward, small forward and shooting guard."

He was about three positions off.

Owens was a monumental NBA bust out of Syracuse, never living up to the hype that made him the third pick overall in the '91 NBA draft. Despite putting up decent numbers in his first three years in Nelson's high-flying Golden State offense, the 1991 Big East Player of the Year is best remembered in the pros for being the guy that broke up Run TMC. Just call him Yoko Owens.

Perhaps NBA teams should have realized what they were getting in Owens after his No. 2 seeded Orangemen were upset by No. 15 Richmond in one of the biggest first-round upsets in the NCAA tournament history. Yet, in a draft that saw Larry Johnson go No. 1, Kenny Anderson No. 2 and Dikembe Mutombo No. 5, Owens might have been the most coveted.

Coaches of the first two teams to draft, Charlotte and New Jersey, both wanted to take Owens with their picks but were overruled by the front office. (In a sign of how different things were back in 1991, this information was public knowledge that was reported in the AP's draft recap. Unfortunately, I can't link to it.) When Owens didn't sign with Sacramento and forced his trade to Golden State, I'd imagine there were a lot of relieved folks in Charlotte and Jersey. 

Like many players on this list, Owens bounced around from team to team during his professional career. By age 31, he was out of the NBA.

NCAA Riches to NBA Rags countdown:

No. 8 -- J.R. Reid

No. 9 -- Adam Morrison

No. 10 -- Danny Ferry

Related: NCAA Riches To NBA Rags

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17 Comments

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  1. AD
    1. Posted by AD Fri Jun 12, 2009 1:03 pm EDT

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    first!!!!!!
  2. Ian
    2. Posted by Ian Fri Jun 12, 2009 1:35 pm EDT

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    Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo when fourth in '91, Steve Smith was 5th. No biggie, I just like seeing Dikembe's full name.
  3. b b
    3. Posted by b b Fri Jun 12, 2009 7:37 pm EDT

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    Don Nelson, Destroyer of NBA franchises and Master of the Universe. Bringing in B.O. was the second dumbest move by the G.S. Warriors. Their dumbest was when the brought back Nelson to complete the task of destroying the franchise.
  4. jc2004bc
    4. Posted by jc2004bc Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:38 pm EDT

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    Ian, thanks. I get a kick out of that, too.
  5. curtis loew
    5. Posted by curtis loew Sun Jun 28, 2009 3:02 pm EDT

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    as a syracuse fan here in upstate ny i hope jonny flynn doesnt have the same luck as owens.
  6. Richard L
    6. Posted by Richard L Sun Jun 28, 2009 3:44 pm EDT

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    He was a bust, but Lawrence Moten was a bigger star at SU and a bigger failure in the NBA.
  7. David T
    7. Posted by David T Sun Jun 28, 2009 4:07 pm EDT

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    ha but moten was a second round pick.. all-time leading scorer in the big east but didnt do much else and his game didnt translate to the NBA
  8. Larry M
    8. Posted by Larry M Sun Jun 28, 2009 4:35 pm EDT

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    king of pop dead
  9. Chasity S
    9. Posted by Chasity S Sun Jun 28, 2009 4:54 pm EDT

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    This list is really bad!! This guy obviously has no clue about the game of basketball!!!!There is an NBA ALL-STAR on this list!! What a twit!!
  10. eddie2ya
    10. Posted by eddie2ya Sun Jun 28, 2009 5:16 pm EDT

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    a chasity i feel u? how can you be an nba all star and be on this list lol these yohoo folks that do these blogs are the worst you might as well put michael, magic and larry legend on this list
  11. yp_angelo_madison
    11. Posted by yp_angelo_madison Sun Jun 28, 2009 8:11 pm EDT

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    I remember when they used to call him New O, like he was the next Oscar Robertson because of his versatility. Yikes!
  12. jeff19880
    12. Posted by jeff19880 Sun Jun 28, 2009 8:48 pm EDT

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    Dwayne Pearl Washington - Syracuse 1986
  13. black1881
    13. Posted by black1881 Sun Jun 28, 2009 9:21 pm EDT

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    What about Pearl Washington???? The brother ended his NBA as a result of a brain tumor (astrocytoma) that almost cost him is life. So please, if you are placing a comment to dog Pearl, kindly keep it to yourself. The World truly didn't get a chance to see this magician at work.
  14. The Devil
    14. Posted by The Devil Sun Jun 28, 2009 9:31 pm EDT

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    Another guy that didn't really have a bad career. He was too unselfish. The guy's career high was a measly 13 shot attempts a game. He still managed to score 16.5 a game that season. He shot nearly 50% for his career and averaged 12 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal and block each a game. Also another guy who was hampered with injuries, only playing more than 70 games 3 times.
  15. Matt K
    15. Posted by Matt K Sun Jun 28, 2009 10:05 pm EDT

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    Billy Owens had 20 knee and ankle surgeries. This writer is clueless, and the list is stupid. Busts should be "confined" to guys who just simply didn't make it; not guys who were constantly hurt. If your body doesn't hold up, you aren't a bust, you are just unlucky. Cynical jerk writers who don't know anything about the sport they try to comment or write about.
  16. HOWARD A
    16. Posted by HOWARD A Mon Jun 29, 2009 1:00 am EDT

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    Does anyone remember ( or in this case forgot) Sam Bowie from Kentucky ? He was drafted before MIchael Jordan in the 1984 draft by Portland but never got to excel in the NBA like he did at Kentucky.
  17. Greg R
    17. Posted by Greg R Mon Jun 29, 2009 11:45 am EDT

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    i played against Billy in high school, and he was awesome at Syracuse. People who think drafting him was stupid are only saying that because they have the advantage of looking back. I think you missed the biggest NBA bust of all, however: the Boston Celtics take with the number one pick, from the University of Maryland, Lenny Bias.

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