NCAA Basketball Programs Whose Reputations Have Benefited from the NBA Season

What does the NBA have to do with the college game?

Well, everything, of course.

This year's college basketball season offered up a stark truth: It's very hard to find rivalries and villains, because so many players bounce to the next level so quickly.

But then in the pro ranks, we re-examine those players and revisit their campus roots.

Some programs can be lifted by what happens in the NBA. Sometimes, it's because of the way a player has performed. Other times, it's because of the ongoing rumor mill regarding a coach (any news can be good news sometimes).

A few small-school guys are making a big difference in the Association. There are longtime pro veterans whose brilliance has us recalling that they were, indeed, college players with big dreams.

The two NBA Finals participants give us no fewer than four college teams that should be getting an uptick in interest because of connections with Golden State and Cleveland.

Certainly, a few of the programs on the list have no trouble getting attention (for better or for worse). But there are also a couple of somewhat unexpected members who are getting free publicity.

Saint Mary's

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Saint Mary's, the small school that's a woodsy drive from Oakland (in Moraga, California), has perhaps the most scrutinized name in the NBA playoffs.

That's Matthew Dellavedova. Back on the tiny campus where he first came to fame, via Australia, Delly was also a scrappy guard who wasn't afraid to mix it up. His old coach, Randy Bennett, laughs at the idea of him being a dirty player and sees the same kind of tenacious hustle that helped the Gaels keep up with West Coast Conference monster Gonzaga while he was around from 2009 to 2013.

Dellavedova even had his No. 4 jersey retired at SMC already, just one season removed from his graduation. Most schools wait, but Bennett didn't see the point for a player who was a three-time first-team all-West Coast Conference player and who won the player of the year and tournament MVP awards in 2012.

The Gaels are really rolling on the alum watch the past two seasons.

In the 2014 NBA Finals, Patty Mills (2007-09) thrived off the bench and helped the aging yet ageless San Antonio Spurs outlast the Miami Heat.

Wake Forest

Chuck Burton/Associated Press

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons get a "Back in the Day" nod, because the players they've produced are still making major waves in the NBA.

We're talking, of course, about Tim Duncan and Chris Paul.

As the 39-year-old Duncan contemplates retirement, there will continue to be references to his time at Wake Forest. He was a two-time player of the year in the ACC who managed to figure out an NBA path even though he stayed (gasp!) all four years.

And it's a little odd and sad that the guy who knocked him out of the NBA playoffs is Chris Paul, another Deacon.

Paul, who is from Winston-Salem and chose to play college ball at home, just turned 30. He became a top-five pick in 2005 when the who-to-pick debate was about him and another point guard, Illinois' Deron Williams.

And speaking of point guards, Jeff Teague was an All-Star this season who shined with Atlanta.

That's a strong legacy for current Wake coach Danny Manning to pitch to recruits. Don't forget Manning is a legend of the college game as well and had plenty of success developing big men previously at Kansas.

Davidson

Chuck Burton/Associated Press

Ever walk around a campus like Harvard and contemplate all of the history that's strolled through there?

Imagine all the high-work-ethic shooters who want to be the next Steph Curry.

Davidson is the place, and Bob McKillop is still the coach.

Curry became a national sensation in his sophomore year (2007-08), catapulting the Wildcats to the Elite Eight before an unfortunate spate of cold shooting gave Kansas just enough wiggle room to reach coach Bill Self's first Final Four (and eventual championship).

A lot of folks forget that Curry still returned to campus the next season, when he averaged a Division I-best 28.6 points, 5.6 assists and 2.5 steals and was a first-team All-American.

Davidson has been to the NCAA tournament three of the past four years. Curry's getting to the NBA Finals is a good boost for the school's profile, perhaps to lure someone who wants to follow in his footsteps.

Kansas

Orlin Wagner/Associated Press

Like it or not, a few of college basketball's blue bloods are on this list.

We'll start with Kansas, who had one-year talent Andrew Wiggins become the NBA's Rookie of the Year.

Now, that begs a question about Wiggins or Self: Why didn't the player make more of an impact in college, particularly in his meek final game of six shots, four points and four turnovers against Stanford in the NCAA tournament's third round?

But the Jayhawks also are the trivia answer (perhaps a little surprisingly) to the question about which program has produced the most lottery picks (top 14) since 2000.

Perhaps the best one is Paul Pierce, who still came up uber-clutch a few times in this year's NBA playoffs, even at age 37.

When you throw in the possibility that another one-and-done frosh, Kelly Oubre, could be in the mix, Self has shown recruits that top talent doesn't have to go through Lexington, Kentucky, to develop at a fast pace.

Kentucky

James Crisp/Associated Press

Kentucky is where this topic gets a little murky.

Is having so many players abandon college at one time good or bad for the school and the NBA?

Is having coach John Calipari at least mentioned in the NBA rumor mill an OK thing for UK's immediate future?

Calipari would probably say it's not a big deal—it's all part of success—so we'll agree.

Of course, the shiniest Wildcat star these days is Anthony Davis. The third-year pro took his game to another level, being named an All-NBA first-teamer after averaging 24 points and 10 rebounds (and don't forget a league-best 2.9 blocked shots).

Then figure in the NBA draft lottery proceedings, where Karl-Anthony Towns' name has come up more than a handful of times.

Say what you will about Kentucky's prospects for next season, but it'll be talked about on draft night for quite a while. There's a chance the famed (and often derided) platoon system will produce four lottery picks in Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein, Devin Booker and Trey Lyles.

UConn

Laurence Kesterson/Associated Press

Kevin Ollie has about five million reasons to differ with the Huskies.

That's how many dollars his buyout reportedly was after Oklahoma City expressed some interest before ultimately hiring Billy Donovan from Florida, according to RealGM.

Ollie has already won a national title, so it's easy to see why he'd be considered a prime candidate to leave. But this year could be a major push with UConn, which seems to be doing all of the right things academically, too.

And if he is not bitter about his contract (either the compensation or the limits he'll have on leaving), then the 42-year-old NBA journeyman's profile boost could help to develop his own program that he took over seamlessly from Jim Calhoun.

Washington State

Dean Hare/Associated Press

This is a bit of a stretch. There's a lot of Klay Thompson talk in the NBA playoffs with the Golden State Warriors but not really that much reference to his 2008-11 stay in Pullman, Washington.

But his sharpshooting and connection to the program could be a nice boost for second-year coach Ernie Kent, whose team went 13-18 last year.

Kent was 59 when he was named Washington State's coach. He had been off the sideline a few years after staying at his alma mater, Oregon, from 1997 to 2010.

He can now pitch his own history—he had Elite Eight appearances with the Ducks in 2002 and 2009, among five NCAA bids.

And Thompson still keeps up with Washington State and notes that those who want to follow in his footsteps would have to beat Gonzaga and Washington (twice), which he did in his final year before the 2011 NBA draft.

Duke

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Here is another blue blood, but the Duke Blue Devils deserve it.

Kyrie Iving's status has been a big talking point of the NBA playoffs. In addition, Jahlil Okafor is going to make a big impression on draft day.

And don't forget about rookie Jabari Parker, who has starred in a sports-drink commercial based upon his work ethic and recovery from a knee injury.

Justise Winslow could also be a top-10 pick, so coach Mike Krzyzewski's ongoing commitment to USA Basketball seems to have been refreshed by last year's somewhat surprising title run with Duke.

Okafor told Sports Illustrated's Deantae Prince that it was rewarding to be on the "right path" with his teammates heading to the NBA, and that's good praise for Coach K as he keeps a significant foothold in both leagues.

St. John's

John Minchillo/Associated Press

You know how Golden State has arguably the NBA's greatest home-court advantage and is one of the league's most fun teams to watch?

That's not the first time that happened. Just ask the new head coach of St. John's.

Chris Mullin and his alma mater took a leap of faith with each other. He has no head coaching experience, let alone college coaching experience.

But with the Warriors in the NBA Finals, he'll be able to play off his "Run TMC" days.

Kids, this is what it was all about: "Run TMC" was a two-year offensive explosion that featured Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Mullin. The 1990-91 season included the trio among the game's best scorers.

Of course, Mullin can also talk about New York City. He's a Brooklyn native who has thrived as an NBA executive. He knows what it takes to get to the next level.

Surely, some Warriors footage this week will show that previous era of Golden State excitement that Mullin produced.

Iowa State

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This is a tough one, because we know Fred Hoiberg can recruit—he's especially good at luring capable transfers—but we don't yet know if his recent heart surgery or all of the NBA rumors will hush enough for him to continue thriving in Ames.

It's never a good thing, presumably, when a school's athletic director is trying to gets fans to step away from the ledge.

But that's just how much The Mayor is beloved in Ames, where he was also a sensational player.

Hoiberg retired abruptly from an NBA career in 2006 because of a heart condition.

ESPN's Jay Williams has linked Hoiberg to the Chicago Bulls, who announced they had fired Tom Thibodeau Thursday.

Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register speculated in mid-April, as Hoiberg was about to enter another heart surgery, that the coach "will remember there's unfinished business. He'll recall his personal bar is set a lot higher than four NCAA tournament appearances in a row and two Big 12 Conference tournament championships."

We'll see if Hoiberg determines the comforts of home outweigh a chance (after what's been deemed a successful surgery) to coach at the sport's highest level.

But Iowa State has made massive strides since Hoiberg took over in 2010. The Cyclones will be worth watching as Hoiberg will have his name mentioned in Chicago.