When the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inducts the Class of 2021, the group will feature one player who went on to become an all-time Celtics great, plus another who never had the chance.
Former Kansas great Paul Pierce and Maryland standout Len Bias highlight the group of six players and two coaches who will be enshrined at a November ceremony in Kansas City.
Pierce spent three seasons at Kansas from before leaving school a year early to declare for the NBA Draft, where he was taken by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft.
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As a Jayhawk, Pierce averaged double figures in scoring in each of his three seasons, leading Kansas to 98 wins and three Big 12 titles, and he still ranks 10th on the KU career scoring list with 1,768 points. He was a finalist for the Wooden Award and a consensus All-American in his junior season.
Like Pierce, Bias was also drafted by the Celtics but never suited up after dying from a drug overdose just two days after being selected with the second overall pick of the 1986 NBA Draft.
But even though Bias was never able to show off his talents as a pro, his greatness at Maryland was undeniable. A two-time ACC Player of the Year and two-time All-American, Bias ranks third on the Terrapins' all-time scoring list with 2,149 points.
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In addition to Pierce and Bias, the other new Hall of Famers are UNC's Antawn Jamison, Ohio State's Jim Jackson, UCLA's David Greenwood and Bradley's Hersey Hawkins plus coaches Rick Byrd and Tom Penders.