In the world of college basketball, stars usually follow a familiar path—shine in the NCAA, get drafted, then rise through the NBA ranks. But Fred VanVleet tore up that script entirely. Coming out of Wichita State, VanVleet was a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and led his team to a historic 35–1 record in the 2013–14 season, including an unbeaten regular season. Despite all this, he went undrafted in 2016.
But that was just the beginning.
VanVleet bet on himself—literally. He turned down offers to be a second-round pick on a two-way contract and instead earned a spot with the Toronto Raptors through the Summer League. By 2019, he was an NBA champion, playing a key role off the bench in the Raptors’ title run. By 2022, he had become an NBA All-Star and signed a $130 million deal with the Houston Rockets in 2023, becoming the highest-paid undrafted player in NBA history.
His NCAA legacy? A reminder that wins and work ethic trump hype.
