College basketball pipelines get praised when a one-and-done makes it. The unspoken part: most one-and-done prospects never stick at the level people expect. One Washington product is the exception that proves the rule.
Jaden McDaniels’ Rise Exposes How Few One-and-Done Stars Actually Stick in the NBA
Sports Illustrated reported in March 2026 that Jaden McDaniels has been the University of Washington’s best NBA player this season. The 6-foot-9 forward, who left the Huskies after one year in 2020 and was drafted 28th by the Minnesota Timberwolves, is in his sixth season and averaging career-best numbers: 14.7 points per game on 52% shooting and 42.2% from three, with 65 starts for a team then 41-26 and sixth in the West. He is one of just four ex-Huskies currently in the league and the only one who has been able to play without interruption. Dejounte Murray and Matisse Thybulle returned from season-ending injuries; Isaiah Stewart has faced lengthy suspensions. McDaniels, by contrast, has become the reliable face of Washington’s NBA pipeline. His rise is real—and it underscores how rare that outcome is for one-and-done players.
Washington’s history with one-and-done talent is telling. The Seattle Times and other outlets have documented that the Huskies have had more one-and-done players than any other school without making the NCAA tournament with one on the roster—a pattern dubbed “one-and-none.” Spencer Hawes, Tony Wroten, Marquese Chriss, Dejounte Murray, Markelle Fultz, Isaiah Stewart, and Jaden McDaniels were all first-round picks; none led Washington to a tournament appearance. The program produces NBA talent, but the one-and-done model has not translated into college success, and for most of those players, NBA success has been mixed. Fultz went first overall in 2017 and has battled injuries; Stewart is a role player who has drawn suspensions. McDaniels is the one who has grown into an All-Defensive calibre star and a consistent two-way contributor. He is the exception.
League-wide, the one-and-done track is risky. Since the one-and-done rule took effect, a minority of drafted freshmen have become All-Stars or long-term starters; many have flamed out. Boston.com and ESPN have cited examples: Anthony Bennett, Greg Oden, Jabari Parker, Jahlil Okafor, and others who left school after one year and did not sustain NBA success. Washington’s pipeline is praised when McDaniels makes All-Defensive Second Team or drops 20 points and locks down stars; that praise obscures the fact that most one-and-done prospects do not reach that level. McDaniels’ growth—his confidence, his flow state, his “basketball player” versatility, as Timberwolves coach Chris Finch described to Sports Illustrated—is what the pipeline is supposed to produce. It rarely does.
McDaniels himself told Minnesota media that he used to second-guess himself and think too much; now he stays in a flow state and lets the game dictate what he needs to do. He has scored 20 or more in 16 games in the 2025-26 season, with a high of 30 against the Lakers. That kind of progression from a late first-round one-and-done is the outlier. His rise exposes the gap between the narrative that celebrates one-and-done pipelines and the reality that most such prospects never stick at star level.
Finch told reporters that McDaniels’ growth is partly about “not living and dying with every shot” and that he has become “way more confident in all aspects of his game.” McDaniels has played in over 430 NBA games and started more than 355; he is appreciated for his all-around game and his All-Defensive recognition. Research on one-and-done outcomes suggests that experience often trumps youth in college—many Final Four teams rely on upperclassmen—and that the jump from one college season to the NBA is a gamble. Washington has sent multiple one-and-done players to the first round; McDaniels is the one who has clearly stuck and thrived. That distinction is the point.
What This Actually Means
Washington’s pipeline gets credit when Jaden McDaniels succeeds. The flip side is that most one-and-done prospects do not become what he has become. His rise is the exception that proves the rule: the one-and-done path is high-risk, and celebrating the pipeline without acknowledging that most flame out is incomplete.
Who Is Jaden McDaniels?
Jaden McDaniels is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played one season at the University of Washington (2019-20), was drafted 28th overall in 2020, and is the younger brother of NBA player Jalen McDaniels. He has developed into one of the NBA’s premier perimeter defenders and was named to the All-Defensive Second Team in 2024—the first Husky to earn All-Defensive honours since Matisse Thybulle. He signed a five-year, $136 million extension with the Timberwolves in October 2023. In 2025-26 he averaged career highs in points and shooting efficiency (14.7 points on 52% from the field and 42.2% from three) and is widely considered the best current NBA player from the Washington Huskies program.
Sources
Sports Illustrated, The Seattle Times, Boston.com, Dunking with Wolves, University of Washington Athletics