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Back in 2008, underdog Davidson became everyone's favorite Cinderella team in March Madness. And that's because of sharpshooter extraordinaire Stephen Curry.
Curry became the darling of the tournament as he led 10th-seeded Davidson to upset victories over the higher-seeded Georgetown and Wisconsin.
Davidson's magical run put Curry on the national radar. And despite his small stature, Curry was drafted seventh overall by the Warriors.
Golden State seems to be pretty happy with that decision.
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In 2003, Carmelo Anthony put together arguably the greatest freshman season in college basketball history. And that was capped off with a phenomenal March Madness.
In the Final Four, Melo dropped 33 points against Texas to advance to the title game, where he then notched a double-double (20 points, 10 rebounds) versus Kansas.
After Anthony helped lead Syracuse to its first national championship, he was drafted third overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 2003 NBA Draft.
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In his lone collegiate campaign, Kevin Durant was simply a man among boys.
Durant was the first freshman to ever be named the Naismith Player of the Year. He also led Texas to a 4-seed in the Big Dance.
In his first March Madness game, Durant dropped 27 points en route to a victory over New Mexico State.
Later that year, Durant was drafted second overall by the Seattle SuperSonics.
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He was only around one season, but Derrick Rose was electrifying for the Memphis Tigers.
Coached by John Calipari, Rose took a 33-1 Memphis squad all the way to the NCAA Championship.
In his only tournament, Rose averaged 21 points, six rebounds and six dimes. He was later drafted first overall by the Chicago Bulls.
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In his junior year, Dwayne Wade emerged as one of the premier players in the nation.
Nicknamed "The Flash," Wade led Marquette to the school's first Final Four appearance since 1979. Wade's best game came against the top-seeded Kentucky. He recorded a rare triple-double in the upset victory.
Wade's 2003 NCAA Tournament performance helped his draft stock skyrocket. He was drafted fifth overall by the Miami Heat.
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Kemba Walker had one of the most impressive months of March in Madness history. His stellar play actually started in the Big East Conference Tournament.
Walker didn't slow down in the Big Dance, though. The Huskies appeared in their second Final Four with Walker, and UConn went on to defeat Butler in the National Championship Game.
Walker's improved play led to him being drafted ninth overall by Charlotte in 2011.
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Before the 2011-12 season, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was viewed as the prized possession on a loaded Kentucky squad. But fantastic freshman Anthony Davis outperformed his teammate. Davis wasn't a dynamic scorer, but his defense helped the Wildcats immensely.
In the title game against Kansas, Davis made only one shot, but he grabbed 16 boards and tied an NCAA Tournament record with six blocked shots.
Davis was named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Later that year, the Brow was drafted No. 1 overall.
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In his two years at UCLA, Russell Westbrook guided the Bruins to back-to-back Final Four appearances.
Westbrook's second NCAA Tournament featured him battling against future No. 1 pick Derrick Rose. Westbrook more than held his own, scoring 22 points in the loss.
His improved play reinforced the notion that the athletic point guard's NBA future was bright.
Westbrook was drafted fourth overall by the SuperSonics in 2008.
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Russell Westbrook's teammate, Kevin Love, also showed his NBA talent in he 2008 NCAA Tournament.
In his only season with UCLA, Love recorded a ridiculous 23 double-doubles. He was also named a first-team All-American.
Love was drafted fifth overall, one pick after Westbrook, in the 2008 NBA Draft.
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Gordon Hayward is another star who benefitted from being on the Cinderella team of the tournament.
Hayward took a little-known Butler squad to the NCAA Championship Game against Duke, only to miss the game-winning shot by inches.
Hayward's hype from March Madness helped boost his draft stock all the way up to the ninth pick.
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When you think of San Diego State, national powerhouse is not exactly what comes to mind. But Kawhi Leonard helped put the Aztecs on the college basketball map.
Leonard was the best player on the 2-seeded Aztecs that made the Sweet Sixteen in 2011. And he helped turn SDSU into a winning program.
Leonard was selected by the Pacers 15th overall, and then he was dealt to the Spurs in a draft-day swap. He's now one of the game's top defenders.
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All Kyle Lowry did in his two collegiate seasons was take Villanova on back-to-back deep runs in the tournament.
In his sophomore year, Lowry emerged as a key starter on the Wildcats, while carrying Nova to the Elite Eight.
Lowry was then drafted 24th overall by the Grizzlies in 2006. He's now one of the better point guards in the NBA.
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Deron Williams' March Madness magic helped elevate the junior point guard's draft stock. After declaring, Williams jumped up to No. 3 in the 2005 NBA Draft, ahead of Chris Paul.
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Although he was overshadowed by No. 1 pick Greg Oden, Mike Conley sure did make a name for himself in the Big Dance.
In his only season at Ohio State, Conley led the Big Ten in assists. His Buckeyes lost in the championship game against Florida.
Conley was drafted No. 4 overall in 2007 by the Grizzlies.
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Sam Dekker was a big-time recruit for Wisconsin, but he didn't truly hit his peak until the NCAA Tournament in his junior season.
Dekker strung together impressive games against North Carolina, Arizona and Kentucky in the tournament. His barrage of 3s against Arizona became known as the "Dekker Daggers." Unfortunately, Wisconsin's magic ran out in the championship game against Duke.
Dekker was then selected 18th overall by the Rockets in the 2015 NBA Draft.
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Marvin Williams didn't even start for North Carolina, but he was still the second pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. And that's because of his impressive NCAA Tournament.
Williams was a spark off the bench for North Carolina, with his go-ahead basket in the NCAA Championship game as one of his shining moments.
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In 1979, Larry Bird took little known Indiana State to the Big Dance for the first time ever. The Sycamores managed to reach the championship game to face off against Michigan State.
The game ignited one of the most famous rivalries in basketball: Bird versus Magic. And even though Indiana State lost, Bird showed just how talented he was.
He was then picked sixth overall by the Celtics in 1979.
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Bird's biggest rival also had quite the collegiate career. In his two seasons at Michigan State, Magic Johnson had two phenomenal runs in the tournament.
As a freshman, Johnson took the Spartans to the Elite Eight. And the following season, Michigan State could not be stopped. The Spartans won the championship, while Johnson was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
He went on to be drafted first overall by the Lakers in 1979.
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Hakeem Olajuwon's Houston squad was one of the most fun to watch in NCAA history. Along with Clyde Drexler, Olajuwon was a member of Phi Slama Jama, the slam-dunking fraternity known for its high-octane offense.
Despite losing in back-to-back NCAA Championship Games, Olajuwon was still named the tournament's player of the year award in 1983.
In 1984, the Houston Rockets selected Olajuwon first overall.
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Karl-Anthony Towns was never able to showcase his full talent at Kentucky until he reached the NCAA Tournament.
With increased playing time, it was obvious that Towns was the best player in the nation.
Towns was the prize of the 2015 NBA Draft, where the Timberwolves selected him first overall.
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Shane Battier was one of the rare star players to spend all four years in college. In his college career, Battier was an elite defender who led Duke to the Final Four twice.
Battier was selected sixth overall by the then-Vancouver Grizzlies in the 2001 NBA Draft.
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