Yes, that Scottie Pippen—the Hall of Famer, six-time NBA champion, and one of the 50 greatest players ever—started his college career not as a walk-on player but as a walk-on equipment manager at Central Arkansas.
Jeff Hornacek’s path to basketball stardom started without a scholarship or fanfare. After redshirting his first year at Iowa State, the 6’3” guard from the Chicago suburbs walked on and quickly carved out a role, playing over 20 minutes a game as a freshman. By his sophomore season, he was a starter—and never let go of the job.
In 2011, Andre Drummond was the No. 1 prospect in the country, a 6’10” phenom who committed to UConn so late that the program had already used all its scholarships. Rather than displace a teammate, Drummond chose to pay his own way.
At 6’3″, Garrett Sturtz wasn’t exactly built like a bruising forward—but try telling that to the stat sheet. After walking on at Drake, Sturtz became the school’s all-time leading rebounder, grabbing over 917 boards. He also ranks sixth in career steals and holds the school record for most wins (120).
Reggie Hearn wasn’t even on the radar out of high school. He was an undersized post player trying to figure out his position. But he walked on at Northwestern, worked tirelessly, and by his senior year, he was the team’s leading scorer (13.4 PPG).
Cameron Mills dreamed of playing for Kentucky, and when he walked on, he had one weapon: a deadeye three-point shot. That weapon came in handy during the 1998 NCAA tournament when Mills hit huge threes to help the Wildcats win the national title.
C.J. Lee started his career at Manhattan College but walked on at Michigan after transferring, bringing leadership and energy with him. He wasn’t the tallest or flashiest player, but he was the one teammates rallied behind.
