Since you listed the Ricks....I thought I would go back THREE full years and grab ALL of the names of all the 1st team DIVISION II juco All Americans and see how they fared once they got to NCAA Division I.
This doesn't mean Ricks can't be a top player, but it kinda reflects how the very BEST D-II juco players do when they reach NCAA D-I.
And not many become really very effective or successful at D-I....a few did, but you can count the THREE year total on one hand.
Here are the names - and I have only included the ones who were 1st TEAM and who have graduated from juco in 2008 and before so they'd have had a chance by now to play in 4-year college.
Eddie Miller G 6-3 170 So. Cecil College - went to Fresno State, 12 ppg
John Williamson F 6-7 So. Cincinnati State Technical & CC - went to Cincinnati, 12 ppg
Brian Hill G 6-4 195 So. Kaplan University - went to Texas State, 2 ppg then transferred
Marvin Owens G 6-4 185 So. Community College of Rhode Island did not play after juco
Klaye Rowe F 6-4 190 So. Iowa Central Community College - did not play after juco
Ira Brown G 6-4 235 Fr. Phoenix College - went to Gonzaga, barely played, 1.1 ppg
Kris Harris G 6'2 175 So South Suburban College - at UIC 2 ppg
Bryan Petersen PG 6'1 175 So Kirkwood Community College - did not play after juco
Les Simmons F 6'7 225 So Cecil College - Morehead State, barely played, 3 ppg then transferred
Kevin Tiggs F 6'4 210 So Mott Community College - went to ETSU became their best player, 14.6 ppg
Ray Blackburn G 6'1 165 SO Erie Community College at St. Bonaventure, 8 ppg
Ali Farokhmanesh G 6' 180 SO Kirkwood Community College - at UNI doing well, 9.6 ppg
Jeremie Simmons G 6'1" 172 SO Mott Community College - reserve at Ohio State 6 ppg
Rob Lowery G 6'2" 180 SO Cecil College - at Dayton, 7 ppg
David Cuen F 6'5" 195 SO South Mountain Community College - at D-II
Shaun Knife G 6'5" 185 FR Bismarck State College - did not play after juco
Bobby Hill F 6'6" 220 SO Lincoln College - redshirted last year at ISU
John Pringle F 6'7" 220 SO Essex County College - at D-II
so over the last 3 years of NJCAA D-II juco grads who made 1st team All American,
18 players, 7 didn't or haven't yet even played D-I, four more barely played or transferred out of D-I,
and of the 7 who played well enough to get decent playing time, 3 scored double digits, and maybe four played well enough
to be named among the best juniors or jucos in their respective leagues. (Miller, Williamson, Tiggs, and Farokhmanesh)
Again...this isn't meant to say some D-II juco kid couldn't come along and be a star, and we've had this discussion before, but the D-II juco kids rarely, and stress RARELY ever star at the NCAA D-I level, and only a few over the past 3-year span have even gotten mention among the best players in their respective leagues.
By huge contrast, virtually every NCAA D-I team, and certainly every Valley team has had numerous NJCAA D-I juco kids become starters and even STARS for them (Theron Wilson, Anthony Slack, Booker Woodfox, Al Stewart, Ramon Clemente, Chris Cooks, Clevin Hannah, Rashad Reed, Dodie Dunson, Chris Roberts, Craig Stanley, Cavel Witter, Lloyd Phillips, Emmanuel Holloway...)
