College basketball programs cast a wide net when it comes to recruiting. Live periods, scouting services, high school showcases -- they all allow coaches to watch hundreds if not thousands of potential recruits every year.
While high-major programs have an inherent advantage for recruiting the best players, they don't get everyone. Sometimes there's an injury, sometimes a kid doesn't have the right amount of exposure, and sometimes they just miss.
So let's take a look at one of the most productive players in recent memory; a projected lottery pick; the star player on the most likely March Cinderella; the nation's leading scorer; and one of college basketball's all-time best shooters. They all slipped through the grasp of high-major schools and ended up starring for mid-major programs.