WKU is represented in the NBA by two former Hilltopper legends -- Courtney Lee and Jeremy Evans .
After helping lead WKU as far as the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, Lee and Evans have found long-term homes in basketball's finest league.
Lee recently completed his eighth year in the NBA. He was the 22nd overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. The journeyman has been with seven teams during his pro career, most recently signing a lucrative free-agent contract with the New York Knicks in July 2016.
Before heading to New York, Lee made a splash at the end of the 2015-16 season after a trade to the Charlotte Hornets.
Lee started all 28 games he played for the Hornets, averaging 8.9 points per game while continuing his reputation as a trusty 3-point shooter and a lockdown defender. He was considered a key piece of a team that took the Miami Heat to seven games in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
The 6-foot-5 guard from Indianapolis has also played for the Orlando Magic, New Jersey Nets, Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies.
But before that, he became one of the best players to ever take the court for the Hilltoppers. Lee had his No. 32 jersey retired by WKU during the 2014-15 season. He's the 10th player associated with the men's basketball program with a jersey hanging in the rafters of E.A. Diddle Arena.
Lee is tied with Jim McDaniels for WKU's all-time scoring lead with 2,238 points. He ranks in the top seven in WKU history in eight other statistical categories.
The standout guard led the Hilltoppers to the 2008 Sweet 16 during his senior season.
He was joined on that team by Evans, who recently completed his sixth season in the NBA. Evans will also have a new home during the 2016-17 season after being traded to the Indiana Pacers.
The 6-9 forward from Monroe, La., was selected by the Utah Jazz with the 55th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.
Evans spent five seasons with the Jazz before joining the Dallas Mavericks for the 2015-16 campaign. He's played in 249 career games and averaged a career-best 6.1 points during the 2013-14 season.
Evans is also well-known for his athleticism. He won the 2012 Sprite NBA All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Contest and was the runner-up in 2013.
Evans finished his WKU career as the school's all-time leader in blocked shots (224). He scored 1,065 career points and averaged 10 points and 6.9 rebounds as a senior.
WKU molded both players into NBA-level talent.
Lee was rated a three-star prospect by Rivals out of high school, while Evans was unranked by the recruiting site.
Lasting Pro Legacy
As of August 2016, WKU has as many or more current NBA players (2) than six schools each from the Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC, five programs from the ACC and three schools from the Pac-12.
WKU is one of 10 teams from the Group of Five conferences with multiple NBA players. The Hilltoppers are the only Conference USA team with multiple NBA pros, and they have as many as the entire Mid-American Conference combined. They also have more NBA players than 11 teams in the Sun Belt, eight teams in the American Athletic Conference and seven teams in the Mountain West.
WKU also has as many or more NBA players than many high-level, non-FBS programs, including Butler, Davidson, Dayton, Providence, Seton Hall, Temple and Xavier.
The Hilltoppers have had dozens of other players compete at the highest professional levels over the years, with many still joining Lee and Evans as active professionals overseas.
