Success in college basketball is not a guarantor of success in the NBA. Which is probably a good allegory for life in general — that 4.0 GPA might not matter much at the next level. Dropouts have a habit of coming up with billion-dollar ideas.

In football and baseball, you have a pretty good idea of what you’re getting in a college draft pick. Players can’t declare until they are 3 years out of high school. (Baseball players can get drafted out of high school, but must wait 3 years if they don’t sign the contract.)

It’s been a much different ballgame in the NBA, where the top prospects leave college after a season — if they even enroll at all.

Compared to other sports, it is perhaps more common for players to achieve greater heights at the professional level than they ever did in college.

And players who were legitimate stars in college, such as former Illinois center Kofi Cockburn, might not reach the NBA at all. Purdue center Zach Edey didn’t even enter the draft after winning the Wooden Award.

The NBA has become a product distinct from what’s played at the college level.

With all of that being the case, these 5 Big Ten players fit the profile of players who flashed stardom in college, but might actually achieve stardom at the next level.

1. Jalen Hood-Schifino, PG, Indiana (Los Angeles Lakers)

This is happening a year before it was supposed to for Hood-Schifino, who arrived at Indiana to back up senior Xavier Johnson at point guard. But when Johnson was lost for the year after a December injury at Kansas, Hood-Schifino took over ahead of time.

He wasn’t always consistent, but when Hood-Schifino was on he was on. He dropped 33 points on a Northwestern defense that was among the nation’s best, hitting 5 of 7 3-pointers. And statistically speaking, Hood-Schifino’s 35-point game at Purdue was the best performance by a freshman Indiana point guard since Isiah Thomas.

Hood-Schifino would be a lottery pick if he stayed another year, but his NBA arrow is still pointed up — especially on a team like the Lakers where the 17th overall pick won’t be expected to be The Man.

2. Jett Howard, Wing, Michigan (Orlando Magic)

Let’s face it — there was never much chance of Juwan Howard leaving for an NBA job until he got a chance to coach his son at Michigan.

That season came nowhere close to expectations for the Wolverines, who were among the most underwhelming teams to ever produce a pair of top-15 picks in the same NBA Draft. But that disappointment has no bearing on Jett Howard’s future.

He announced himself as legit from his first game as a freshman with 21 points and 5 assists against Purdue-Fort Wayne. Howard took things a level above that with a 34-point game against Iowa on Jan. 13, draining 7 of 13 3-point attempts.

That range combined with his 6-foot-8 frame gives Howard a promising future. That he was drafted 11th overall rather than somewhere closer to 20th certainly caught the internet by surprise, though.

3. Kobe Bufkin, CG, Michigan (Atlanta Hawks)

Bufkin was a 3 points per game bench player as a freshman before bursting onto the scene with 14 ppg last season.

Bufkin’s 28-point, 8-rebound performance against Wisconsin on Feb. 26 was the most promising of his college career. He would have been on an all-America track had he come back for his junior season — but given the current state of Michigan’s program, Bufkin made the right choice.

Atlanta clearly appears comfortable allowing Bufkin to develop even further, because he’ll begin his career on the bench behind All-Star point guard Trae Young and high-scoring point guard Dejounte Murray.

4. Brice Sensabaugh, G, Ohio State (Utah Jazz)

Like his Michigan rivals, Sensabaugh was a promising prospect on a disappointing team. He’s unlikely to be remembered as an Ohio State legend given that his career amounted to 1 season on a forgettable sub-.500 team.

Yet he may well be remembered as a star at the next level.

Sensabaugh hit 40.5% of his 3-point attempts, which will translate extremely well to his chances of NBA success. He was also trustworthy at the free-throw line, ranking 5th in the B1G by hitting 83% of his attempts.

At the very least, Sensabaugh projects into a role of instant offense off the bench.

5. Jalen Pickett, PG, Penn State (Denver Nuggets)

Full disclosure: I wasn’t expecting Pickett to be a top-50 NBA Draft selection. For him to go near the very top of the second round (32nd overall) was quite an eye-opener.

But because of which team made the pick, I love it. They do have a good track record with second-round picks, after all.

Pickett’s old-man game is a perfect fit for the Nuggets, who just won an NBA championship with the king of old-man game running the show in Nikola Jokic. With his post-up and pass-first skills, Pickett feels like an excellent complement to Jokic.

After 3 years at Siena, Pickett transferred to Penn State and became the first Nittany Lion to be named a basketball all-American since 1955. He may only be at the beginning of his ascent.