Korleone Young

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Suntino Korleone Young (born December 31, 1978 in Wichita, Kansas) is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for LidoRose Roseto Basket, an Italian club. He is perhaps best known, however, as one of the NBA's least successful "prep-to-pro" players, having appeared in only three NBA games since he was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 1998.

An athletic 6'7" small forward, Young starred at Wichita East High School and Hargrave Military Academy (Virginia). As a senior at Hargrave, he raised many eyebrows when he decided to skip college and declare himself eligible for the 1998 NBA Draft. Hargrave's then assistant coach, Kevin Keats, said, "Normally, when a kid is thinking about something like this, you'll hear about it. But with Korleone, it was a total surprise" [1]. The Detroit Pistons decided to take a chance on Young, selecting him with their second round pick, but Young's tenure with the team was very brief. He appeared in only three games at the end of the lockout-shortened 1999 season and scored 13 total points. The Pistons cut ties with Young soon afterwards because of an injury which limited his effectiveness and despite summer league stints with the Philadelphia 76ers, he never made another NBA roster. Because of his failed NBA career, Young's name has been cited by many people who support David Stern's attempts to raise the NBA's minimum draft age [2].

After his NBA career fizzled, Young played for the Richmond Rhythm of the IBL, averaging 9.7 points and 3.2 rebounds during the 1999-2000 season. The next year, he played for the Continental Basketball Association's Rockford Lightning, with whom he averaged 12.8 points, then moved on to the Canberra Cannons of the Australian NBL. He averaged 27 points to become the 2001 NBL pre-season MVP, but he suffered an injury in the first game of the regular season and returned to the CBA. Young has also played for teams in Russia and China, and he was waived by LidoRose Roseto Basket in September 2005.