He played one year of college basketball with the Kansas Jayhawks before being selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 49th pick in the 2011 NBA draft.

[3] On April 17, 2010, Selby committed to the Kansas Jayhawks at the 2010 Jordan Brand Classic at Madison Square Garden live on ESPN2.

[7] On December 18, 2010, following a nine-game suspension Selby joined the 2010–11 Jayhawks, scoring 21 points in 27 minutes and making 5 of 8 three-point shots.

[9] According to this report, the NCAA had been investigating for months the relationship between Selby and Robert "Bay" Frazier, the business manager for New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony.

Selby had acknowledged a friendship with Anthony in past interviews and spoke of his contact with Frazier in an April story in The New York Times.

Maeshon Witherspoon, Selby's mother, told The Times that she had known Bay since elementary school and had asked him to serve as an adviser during his college recruitment.

On November 21, 2010, the NCAA made its final ruling on the matter, suspending Selby for nine games and ordering him to pay $4,607.58, the total of the "improper benefits" received from Frazier, to the charity of his choice.

[11] NBA teams were reluctant to draft Selby due to a perceived selfish style of play and negative attitude off the court.

[18] On January 22, 2013, Selby was traded along with Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington and a future first-round draft pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Jon Leuer.

In June 2019, he had a three-game stint with San Lázaro in the Dominican Republic,[32] playing during the Torneo de Baloncesto Superior del Distrito Nacional.