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From towering legends to agile playmakers, the history of NCAA men’s basketball has witnessed an array of extraordinary talent. Countless greats deserve to be a part of this list, but we’ve narrowed it down to the 25 greatest.
25. Wayman Tisdale — Oklahoma (1983-85)
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The late Tisdale was the first collegian to earn First-Team All-America honors from The Associated Press as a freshman, sophomore and junior. He averaged 25.6 points and 10.1 rebounds during his three-year career with the Sooners. The United States Basketball Writers Association’s award for Outstanding Freshman is named in Tisdale’s honor.
24. George Mikan — DePaul (1943-46)
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Sporting glasses and the No. 99, the 6-foot-10 Mikan was a pioneer in terms of the way big men played the game. A two-time National Player of the Year choice, Mikan averaged 19.1 points but was also a force defending the rim and cleaning the glass. That mix of offensive and defensive dominance was a rarity at the time by college post players.
23. David Robinson — Navy (1984-87)
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At 7-foot-1, Robinson dominated the paint for three seasons and is arguably the greatest basketball player from any of the U.S. service academies. “The Admiral” averaged at least 22.7 points in his final three seasons, including 28.2 while being named Naismith Player of the Year in 1987. He pulled down 13.0 boards per game in ’86 and averaged 4.1 blocks for his career.
22. Tim Duncan — Wake Forest (1994-97)
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While others like Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady were bypassing college for the NBA, Duncan played all four years at Wake. He averaged a double-double from his sophomore year on, highlighted by 20.8 points and 14.7 rebounds as the National Player of the Year in 1997. The 6-foot-10 Duncan will also go down as one of the best defenders (career 3.8 blocks per game) of all-time.
21. Elgin Baylor — Seattle (1957-58)
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Baylor’s path to Seattle University was interesting, to say the least (starting at the tiny College of Idaho), but he was a star the moment he picked up a ball in the Emerald City. Baylor averaged 31.2 points and 19.8 rebounds in his two Division I collegiate seasons and helped Seattle reach the 1958 National Championship — which it lost to Kentucky.
20. Danny Manning — Kansas (1985-88)
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Manning not only enjoyed one of college basketball’s great careers, but his performance in the 1988 NCAA Tournament remains remarkable. In leading the upstart Jayhawks dubbed “Danny and the Miracles” to the National Title, Manning recorded 163 points (ranked fourth) and 69 field goals (third). The current associate head coach at Louisville, who averaged 20.1 points for his career, totaled 328 points in 16 NCAA Tournament games (third all-time).
19. Magic Johnson — Michigan State (1978-79)
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Magic played just two seasons of college ball, but they were certainly memorable. The versatile Johnson ran the show for the talented Spartans and averaged 17.1 points, 7.9 assists and 7.6 rebounds in his two years. He led Michigan State to the Elite Eight in 1978, and the National Title one year later over Larry Bird and Indiana State in one of the most viewed finals in college basketball history.
18. Ralph Sampson — Virginia (1980-83)
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There have been plenty of great big men at all levels of basketball, but Sampson is one of the elite, especially in college. The 7-foot-4 Sampson is one of two players to win the Naismith Player of the Year award three times. In four seasons at Virginia, Sampson averaged 16.9 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.5 blocks. However, he never won a National Championship.
17. Michael Jordan — North Carolina (1982-84)
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Jordan is arguably the greatest basketball player of all-time, more so for what he did in the NBA. But, the signs of his true greatness were obvious at North Carolina. He was the ACC Rookie of the Year in 1982 — the same year when his late jumper helped deliver a National Title for the Tar Heels. Jordan averaged 19.8 points and showed some defensive dominance in his last two seasons while earning All-American honors in both.
16. Patrick Ewing — Georgetown (1982-85)
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As the college game began to evolve and more emphasis was being placed on backcourt scoring and versatility, Ewing was still a force down low. Before the days of the one-and-done, Ewing was a true freshman phenom while guiding the Hoyas to the National Title game in 1982. The three-time Big East Player of the Year and All-American averaged double-doubles his sophomore and junior seasons, the latter in helping Georgetown win its only National Title in ’84.
15. Tom Gola — La Salle (1952-55)
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The city of Philadelphia boasts many legendary athletes, and that doesn’t include Rocky Balboa, but Gola is certainly one of them. He helped La Salle win the NIT Title in 1952 and the NCAA Tournament crown two years later. One of the most complete players of his day, Gola averaged 23.6 points in his last two collegiate seasons and 18.7 career rebounds as the game’s first great swingman.
14. Austin Carr — Notre Dame (1969-71)
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The Irish legend averaged 38.1 and 38.0 points each of his final two seasons. Carr’s 41.3 average points in seven NCAA Tournament games ranks No. 1 all-time. During the 1969-70 season, Carr became the second player ever to score 1,000 points (1,106) in a season. He still holds the record for most points in an NCAA Tournament contest with 61 versus Ohio in 1970.
13. Jerry Lucas — Ohio State (1960-62)
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There’s perhaps no greater player in the history of the Big Ten than Lucas. He was a major reason why the Buckeyes made it to three consecutive National Championships, and won the whole thing in 1960. The roommate of fellow star John Havlicek, Lucas was a three-time Big Ten Player of the Year and twice named Player of the Year by The Associated Press. Lucas averaged 24.3 points on 62.4 percent shooting and 17.2 rebounds.
12. Jerry West — West Virginia (1958-60)
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Another all-around great, West averaged 24.8 points and 13.3 rebounds for the Mountaineers during his three seasons of college ball. His 160 total points in the 1959 NCAA Tournament tied for the most ever at the time and earned him the event’s Most Outstanding Player honor. In nine tournament games, the two-time First-Team All-American averaged 30.6 points.
11. David Thompson — North Carolina State (1973-75)
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While there was some controversy regarding how Thompson ended up at N.C. State, there were no issues with his play once he got there. Thompson was a three-time ACC Player of the Year and All-American and is still considered one of the most exciting players in the history of college basketball. The high-flying Thompson averaged 26.8 points and led the Wolfpack to the 1974 National Championship. He’s the only N.C. State player to have his number (44) retired by the school.
10. Wilt Chamberlain — Kansas (1957-58)
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Chamberlain played just two seasons at Kansas but was the first truly dominant player in the game. In his first varsity game, Chamberlain scored 52 points and pulled down 31 rebounds. He often drew triple-team coverage during his college career and still averaged just under 30.0 points in both campaigns. Chamberlain led Kansas to the 1957 NCAA National Championship, but it was upset by North Carolina in triple-overtime.
9. Bill Bradley — Princeton (1963-65)
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Before becoming a senator and presidential nominee, Bradley was a basketball star at Princeton. He averaged 30.2 points and 12.1 rebounds, and despite being only 6-foot-5, was not afraid to get physical with any sized opponent. He helped the Tigers reach the Final Four in 1965, at which he was named MVP. Bradley scored 303 points in nine NCAA Tournament games and averaged 33.7 PPG.
8. Larry Bird — Indiana State (1977-79)
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Bird might have lost that memorable matchup with Magic in the 1979 National Championship, but that might have been the only negative aspect of his collegiate career on the court. After leaving Indiana and eventually landing at the cozier confines of Indiana State, Bird averaged 30.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and shot 53.3 percent while winning 81 games for the Sycamores.
7. Christian Laettner — Duke (1989-92)
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Loved by Dukies, and hated by most other college hoops fans. Still, it’s hard to argue with Laettner’s collegiate greatness. A career 57.4 percent shooter and the all-time leader with 407 NCAA Tournament points, Laettner was a two-time National Champion, an All-American and one of the most clutch players ever. His game-winning shot against Kentucky in the 1992 regional final is simply legendary.
6. Elvin Hayes — Houston (1966-68)
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Brought in by famed coach Guy V. Lewis, Hayes and teammate Don Chaney were the first African-Americans to play basketball at Houston. Hayes averaged 31.0 points as a Cougar, his career 358 points in the NCAA Tournament rank second and 222 rebounds in the Big Dance are No. 1 all-time. Hayes posted 39 points and 15 boards in the “Game of the Century,” when his Cougars topped Lew Alcindor and UCLA 71-69 at the Astrodome in January 1968 to end the Bruins’ 47-game winning streak.
5. Bill Walton — UCLA (1972-74)
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Thanks to Walton, the Bruins went undefeated during his first two seasons in 1972 and ’73. The first three-time Naismith Player of the Year Award winner, Walton was a scorer and rebounder (career 15.7 average). He also delivered perhaps the greatest National Championship game performance in history when he made 21-of-22 field-goal attempts and finished with 44 points, along with 13 rebounds, in UCLA’s win over Memphis State in 1973.
4. Bill Russell — San Francisco (1954-56)
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Not only did Russell average just over 20 points and 20 rebounds during his collegiate career, but he led the Dons to consecutive national titles in 1955 and ’56. Like most of his other African-American teammates and basketball-playing contemporaries, Russell dealt with racism but managed to power through to build quite the legacy.
3. Pete Maravich — LSU (1968-70)
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Nobody in the history of Division I college basketball has scored more points (3,667) than “Pistol Pete.” Maravich did it in only three seasons (freshmen could not play varsity at the time). He averaged an astonishing 44.2 points for his career and did it well before the three-point line or shot clock was instituted. The late Maravich is also considered to be one of the best ball-handlers in the history of the game.
2. Oscar Robertson — Cincinnati (1958-60)
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There might not be a more complete player in the annals of the college game than Robertson. The “Big O” averaged 33.8 points, 15.2 rebounds and more than four assists during his three years with the Bearcats. He had 10 triple-doubles for his career, an achievement he would carry over often while playing in the NBA. Robertson, who left school as college basketball’s all-time leading scorer (2,973 points), led Cincinnati to two Final Four appearances — but didn’t win a National Championship.
1. Lew Alcindor — UCLA (1967-69)
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Known by even the casual sports fan as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, he won three National Titles with UCLA, was a three-time First-Team All-American and was the inaugural winner of the Naismith Player of the Year Award. Alcindor, considered by many to be the most dominant college player ever, averaged 26.4 points and 15.5 rebounds during his three-year career with the Bruins. It was pretty much because of him that the dunk was outlawed from the college game after the 1966-67 season.
