Greatest College Basketball Players

College basketball has had many stars since the first college game was played in 1896. These are the best.

Greatest College Basketball Players

Lew Alcindor at UCLA — Lew Alcindor, before he became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, revolutionized the game of basketball at UCLA.

College basketball is a different beast. The NBA, of course, is the top of the sport, with the most skilled players doing some of the most amazing things you’ve ever seen. But nothing beats the energy of a college basketball game.

The heroes of college hoops rocked campuses across the nation. Their play created a legacy of upsets, buzzer-beaters and court-storming madness. These are the greatest college basketball players of all time.

*Assists were not kept as an official statistic until 1965-66 and were kept sporadically until the mid-1970s.

**Rebounds were not kept as an official statistic until 1950-51.

100. Chris Webber

Position: Power forward

School: Michigan

Years: 1991-93

Team record: 56-14 (.800 winning percentage)

Stats: 70 G, 1,218 total points (17.4 PPG), 702 total rebounds (10.0 RPG), 166 total assists (2.4 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 12 G, 213 total points (17.8 PPG), 126 total rebounds (10.5 RPG), 24 total assists (2 APG),10 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: NCAA All-Tournament (1992, 1993), Consensus First-Team All-American (1993), All-Big Ten (1993)

Bottom line: Chris Webber’s basketball story is a slew of highs and lows.

His college legacy was cemented with the infamous timeout call that lost the Wolverines their championship game against North Carolina in 1993.

Despite all that, Webber’s talent was undeniable, and his place in basketball history as a member of the "Fab Five" is unquestioned.

99. Marcus Camby

Position: Center

School: UMass

Years: 1993-96

Team record: 92-14 (.868)

Stats: 92 G, 1,387 total points (15.1 PPG), 642 total rebounds (7.0 RPG), 336 total blocks (3.7 BPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 11 G, 197 total points (17.9 PPG), 85 total rebounds (7.7 RPG), 43 total blocks (3.9 BPG), 8 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: A-10 Player of the Year (1996), AP Player of the Year (1996), Naismith Award (1996), Rupp Trophy (1996), Wooden Award (1996), Consensus First-Team All-American (1996), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1996)

Bottom line: Marcus Camby and John Calipari’s UMass teams vaulted both into superstardom in the 1990s.

Camby was a defensive beast for the Minutemen and throughout his professional basketball career.

Off the court, he also kicked off the Calipari legacy of NCAA sanctions, after an investigation found Camby received nearly $30,000 in improper benefits while at UMass.

98. Sidney Moncrief

Position: Guard

School: Arkansas

Years: 1975-79

Team record: 102-20 (.836)

Stats: 122 G, 2,066 total points (16.9 PPG), 1,013 total rebounds (8.3 RPG), 240 total assists (2.0 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 9 G, 153 total points (17 PPG), 64 total rebounds (7.1 RPG), 14 total assists (1.6 APG), 6 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: SWC Player of the Year (1979), Consensus First-Team All-American (1979)

Bottom line: Sidney Moncrief is the only player in Razorbacks history to have his number permanently retired, and deservedly so.

He helped lay the foundation for one of the premier college programs into the early 1990s.

97. Danny Ainge

Position: Guard

School: BYU

Years: 1977-81

Team record: 81-38 (.680)

Stats: 118 G, 2,467 total points (20.9 PPG), 541 total rebounds (4.6 RPG), 539 total assists (4.6 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 6 G, 107 total points (17.8 PPG), 14 total rebounds (2.3 RPG), 22 total assists (3.7 APG), 3 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: WAC Player of the Year (1981), Wooden Award (1981), Consensus First-Team All-American (1981)

Bottom line: A fierce competitor and the epitome of gritty, Danny Ainge was the first high schooler to earn All-American honors in basketball, football and baseball.

At BYU, his shot to top Notre Dame in the 1981 tournament was the stuff of legend.

96. Dave Bing

Position: Guard

School: Syracuse

Years: 1963-66

Team record: 52-24 (.684)

Stats: 76 G, 1,883 total points (24.8 PPG), 780 total rebounds (10.3 RPG), 185 total assists* (6.6 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 2 G, 30 total points (15.0 PPG), 20 total rebounds (10.0 RPG), 11 total assists (5.5 APG), 1 team win, 1 team loss

Accolades: Consensus First-Team All-American (1966)

Bottom line: Long after draining buckets at Syracuse, Dave Bing went on to become the mayor of Detroit in 2009, serving until 2013.

He was also a roommate with future Orange coach Jim Boeheim during his playing days.

95. John Lucas II

Position: Guard

School: Maryland

Years: 1972-76

Team record: 72-23 (.758)

Stats: 110 G, 2,015 total points (18.3 PPG), 374 total rebounds (3.4 RPG), 514 total assists (4.7 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 5 G, 111 total points (22.2 PPG), 20 total rebounds (4 RPG), 15 total assists (3 APG), 3 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: All-ACC First Team (1974, 1975, 1976), Consensus First-Team All-American (1975, 1976)

Bottom line: John Lucas benefitted from the tournament expansion in 1975, when Maryland was one of the first teams to enter the tournament despite not winning its conference.

His son (John III) also had a lengthy career in the NBA.

94. Bob Lanier

Position: Center

School: St. Bonaventure

Years: 1967-70

Team record: 65-12 (.844)

Stats: 75 G, 2,067 total points (27.6 PPG), 1,180 total rebounds (15.7 RPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 6 G, total points (PPG), total rebounds (RPG), total assists (APG), 4 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: Consensus First-Team All-American (1968, 1970)

Bottom line: Bob Lanier might have been an all-time great pro as well, but had a severe knee injury during the 1970 NCAA tournament, resulting in the first of eight knee surgeries.

After a long career in the pros, he entered a life of philanthropy, serving as the NBA Cares global ambassador since 2005, working with youth-serving programs.

93. Chris Mullin

Position: Forward

School: St. John’s (New York)

Years: 1981-85

Team record: 98-30 (.766)

Stats: 125 G, 2,440 total points (19.5 PPG), 509 total rebounds (4.1 RPG), 453 total assists (3.6 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 10 G, 207 total points (20.7 PPG), 43 total rebounds (4.3 RPG), 39 total assists (3.9 APG), 6 team wins, 4 team losses

Accolades: All-Big East Second Team (1982), All-Big East First Team (1983, 1984, 1985), Big East Player of the Year (1983, 1984, 1985), Consensus Second Team All-American (1984), Consensus First-Team All-American (1985), Wooden Award (1985)

Bottom line: Chris Mullin’s basketball resume is a unique one.

He holds the all-time scoring record at St. John’s, won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics, served as the general manager for the Golden State Warriors and returned to coach his old college squad in 2015.

Can you say basketball legend?

92. Keith Van Horn

Position: Forward

School: Utah

Years: 1993-97

Team record: 98-31 (.760)

Stats: 122 G, 2,542 total points (20.8 PPG), 1,074 total rebounds (8.8 RPG), 142 total assists (1.2 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 8 G, 149 total points (18.6 PPG), 61 total rebounds (7.6RPG), 8 total assists (1 APG), 5 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: WAC Player of the Year (1995, 1996, 1997), Consensus Second-Team All-American (1996), Consensus First-Team All-American (1997)

Bottom line: Keith Van Horn holds pretty much every record for Utah basketball, and he wasted no time leaving his mark on the program for the Utes, averaging 18.3 points as a freshman.

He also set a slew of Western Athletic Conference records, including being the all-time leading scorer and first three-time Player of the Year.

91. Ed O’Bannon

Position: Forward

School: UCLA

Years: 1991-95

Team record: 102-25 (.872

Stats: 117 G, 1,815 total points (15.5 PPG), 820 total rebounds (7.0 RPG), 208 total assists (1.8 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 13 G, 202 total points (15.5 PPG), 101 total rebounds (7.7 RPG), 19 total assists (1.5 APG), 10 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1995), All-Pac-10 First Team (1993, 1994, 1995), Pac-10 Player of the Year (1994-95), Wooden Award (1995), Consensus First-Team All-American (1994-95), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1995), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1995)

Bottom line: The star player for the last UCLA Bruins national championship team, Ed O’Bannon was a Los Angeles native who originally signed with UNLV.

When the Rebels were placed on probation, he backed out and committed to the hometown school. Just days into his career, he tore his ACL, only to rally back and top his college career with a 30-point, 17-rebound performance in the championship game.

After his playing career, O'Bannon was the lead plaintiff in an antitrust class-action lawsuit against the NCAA that led to the discontinuation of NCAA video games.

90. Hakeem Olajuwon

Position: Center

School: Houston

Years: 1981-84

Team record: 88-16 (.846)

Stats: 100 G, 1,332 total points (13.3 PPG), 1,067 total rebounds (10.7 RPG), 454 total blocks (4.5 BPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 15 G, 226 total points (15.1 PPG), 153 total rebounds (10.2 RPG), 56 total blocks (3.7 BPG), 12 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: NCAA All-Tournament Team (1983, 1984), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1983), SWC Player of the Year (1984), Consensus First-Team All-American (1984)

Bottom line: Widely regarded as one of the best college players to never win a national championship, Hakeem Olajuwon developed a feel on both sides of the ball that turned Houston into a powerhouse.

But he and Clyde Drexler couldn’t quite get the job done, falling short twice in championship games.

89. Jameer Nelson

Position: Guard

School: St. Joseph’s

Years: 2000-04

Team record: 98-28 (.778)

Stats: 125 G, 2,094 total points (16. 8PPG), 581 total rebounds (4.6 RPG), 713 total assists (5.7 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 7 G, 157 total points (22.4 PPG), 42 total rebounds (6 RPG), 38 total assists (5.4 APG), 4 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: A-10 Player of the Year (2004), AP Player of the Year (2004), Naismith Award (2004), Rupp Trophy (2004), Bob Cousy Award (2004), Wooden Award (2004), Consensus First-Team All-American (2004)

Bottom line: Jameer Nelson was the star point guard for St. Joseph’s bid at going undefeated in the 2003-04 season.

Far and away the best player in program history, he led the school to a No. 1 seed and an Elite Eight appearance before jumping to the NBA a year early.

88. Shane Battier

Position: Forward

School: Duke

Years: 1997-2001

Team record: 133-15 (.899)

Stats: 146 G, 1,984 total points (13.6 PPG), 887 total rebounds (6.1 RPG), 239 total assists (1.6 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 19 G, 278 total points (14.6 PPG), 136 total rebounds (7.2 RPG), 37 total assists (1.9 APG), 16 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (2001), Consensus First-Team All-American (2001), AP Player of the year (2001), Naismith Award (2001), Rupp Trophy (2001), Wooden Award (2001), NCAA All-Tournament Team (2001), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (2001), All-ACC Third Team (1999), All-ACC First Team (2000, 2001), NABC Defensive Player of the Year (1999, 2000, 2001), Consensus Second-Team All-American (2000)

Bottom line: In terms of raw numbers, Shane Battier’s career may not look like anything special.

But he drew comparisons to Grant Hill in that regard, acting as the Swiss Army Knife for some spectacular Duke teams.

87. Alfred “Butch” Lee

Position: Guard

School: Marquette

Years: 1974-78

Team record: 98-17 (.852)

Stats: 115 G, 1,735 total points (15.1 PPG), 375 total rebounds (3.3 RPG), 378 total assists (3.3 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 10 G, 160 total points (16 PPG), 29 total rebounds (RPG), 23 total assists (APG), 7 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: NCAA Champion (1977), Consensus First-Team All-American (1978), Consensus Second-Team All-American (1977), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1977), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1977), AP Player of the Year (1978), Naismith Award (1978), Rupp Trophy (1978)

Bottom line: Butch Lee’s two biggest accomplishments have nothing to do with college basketball.

He was not only the first Puerto Rican player to take the floor in an NBA game, but he also nearly led the Puerto Rican team to a massive upset against Team USA at the 1976 Olympics, dropping 35 points in the effort.

86. Juan Dixon

Position: Guard

School: Maryland

Years: 1998-2002

Team record: 110-31 (.780)

Stats:141 G, 2,269 total points (16.1 PPG), 599 total rebounds (4.2 RPG), 371 total assists (2.6 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 16 G, 294 total points (18.4 PPG), 68 total rebounds (4.3 RPG), 43 total assists (2.7 APG), 13 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: NCAA Champion (2002), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (2002), NCAA All-Tournament Team (2002), Consensus First-Team All-American (2002), ACC Player of the Year (2002), All-ACC First Team (2000, 2001, 2002)

Bottom line: The uber-talented backcourt of Juan Dixon and Steve Blake catapulted Gary Williams’ Maryland program to a national title in 2002.

Dixon surpassed Len Bias as the school’s all-time leading scorer on that magical tournament run, when he averaged nearly 30 points.

85. Reggie Williams

Position: Forward

School: Virginia Military Institute

Years: 2004-08

Team record: 44-72 (.393)

Stats: 112 G, 2,556 total points (22.8 PPG), 820 total rebounds (7.3RPG), 379 total assists (3.4 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: N/A

Accolades: N/A

Bottom line: The only player on this list with a below .500 record, Reggie Williams was an anomaly at VMI, leading the nation in scoring in both his junior and senior seasons.

He’s the record holder for leading scorer in the state of Virginia and went on to become a two-time NBA D-League All-Star.

84. Thurl Bailey

Position: Forward

School: North Carolina State

Years: 1979-83

Team record: 82-41 (.667)

Stats: 123 G, 1,485 total points (12.1 PPG), 759 total rebounds (6.2 RPG), 207 total blocks (1.7 BPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 8 G, 113 total points (14.1 PPG), 56 total rebounds (7 RPG), 9 total blocks (1.1 BPG), 8 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1983), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1983), All-ACC First Team (1983), All-ACC (1982)

Bottom line: One of the leaders of North Carolina State’s improbable run to the 1983 championship, Thurl Bailey led the team in both scoring and rebounding.

He had a team-high 15 points in the title win over Hakeem Olajuwon’s heavily favored Houston squad.

83. Don MacLean

Position: Forward

School: UCLA

Years: 1988-92

Team record: 94-35 (.729)

Stats: 127 G, 2,608 total points (20.5 PPG), 992 total rebounds (7.8 RPG), 200 total assists (1.6 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 10 G, 166 total points (16.6 PPG), 72 total rebounds (7.2 RPG), 19 total assists (1.9 APG), 6 team wins, 4 team losses

Accolades: Consensus Second-Team All-American (1992), All-Pac-10 First Team (1990, 1991, 1992)

Bottom line: Don MaClean was the foundation that the last UCLA championship team was built.

Although he never got to relish in the spoils of that title, he brought the program back to mainstream notoriety and is still the all-time leading scorer for the conference.

82. Ed Pinckney

Position: Forward

School: Villanova

Years: 1981-85

Team record: 92-38 (.708)

Stats: 129 G, 1,865 total points (14.5 PPG), 1,107 total rebounds (8.6 RPG), 253 total blocks (2.0 BPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 14 G, 215 total points (15.4 PPG), 135 total rebounds (9.6 RPG), 25 total blocks (1.8 BPG), 11 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1985), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1985), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1985), All-Big East First Team (1983, 1985), All-Big East Second Team (1984)

Bottom line: Villanova had one of the unlikeliest runs in NCAA tournament history in 1985 as a No. 8 seed.

The Wildcats stunned team after team on their magical six-game run through the field, culminating in Ed Pinckney leading the team to victory over Patrick Ewing’s Georgetown Hoyas.

81. Wes Unseld

Position: Center

School: Louisville

Years: 1965-68

Team record: 60-27 (.700)

Stats: 82 G, 1,686 total points (20.6 PPG), 1,551 total rebounds (18.9 RPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 4 G, 82 total points (20.5 PPG), 70 total rebounds (17.5 RPG), 1 team win, 3 team losses

Accolades: Consensus First-Team All-American (1967, 1968)

Bottom line: Wes Unseld roots are in Louisville, where he led the Missouri Valley Conference in rebounding each of his three college.

He followed up his Hall of Fame college career with a Hall of Fame NBA career.

80. Bob Pettit

Position: Forward

School: LSU

Years: 1951-54

Team record: 59-15 (.797)

Stats: 72 G, 1,970 total points (27.4 PPG), 1,039 total rebounds (14.4 RPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 6 G, 183 total points (30.5 PPG), 51 total rebounds (8.5 RPG), 2 team wins, 4 team losses

Accolades: Consensus First-Team All-American (1954), Consensus Second-Team All-American (1953), All-SEC 1st Team (1952, 1953, 1954)

Bottom line: Nearly 40 years before Shaquille O’Neal entered the fold, Bob Pettit was the gold standard for LSU big men.

He led the team to a Final Four appearance in 1953 and was the school’s first athlete to have his number (50) retired.

79. Doug McDermott

Position: Forward

School: Creighton

Years: 2010-14

Team record: 107-38 (.738)

Stats: 145 G, 3,150 total points (21.7 PPG), 1,088 total rebounds (7.5 RPG), 194 total assists (1.3 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 6 G, 109 total points (18.1 PPG), 53 total rebounds (8.8 RPG), 4 total assists (0.7 APG), 3 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: Wooden Award (2014), Consensus First-Team All-American (2012, 2013, 2014), Rupp Trophy (2014), Naismith Award (2014), AP Player of the Year (2014), Big East Player of the Year (2014), MVC Player of the Year (2012, 2013), All Big-East First Team (2014)

Bottom line: "Dougie McBuckets" captained a Creighton team that rolled through Missouri Valley Conference competition.

Then, he carried the Blue Jays in their first season in the Big East, where they went 14-4 and finished second in the conference.

With lofty expectations as the son of coach Greg McDermott, he silenced all doubters with his sensational senior season.

78. Rick Mount

Position: Forward

School: Purdue

Years: 1967-70

Team record: 56-20 (.737)

Stats: 72 G, 2,323 total points (32.3 PPG), 211 total rebounds (2.9 RPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 4 G, 122 total points (30.5PPG), 8 total rebounds (2 RPG), 3 team wins, 1 team loss

Accolades: Consensus First-Team All-American (1969, 1970), All-Big Ten First Team (1968, 1969, 1970), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1969)

Bottom line: A player way ahead of his time, Rick Mount was the first high school player to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

He lived up to the hype for the Boilermakers, including a trip to the 1968 title game and a 61-point scoring barrage against Iowa.

77. Bernard King

Position: Forward

School: Tennessee

Years: 1974-77

Team record: 61-20 (.753)

Stats: 76 G, 1,962 total points (25.8 PPG), 1,004 total rebounds (13.2 RPG), 161 total assists (2.1 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 1 G, 23 total points, 12 total rebounds, 2 total assists, 0 team wins, 1 team loss

Accolades: Consensus First-Team All-American (1977), Consensus Second-Team All-American (1976), SEC Player of the Year (1975, 1976, 1977), All-SEC First Team (1975, 1976, 1977)

Bottom line: Bernard King was a walking bucket plain and simple.

Until Allan Houston came along in the early 1990s, King was the Vols' all-time leading scorer and still holds the record for single-season scoring average at 26.4 points per game.

76. Allen Iverson

Position: Guard

School: Georgetown

Years: 1994-96

Team record: 50-28 (.641)

Stats: 67 G, 1,539 total points (23 PPG), 240 total rebounds (3.6 RPG), 307 total assists (4.6 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 7 G, 167 total points (23.9 PPG), 28 total rebounds (4 RPG), 14 total assists (2 APG), 5 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: Consensus First-Team All-American (1996), All-Big East First Team (1996), All-Big East Second Team (1995), Big East Defensive Player of the Year (1995, 1996)

Bottom line: Allen Iverson was a phenomenon at Georgetown. The last in the long line of stellar Hoyas, A.I. was must-see television from the moment he stepped on the floor.

Although he couldn’t carry Georgetown to a national title, he’s the all-time Big East leader in broken ankles.

75. Joakim Noah

Position: Center

School: Florida

Years: 2004-07

Team record: 92-19 (.829)

Stats: 108 G, 1,133 total points (10.5 PPG), 687 total rebounds (6.4 RPG), 185 total assists (1.7 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 13 G, 166 total points (12.8 PPG), 116 total rebounds (8.9 RPG), total assists (2.2 APG), 12 team wins, 1 team loss

Accolades: NCAA champion (2006, 2007), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (2006), NCAA All-Tournament Team (2006), All-SEC First Team (2006, 2007), Consensus Second-Team All-American (2007)

Bottom line: Although not a statistical behemoth, Joakim Noah was the anchor for the back-to-back national champion Florida Gators.

Noah and Al Horford were a defensive duo that few could score on, with Noah averaging nearly five blocks per game during the team’s first title run.

74. Sean Elliott

Position: Forward

School: Arizona

Years: 1985-89

Team record: 105-28 (.789)

Stats: 133 G, 2,555 total points (19.2 PPG), 808 total rebounds (6.1 RPG), 451 total assists (3.4 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 10 G, 236 total points (23.6 PPG), 68 total rebounds (6.8 RPG), 34 total assists (3.4 APG), 6 team wins, 4 team losses

Accolades: Wooden Award (1989), Rupp Trophy (1989), AP Player of the Year (1989), Consensus First-Team All-American (1988, 1989), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1988), Pac-10 Player of the Year (1988, 1989)

Bottom line: Sean Elliott and Lute Olson kicked off the ascendance of the University of Arizona basketball program when the Tucson native committed to the Wildcats.

The first in a long line of outstanding players for Olson, Elliott is still the school’s leading scorer.

73. Marques Johnson

Position: Forward

School: UCLA

Years: 1973-77

Team record: 105-17 (.861)

Stats: 115 G, 1,659 total points (14.4 PPG), 897 total rebounds (7.8 RPG), 207 total assists (1.8 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 16 G, 234 total points (14.6 PPG), 131 total rebounds (8.2 RPG), 25 total assists (1.6 APG), 13 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1975), Wooden Award (1977), Naismith Award (1977), Rupp Trophy (1977), AP Player of the Year (1977), Consensus First-Team All-American (1977), Pac-8 Player of the Year (1977), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1976), All-Pac-8 First Team (1976, 1977)

Bottom line: Marques Johnson owns the distinction of being on John Wooden’s final championship squad in 1975 before the legend retired.

Johnson also did his part to keep the program afloat as Gene Bartow took the reigns.

Fittingly enough, Johnson was the first recipient of the now prestigious Wooden Award in 1977.

72. Adrian Dantley

Position: Forward

School: Notre Dame

Years: 1973-76

Team record: 68-19 (.782)

Stats: 86 G, 2,223 total points (25.8 PPG), 843 total rebounds (9.8 RPG), 136 total assists (1.6 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 8 G, 203 total points (25.4 PPG), 66 total rebounds (8.3 RPG), 8 total assists (1 APG), 4 team wins, 4 team losses

Accolades: Consensus First-Team All-American (1975, 1976)

Bottom line: As a freshman in 1973, the dynamic scorer for Notre Dame helped the team end UCLA’s 88-game winning streak.

Although Adrian Dantley never brought a championship to South Bend, he gave the Fighting Irish faithful plenty to "ooh" and "aww" at with his scoring flurries, featuring three 30-plus-point efforts in the tournament.

71. Bobby Hurley

Position: Guard

School: Duke

Years: 1989-93

Team record: 119-26 (.821)

Stats: 140 G, 1,731 total points (14.4 PPG), 306 total rebounds (2.5 RPG), 1,076 total assists (9 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 20 G, 239 total points (11.9 PPG), 48 total rebounds (2.4 RPG), 145 total assists (7.3 APG), 18 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1991, 1992), Consensus First-Team All-American (1993), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1992), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1992), All-ACC First Team (1993), All-ACC Second Team (1992), All-ACC Third Team (1991)

Bottom line: A tough coach’s kid from New Jersey, Bobby Hurley initially clashed with fellow All-American Christian Laettner.

After overcoming their differences, they became one of the most unstoppable duos in NCAA history, with Hurley taking the top spot on the all-time assist list for college hoops.

70. Stacey Augmon

Position: Forward

School: UNLV

Years: 1987-91

Team record: 126-20 (.863)

Stats: 145 G, 2,011 total points (13.9 PPG), 1,005 total rebounds (6.9 RPG), 433 total assists (3 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 17 G, 242 total points (14.2 PPG), 116 total rebounds (6.8 RPG), 53 total assists (3.1 APG), 14 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1990), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1990), Consensus Second Team All-American (1991), NABC Defensive Player of the Year (1989, 1990, 1991), Big West Player of the Year (1989)

Bottom line: A laidback personality with a defensive nose for the basketball, the "Plastic Man" fit in perfectly with the aggressive nature of the national champion Rebels.

He also dropped 33 in a tournament win over Loyola Marymount on the team’s championship run.

69. James Worthy

Position: Forward

School: North Carolina

Years: 1979-82

Team record: 72-18 (.800)

Stats: 84 G, 1,219 total points (14.5 PPG), 620 total rebounds (7.4 RPG), 208 total assists (2.5 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 10 G, 153 total points (15.3 PPG), 55 total rebounds (5.5 RPG), 26 total assists (2.6 APG), 9 team wins, 1 team loss

Accolades: NCAA champion (1982), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1982), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1982), Consensus First-Team All-American (1982), All-ACC First Team (1982), All-ACC Second Team (1981)

Bottom line: Although Michael Jordan got the spotlight for his game-winner in 1982, James Worthy was more responsible for the Tar Heels’ success that season.

On a team with three future NBA All-Stars, he was the one to take home the MOP trophy, scoring 28 in the title game.

68. Scott Skiles

Position: Guard

School: Michigan State

Years: 1982-86

Team record: 74-44 (.627)

Stats: 118 G, 2,145 total points (18.2 PPG), 353 total rebounds (3 RPG), 645 total assists (5.5 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 4 G, 90 total points (22.5 PPG), 8 total rebounds (2 RPG), 27 total assists (6.8 APG), 2 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: Consensus Second-Team All-American (1986), Big Ten Player of the Year (1986), All-Big Ten First Team (1985-86)

Bottom line: One of the first bad boys of college basketball, Scott Skiles brought with him an edge that few possess on the floor.

That edge also came with off-the-court issues, and Skiles was arrested three times on drug and alcohol charges.

67. Danny Ferry

Position: Forward

School: Duke

Years: 1985-89

Team record: 117-27 (.813)

Stats: 143 G, 2,155 total points (15.1 PPG), 1,003 total rebounds (7.0 RPG), 506 total assists (3.5 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 19 G, 269 total points (14.2 PPG), 131 total rebounds (6.9 RPG), 48 total assists (2.5 APG), 15 team wins, 4 team losses

Accolades: NCAA All-Tournament Team (1989), Consensus First-Team All-American (1989), Consensus Second-Team All-American (1988), ACC Player of the Year (1989), Naismith Award (1989), All-ACC First Team (1988, 1989), All-ACC Second Team (1988)

Bottom line: Prior to Shane Battier’s title with the Miami Heat, Danny Ferry was shockingly enough the lone Duke Blue Devil with an NBA championship ring.

Ferry's final season in Durham was a spectacular one, posting 22.6 points per game and culminating in a 34-point performance in a losing effort to Seton Hall in the semifinal.

66. Eric "Sleepy' Floyd

Position: Guard

School: Georgetown

Years: 1978-82

Team record: 100-30 (.769)

Stats: 130 G, 2,304 total points (17.7 PPG), 477 total rebounds (3.7 RPG), 355 total assists (2.7 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 9 G, 200 total points (22.2 PPG), 30 total rebounds (3.3 RPG), 25 total assists (2.8 APG), 6 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: NCAA All-Tournament Team (1982), Consensus First-Team All-American (1982), All-Big East First Team (1981, 1982), All-Big East Second Team (1980)

Bottom line: The 6-foot, 3-inch guard for the Hoyas was an absolute killer on the court.

He seemed destined to erase Michael Jordan’s eventual game-winner in the 1982 title game, until James Worthy intercepted Fred Brown’s attempt at getting him the ball.

What could have been.

65. Walt Hazzard

Position: Guard

School: UCLA

Years: 1961-64

Team record: 68-20 (.773)

Stats: 87 G, 1,401 total points (16.1 PPG), 475 total rebounds (5.5 RPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 10 G, 162 total points (16.2 PPG), 57 total rebounds (5.7 RPG), 6 team wins, 4 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1964), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1964), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1964), Consensus First-Team All-American (1964), All-Pac-10 First Team (1963, 1964)

Bottom line: While Gail Goodrich got a lion’s share of the credit for kicking off the UCLA dynasty, and deservedly so, Walt Hazzard deserves a ton of props for those early title teams in Los Angeles.

Hazzard rode his success in 1964 to a spot on the U.S. Olympic basketball squad that won the gold in 1964, going first in the draft to the Lakers that same year.

64. Emeka Okafor

Position: Center

School: UConn

Years: 2001-04

Team record: 83-23 (.783)

Stats: 103 G, 1,426 total points (13.8 PPG), 1,091 total rebounds (10.6 RPG), 441 total blocks (4.3 BPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 13 G, 175 total points (13.5 PPG), 141 total rebounds (10.8 RPG), 38 total blocks (2.9 BPG), 11 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (2004), 2004 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (2004), NCAA All-Tournament Team (2004), Consensus First Team All-American (2004), NABC Defensive Player of the Year (2003, 2004), Big East Player of the Year (2004), Big East Defensive Player of the Year (2003, 2004), All-Big East First Team (2003, 2004), All-Big East Third Team (2002)

Bottom line: Perennially plagued with back issues, Emeka Okafor was remarkably resilient for a presumptive top-five draft pick.

He fought through those injuries to lead the team past JJ Redick’s Duke squad on the way to that 2004 championships.

An Academic All-American, as well, Okafor graduated in three years with honors in finance.

63. Scott May

Position: Forward

School: Indiana

Years: 1973-76

Team record: 86-6 (.935)

Stats: 90 G, 1,593 total points (17.7 PPG), 594 total rebounds (6.6 RPG), 166 total assists (1.8 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 8 G, 115 total points (14.4 PPG), 39 total rebounds (4.9 RPG), 11 total assists (1.4 APG), 7 team wins, 1 team loss

Accolades: NCAA champion (1976), Naismith Award (1976), Consensus First-Team All-American (1975, 1976), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1976), Rupp Trophy (1976), AP Player of the Year (1976), Sporting News Player of the Year (1976), All-Big Ten First Team (1975, 1976)

Bottom line: Scott May was a key cog in Bobby Knight’s undefeated 1975-76 squad and was named the national player of the year for that championship team.

The Hoosiers also were undefeated through much of the following season, until May went down with a broken arm, and the team fell in the Elite Eight to Kentucky.

In 2005, May’s son Sean also won an NCAA title, as a starting forward for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

62. Dereck Whittenburg

Position: Guard

School: NC State

Years: 1979-83

Team record: 82-41 (.667)

Stats: 109 G, 1,233 total points (11.3 PPG), 236 total rebounds (2.2 RPG), 194 total assists (1.8 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 8 G, 133 total points (16.6 PPG), 15 total rebounds (1.9 RPG), 18 total assists (2.3 APG), 6 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1983), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1983), All-ACC Second Team (1982)

Bottom line: While three of his teammates — Sidney Lowe, Lorenzo Charles and Thurl Bailey — had better post-college careers, Dereck Whittenburg was the leader of North Carolina State's championship squad in 1983.

His silky stroke from 30 feet gave space to the the bigger bodies underneath.

61. Evan Turner

Position: Guard

School: Ohio State

Years: 2007-10

Team record: 95-32 (.748)

Stats: 101 G, 1,517 total points (15.0 PPG), 682 total rebounds (6.8 RPG), 414 total assists (4.1 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 4 G, 89 total points (22.3 PPG), 35 total rebounds (8.8 RPG), 27 total assists (6.8 APG), 2 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: Consensus First-Team All-American (2010), Wooden Award (2010), Sporting News Player of the Year (2010), Naismith Award (2010), Big Ten Player of the Year (2010), AP Player of the Year (2010), All-Big Ten (2009, 2010)

Bottom line: Evan Turner’s emergence as a top college player came seemingly out of nowhere.

While he was a solid freshman and sophomore at Ohio State, his junior year showed off how hard he worked on his game.

He was one of the most versatile players in college basketball during that junior season and turned himself into a top NBA draft pick.

60. Kevin Durant

Position: Forward

School: Texas

Years: 2006-07

Team record: 25-10 (.715)

Stats: 35 G, 903 total points (25.8 PPG), 390 total rebounds (11.1 RPG), 46 total assists (1.3 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 2 G, 57 total points (28.6 PPG), 17 total rebounds (8.5 RPG), 2 total assists (1.0 APG), 1 team win, 1 team loss

Accolades: Consensus First-Team All-American (2007), Wooden Award (2007), Sporting News Player of the Year (2007), Rupp Trophy (2007), Naismith Award (2007), Big 12 Player of the Year (2007), Big 12 All-Defense (2007), AP Player of the Year (2007), All-Big 12 First Team (2007)

Bottom line: One season is rarely enough to make you one of the GOATs, but Kevin Durant has been the exception to every rule throughout his basketball career, so why not this one too?

Unstoppable as an 18-year-old, the lanky kid from Washington, D.C. played with a chip on his shoulder, with fellow freshman phenom Greg Oden garnering a lion’s share of the attention at Ohio State.

KD had the last laugh.

59. Sam Perkins

Position: Forward

School: North Carolina

Years: 1980-94

Team record: 118-21 (.849)

Stats: 135 G, 2,145 total points (15.9 PPG), 1,167 total rebounds (8.6 RPG), 160 total assists (1.2 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 15 G, 232 total points (15.5 PPG), 129 total rebounds (8.6 RPG), 20 total assists (1,3 APG), 12 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1982), Consensus First-Team All-American (1983, 1984), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1982), All-ACC First Team (1982, 1983, 1984), Consensus Second-Team All-American (1982)

Bottom line: Dubbed "Big Smooth" for his effortless style, Sam Perkins was a natural athlete on the floor.

As a crucial part of North Carolina's 1982 championship squad, he led them to a semifinal victory in a tight game against Houston with 25 points and 10 rebounds.

58. Rick Barry

Position: Forward

School: Miami (Florida)

Years: 1962-65

Team record: 65-16 (.802)

Stats: 77 G, 2,298 total points (29.8 PPG), 1274 total rebounds (16.5 RPG)

NCAA tournament stats: N/A

Accolades: Consensus First-Team All-American (1965)

Bottom line: Rick Barry may have put the "me" in team, but this legendarily bad teammate had undeniable talent.

That is evident with one look at Barry's staggering stat line. In his lone All-American season, he carried the Hurricanes with 37.4 points per game.

57. Bob Cousy

Position: Guard

School: Holy Cross

Years: 1946-50

Team record: 99-19 (.839)

Stats: 117 G, 1,775 total points (15.2 PPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 8 G, 85 total points (10.6 PPG), 5 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1947), Consensus First-Team All-American (1950)

Bottom line: Bob Cousy led the Crusaders to one of the first national championships, making Holy Cross the first school from New England to win a title. And he did it as a freshman.

During the next three seasons, he led the team to a school-record 26 straight wins and now has an award named in his honor.

56. Isiah Thomas

Position: Guard

School: Indiana

Years: 1979-81

Team record: 47-17 (.734

Stats: 63 G, 968 total points (15.4 PPG), 221 total rebounds (3.5 RPG), 356 total assists (5.7 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 7 G, 138 total points (19.7 PPG), 17 total rebounds (2.4 RPG), 55 total assists (7.9 APG), 6 team wins, 1 team loss

Accolades: National champion (1981), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1981), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1981), Consensus First-Team All-American (1981), All-Big Ten First Team (1980, 1981)

Bottom line: Isiah Thomas had little patience for Bobby Knight’s style, but in typical "Zeke" fashion, he stuck it out and surged through the adversity.

A championship game beatdown of James Worthy’s North Carolina Tar Heels cemented his legacy in Bloomington.

55. Larry Johnson

Position: Forward

School: UNLV

Years: 1989-91

Team record: 69-6 (.920)

Stats: 75 G, 1,617 total points (21.6 PPG), 837 total rebounds (11.2 RPG), 188 total assists (2.5 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 11 G, 222 total points (20.2 PPG), 126 total rebounds (11.5 RPG), 24 total assists (2.2 APG), 10 team wins, 1 team loss

Accolades: NCAA champion (1990), Wooden Award (1991), Consensus First-Team All-American (1990, 1991), Sporting News Player of the Year (1990), Naismith Award (1991), Big West Player of the Year (1990, 1991), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1990)

Bottom line: A physical specimen, Larry Johnson captained the Running Rebels squad that went to back-to-back NCAA title games.

Perhaps the best junior college transfer in history, he hit the ground running in Vegas and lit the court on fire with awe-striking dunks and sheer force.

54. Shaquille O’Neal

Position: Center

School: LSU

Years: 1989-92

Team record: 64-29 (.688)

Stats: 90 G, 1,941 total points (21.6 PPG),1,217 total rebounds (13.5 RPG), 412 total blocks (4.6 BPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 5 G, 120 total points (24.0 PPG), 66 total rebounds (13.2 RPG), 29 total blocks (5.8 BPG), 2 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: Consensus First-Team All-American (1991, 1992), AP Player of the Year (1991), SEC Player of the Year (1991, 1992), Rupp Trophy (1991), All-SEC First Team (1990, 1991, 1992), SEC All-Defense (1991, 1992)

Bottom line: A force rarely seen before or since, Shaquille O’Neal was dominance personified at LSU.

Although not earning nearly the hardware you would expect, he was nonetheless clearly the best player in the sport during his three seasons for the Tigers.

53. Phil Ford

Position: Guard

School: North Carolina

Years: 1974-78

Team record: 99-26 (.791)

Stats: 123 G, 2,290 total points (18.6 PPG), 261 total rebounds (2.1 RPG), 753 total assists (6.1 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 10 G, 147 total points (14.7 PPG), 20 total rebounds (2.0 RPG), 52 total assists (5.2 APG), 6 team wins, 4 team losses

Accolades: Wooden Award (1978), Sporting News Player of the Year (1978), ACC Player of the Year (1978), Consensus First-Team All-American (1977, 1978), Consensus Second-Team All-American (1976), All-ACC First Team (1976, 1977, 1978)

Bottom line: Phil Ford was the predecessor to Tyler Hansbrough atop the all-time record-holder list for the Tar Heels.

By the time Ford graduated, he was the all-time leading scorer for one of the most prestigious programs in history.

52. Johnny Neumann

Position: Forward

School: Ole Miss

Years: 1970-71

Team record: 11-15 (.423)

Stats: 23 G, 923 total points (40.1 PPG), total rebounds (6.6 RPG), total assists (3.2 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: N/A

Accolades: Consensus Second-Team All-American (1971), All-SEC First Team (1971), SEC Player of the Year (1971)

Bottom line: If Johnny Neumann could have learned to play well with others, he might have had a more storied career, but his teammates couldn’t stand him.

That didn’t stop him from putting up better than 40 points per game in one stunningly impressive sophomore season at Ole Miss.

51. Adam Morrison

Position: Forward

School: Gonzaga

Years: 2003-06

Team record: 83-12 (.874)

Stats: 95 G, 1,867 total points (19.7 PPG), 485 total rebounds (5.1 RPG), 188 total assists (2.0 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 7 G, 179 total points (25.6 PPG), 42 total rebounds (6.0 RPG), 14 total assists (2.0 APG), 4 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: Wooden Award (2006), Consensus First-Team All-American (2006), WCC Player of the Year (2006)

Bottom line: Adam Morrison vs. JJ Redick was the great divide in college basketball in the 2005-06 season.

While Redick had the spotlight of playing at Duke, Morrison’s numbers undoubtedly surpassed him, and won him the Wooden Award.

That mustache wasn’t winning him any awards, though.

50. Rex Chapman

Position: Guard

School: Kentucky

Years: 1986-88

Team record: 45-17 (.726)

Stats: 61 G, 1,073 total points (17.6 PPG), 159 total rebounds (2.6 RPG), 220 total assists (3.6 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 4 G, 89 total points (22.3 PPG), 12 total rebounds (3.0 RPG), 13 total assists (3.3), 2 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: All-SEC First Team (1988), All-SEC Second Team (1987)

Bottom line: Dubbed "the Boy Wonder” for his insane hops, Rex Chapman rode his athleticism to some insane performances at Kentucky.

He also had some killer merchandise.

49. Tom Gola

Position: Forward

School: La Salle

Years: 1951-55

Team record: 101-17 (.856)

Stats: 118 G, 2,461 total points (20.9 PPG), 2,201 total rebounds (18.7 RPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 10 G, 229 total points (22.9 PPG), 200 total rebounds (20.0 RPG), 9 team wins, 1 team loss

Accolades: NCAA champion (1954), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1954, 1955), Consensus First-Team All-American (1953, 1954, 1955), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1954), NIT Most Valuable Player (1952)

Bottom line: What is in the water at La Salle?

Tom Gola put up ridiculous numbers in college.

He carried the Explorers all the way to the title and amassed more rebounds in three seasons than Patrick Ewing racked up in his four.

48. Khalid El-Amin

Position: Guard

School: UConn

Years: 1997-2000

Team record: 91-17 (.843)

Stats: 108 G, 1,650 total points (15.3 PPG), 319 total rebounds (3.0 RPG), 479 total assists (4.4 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 12 G, 194 total points (16.2 PPG), 41 total rebounds (3.4 RPG), 50 total assists (4.2 APG), 10 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1999), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1999), All-Big East First Team (2000), All-Big East Second Team (1999), All-Big East Third Team (1998), Big East All-Freshman (1998), Big East Rookie of the Year (1998)

Bottom line: The predecessor to the likes of Glen "Big Baby" Davis and along the same lines as a Zach Randolph, Khalid El-Amin was one of those chubby guy/great athletes.

He was an overconfident all-star and took advantage of more athletic-looking defenders who discounted his skills.

And in 1999, El-Amin became a college basketball legend when he led UConn to its first national championship.

47. Wayman Tisdale

Position: Forward

School: Oklahoma

Years: 1982-85

Team record: 84-20 (winning percentage, .808)

Stats: 104 G, 2,661 total points (25.6 PPG), 1,048 total rebounds (10.1 RPG), 97 total assists (0.9 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 7 G, 158 total points (22.6 PPG), 67 total rebounds (9.6 RPG), 7 total assists (1.0 APG), 4 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: Big 8 Player of the Year (1983, 1984, 1985), Consensus First-Team All-American (1983, 1984, 1985)

Bottom line: Wayman Tisdale predated Shaquille O’Neal as one of the most unstoppable post presences in the college game.

Off the court, Tisdale also had a smooth game as a jazz bassist, until he tragically passed away in 2009 at the age of 44.

46. Paul Silas

Position: Forward

School: Creighton

Years: 1961-64

Team record: 57-25 (.695)

Stats: 81 G, 1,661 total points (20.5 PPG), 1,751 total rebounds (21.6 RPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 6 G, 105 total points (17.5 PPG), 101 total rebounds (16.8 RPG), 3 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: N/A

Bottom line: Paul Silas was a beast on the boards for Creighton, pulling down the most rebounds in NCAA history over three seasons.

He went on to be one of the few NBA players to post 10,000 points and 10,000 rebounds over his 16-year career.

45. Draymond Green

Position: Forward

School: Michigan State

Years: 2008-12

Team record: 107-39 (.733)

Stats: 145 G, 1,517 total points (10.5 PPG), 1,096 total rebounds (7.6 RPG), 425 total assists (2.9 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 15 G, 151 total points (10.1 PPG), 116 total rebounds (7.7 RPG), 49 total assists (3.3 APG), 11 team wins, 4 team losses

Accolades: Consensus First-Team All-American (2012), Big Ten Player of the Year (2012), Big Ten All-Defense (2012), All-Big Ten First Team (2012), Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year (2010)

Bottom line: Never the star of the show, Draymond Green brought unprecedented leadership to the hardwood for the Spartan.

A genius on the floor, he was a mastermind in psyching out his opponents, emerging at the next level as the glue to the world champion Golden State Warriors squads.

44. Mookie Blaylock

Position: Guard

School: Oklahoma

Years: 1987-89

Team record: 65-10 (.867)

Stats: 74 G, 1,338 total points (18.1 PPG), 326 total rebounds (4.4 RPG), 465 total assists (6.3 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 9 G, 132 total points (14.7 PPG), 41 total rebounds (4.6 RPG), 52 total assists (5.8 APG), 9 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: Consensus First-Team All-American (1989)

Bottom line: A defensive stalwart at Oklahoma, Mookie Blaylock also brought a solid shooting touch to the floor for the Sooners.

During their run to the title game in 1988, Blaylock racked up 23 steals in six games, including seven in the title game loss to Kansas.

43. David Robinson

Position: Center

School: Navy

Years: 1983-87

Team record: 106-25 (winning percentage, .809)

Stats: 127 G, 2,669 total points (21.0 PPG), 1314 total rebounds (10.3 RPG), 516 total blocks (4.1 BPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 7 G, 200 total points (28.6 PPG), 86 total rebounds (12.3 RPG), 30 total blocks (4.3 BPG), 4 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: Wooden Award (1987), Rupp Trophy (1987), Naismith Award (1987), AP Player of the Year (1987), Consensus First-Team All-American (1987), CAA Player of the Year (1986, 1987), ECACS Player of the Year (1985), Consensus Second-Team All-American (1986)

Bottom line: David Robinson grew in his game and quite literally during his four years in the Naval Academy.

Entering college at 6 feet, 7 inches tall, "The Admiral" stood a full 7 feet by the time he exited school, averaging 1.3 blocks in his first season and 5.9 in his junior year.

42. Glenn Robinson

Position: Forward

School: Purdue

Years: 1992-94

Team record: 47-15 (.758)

Stats: 62 G, 1,706 total points (27.5 PPG), 602 total rebounds (9.7 RPG), 115 total assists (1.9 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 5 G, 157 total points (31.4 PPG), 49 total rebounds (9.8 RPG), 7 total assists (1.4 APG), 3 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: Wooden Award (1994), Naismith Award (1994), Rupp Trophy (1994), Sporting News Player of the Year (1994), AP Player of the Year (1994), Consensus First-Team All-American (1994), Consensus Second-Team All-American (1993), Big Ten Player of the Year (1994), All-Big Ten First Team (1994)

Bottom line: Academically ineligible for his freshman season, Glenn Robinson persevered and became "The Big Dog" with his tenacious style for the Boilermakers.

He still holds the single-season scoring record for the Big Ten.

41. Jimmer Fredette

Position: Guard

School: BYU

Years: 2007-11

Team record: 114-27 (.809)

Stats: 139 G, 2,599 total points (18.7 PPG), 367 total rebounds (2.6 RPG), 515 total assists (3.7 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 6 G, 184 total points (30.7 PPG), 19 total rebounds (3.2 RPG), 30 total assists (5.0 APG), 2 team wins, 4 team losses

Accolades: Wooden Award (2011), Sporting News Player of the Year (2011), AP Player of the Year (2011), Rupp Trophy (2011), Naismith Award (2011), MWC Player of the Year (2011), Consensus First-Team All-American (2011)

Bottom line: The 2010-11 college basketball season was all about "Jimmer Time."

Fredette was a late bloomer at BYU, averaging 28.9 points during his final collegiate season.

He nearly doubled his 3-point attempts from his junior season, and many argue he didn’t shoot enough as the team fell short in the tournament.

40. Glen Rice

Position: Forward

School: Michigan

Years: 1985-89

Team record: 104-32 (.765)

Stats: 134 G, 2,442 total points (18.2 PPG), 859 total rebounds (6.4 RPG), 274 total assists (2.0 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 13 G, 208 total points (16.0 PPG), 82 total rebounds (6.3 RPG), 26 total assists (2.0 APG), 10 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1989), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1989), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1989), Consensus Second-Team All-American (1989), Big Ten Player of the Year (1989), All-Big Ten First Team (1988, 1989)

Bottom line: Glen Rice’s 1989 NCAA tournament run is the stuff of legend.

He racked up a record 184 points in that year’s edition, finishing his career as Michigan’s all-time leading scorer.

39. Steve Alford

Position: Guard

School: Indiana

Years: 1983-87

Team record: 92-35 (.724)

Stats: 125 G, 2,438 total points (19.5 PPG), 345 total rebounds (2.8 RPG), 385 total assists (3.1 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 10 G, 217 total points (21.7 PPG), 26 total rebounds (2.6 RPG), 43 total assists (4.3 APG), 8 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1987), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1987), Consensus First-Team All-American (1986, 1987), All-Big Ten First Team (1984, 1986, 1987)

Bottom line: Anyone able to withstand four years of Bobby Knight’s tyrannical, overbearing coaching warrants consideration on this list.

Steve Alford did more than withstand it. He thrived, leading the Hoosiers in scoring on their way to a title.

38. Grant Hill

Position: Forward

School: Duke

Years: 1990-94

Team record: 118-23 (.901)

Stats: 129 G, 1,924 total points (14.9 PPG), 769 total rebounds (6.0 RPG), 461 total assists (3.6 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 20 G, 269 total points (13.5 PPG), 134 total rebounds (6.7 RPG), 86 total assists (4.3 APG), 18 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1991, 1992), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1992, 1994), Consensus First-Team All-American (1994), ACC Player of the Year (1994), NABC Defensive Player of the Year (1993), All-ACC First Team (1993, 1994), Consensus Second-Team All-American (1993), All-ACC Second Team (1992)

Bottom line: Despite not earning the recognition of teammates Bobby Hurley and Christian Laettner, Grant Hill was the most talented of the bunch.

Had injuries not shortened his NBA career, he would have proved that even further at the next level.

His shining moment was a precision three-quarter-court pass that allowed Christian Laettner to rob Kentucky with a buzzer-beater in the Final Four.

37. George Mikan

Position: Center

School: DePaul

Years: 1942-46

Team record: 81-17 (.827)

Stats: 98 G, 1870 total points (19.1 PPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 2 G, 31 total points (15.5 PPG), 1 team win, 1 team loss

Accolades: Sporting News Player of the Year (1945), Helms Foundation Player of the Year (1944, 1945), Consensus First-Team All-American (1944, 1945, 1946)

Bottom line: George Mikan never brought a trophy to DePaul, but the 6-foot-10 center revolutionized the position, bringing scoring into the mix that had just been guard’s work up to that point.

He also was the first to earn the moniker "Mr. Basketball," a title that now is given to the top player from each state in high school.

36. Patrick Ewing

Position: Center

School: Georgetown

Years: 1981-85

Team record: 121-23 (.840)

Stats: 143 G, 2,184 total points (15.3 PPG), 1,316 total rebounds (9.2 RPG), 480 total blocks (3.4 BPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 18 G, 256 total points (14.2 PPG), 144 total rebounds (18.0 RPG), 31 total blocks (1.7 APG), 15 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1984), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1982, 1984, 1985), Sporting News Player of the Year (1985), Rupp Trophy (1985), Naismith Award (1985), AP Player of the Year (1985), Consensus First-Team All-American (1983, 1984, 1985), Big East Player of the Year (1984, 1984-85), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1984), Big East Defensive Player of the Year (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985), All-Big East First Team (1983, 1984, 1985), All-Big East Second Team (1982), Big East All-Freshman (1982), Big East Rookie of the Year (1982)

Bottom line: Patrick Ewing deserves another accolade not listed here as the sweatiest athlete in NCAA history. He must have gone through a case of Gatorade per game at Georgetown.

He’s more remembered for a pair of losses in the title game, though, foreshadowing his great but not all-time great achievements at the next level.

35. Ralph Beard

Position: Guard

School: Kentucky

Years: 1947-49

Team record: 68-5 (.932)

Stats: 72 G, 846 total points (11.8 PPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 6 G, 55 total points (9.2 PPG), 6 team wins, 0 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1948, 1949), Consensus First-Team All-American (1948, 1949), All-SEC First Team (1949)

Bottom line: A member of Kentucky’s "Fabulous Five" team of the late 1940s, Ralph Beard led Adolph Rupp’s Wildcats to a pair of NCAA titles, steamrolling all six opponents in the tournament with an average margin of victory of 16.5 points.

34. Tim Duncan

Position: Center

School: Wake Forest

Years: 1993-97

Team record: 127-31 (.804)

Stats: 128 G, 2,117 total points (16.5 PPG), 1,570 total rebounds (12.3 RPG), 481 total blocks (3.8 BPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 11 G, 194 total points (17.6 PPG), 165 total rebounds (15.0 RPG), 50 total blocks (4.5 APG), 7 team wins, 4 team losses

Accolades: Wooden Award (1997), Sporting News Player of the Year (1997), Naismith Award (1997), Rupp Trophy (1997), NABC Defensive Player of the Year (1995, 1996, 1997), AP Player of the Year (1997), Consensus First-Team All-American (1996, 1997), ACC Player of the Year (1996, 1997), All-ACC First Team (1995, 1996, 1997), ACC All-Freshman (1994)

Bottom line: The "Big Fundamental" was the crown jewel of the 1997 NBA draft lottery, with teams tanking left and right for the chance to draft Tim Duncan.

It’s easy to see why. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year in college led his pro team to five championships in one of the greatest careers in NBA history.

33. Elgin Baylor

Position: Forward

School: College of Idaho/Seattle University

Years: 1956-58

Team record: 45-9 (.833)

Stats: 54 G, 1,686 total points (31.2 PPG), 1,067 total rebounds (19.8 RPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 5 G, 135 total points (27.0 PPG), 91 total rebounds (18.2 RPG), 5 team wins, 0 team losses

Accolades: NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1958), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1958), Consensus First-Team All-American (1958), Helms Foundation Player of the Year (1958), Consensus Second-Team All-American (1957)

Bottom line: Despite a short-lived college career before being one of the first to make the early jump to the professional level, Elgin Baylor had talent that took no time to develop.

Baylor averaged 31 points during Seattle’s run to the Final Four in 1958 and showed his skills were far above the likes of most college players.

32. Dan Issel

Position: Center

School: Kentucky

Years: 1967-70

Team record: 71-12 (.855)

Stats: 83 G, 2,138 total points (25.8 PPG), 1,072 total rebounds (12.9 RPG), 98 total assists (1.2 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 6 G, 121 total points (20.2 PPG), 47 total rebounds (7.8 RPG), 3 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: Consensus First-Team All-American (1970), Consensus Second-Team All-American (1969), All-SEC First Team (1969, 1970), All-SEC Second Team (1968)

Bottom line: Kentucky homers look at Dan Issel as the pinnacle of greatness for the Wildcats.

An extension of legendary coach Adolph Rupp on the court, he helped Kentucky provide stiff competition to the dominant UCLA Bruins of the time.

31. Frank Selvy

Position: Forward

School: Furman

Years: 1951-54

Team record: 59-21 (.738)

Stats: 78 G, 2,538 total points (32.5 PPG)

NCAA tournament stats: N/A

Accolades: Southern Player of the Year (1953, 1954)

Bottom line: The only athlete from Furman to do pretty much anything of note, Frank Selvy averaged 41.7 points per game in his final season for the Christian Knights.

That includes a 100-point barrage against Newberry College on 41-of-66 shooting.

30. Jerome Lane

Position: Forward

School: Pittsburgh

Years: 1985-88

Team record: 64-29 (.688)

Stats: 93, 1,217 total points (13.1 PPG), 970 total rebounds (10.4 RPG), 206 total assists (2.2 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 4 G, 55 total points (13.8 PPG), 62 total rebounds (15.5 RPG), 23 total assists (5.8 APG), 2 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: All-Big East First Team (1987), All-Big East Second Team (1988), Consensus Second-Team All-American (1988)

Bottom line: This is pretty much all you need to know about Jerome Lane. Send it in, Jerome!

29. Xavier McDaniel

Position: Forward

School: Wichita State

Years: 1981-85

Team record: 84-24 (.778

Stats: 117 G, 2,152 total points (18.4 PPG), 1,359 total rebounds (11.6 RPG), 197 total assists (1.7 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 1 G, 22 total points, 11 total rebounds, 0 total assists, 0 team wins, 1 team loss

Accolades: Consensus First-Team All-American (1985), MVC Player of the Year (1984, 1985)

Bottom line: On this list for his versatility, Xavier McDaniel had a senior season for the Shockers was an all-timer.

He posted 27.2 points and 14.8 rebounds, becoming the first player to lead the country in both categories.

28. Austin Carr

Position: Guard

School: Notre Dame

Years: 1968-71

Team record: 61-24 (.718)

Stats: 74 G, 2,560 total points (34.6 PPG), 538 total rebounds (7.3 RPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 7 G, 289 total points (41.3 PPG), 53 total rebounds (7.6 RPG), 2 team wins, 5 team losses

Accolades: AP Player of the Year (1971), Naismith Award (1971), Helms Foundation Player of the Year (1971), Consensus First-Team All-American (1971), Consensus Second-Team All-American (1970)

Bottom line: That’s not a misprint. The original "Mr. Cavalier" averaged more than 40 points per game in the NCAA tournament in no small sample size — seven games.

Toss out his first effort, six points in a loss to Miami (Ohio), and his average jumps to 47 points with a 61-point effort against Ohio.

27. Jerry West

Position: Guard

School: West Virginia

Years: 1957-60

Team record: 81-12 (.871)

Stats: 93 G, 2,309 total points (24.8 PPG), 1,240 total rebounds (13.3 RPG), 261 total assists (2.8 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 9 G, 275 total points (30.6 PPG), 124 total rebounds (13.8 RPG), 21 total assists (2.3 APG), 6 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1959), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1959), Consensus First-Team All-American (1959, 1960), Southern Player of the Year (1959, 1960)

Bottom line: Jerry West was "Mr. Clutch," but his teams often choked, as he appeared in a series of championship losses throughout his basketball career but claimed only one championship with the Lakers.

At West Virginia, despite losing the 1959 championship game to Cal, West was dubbed the Most Outstanding Player.

He later became the only player in NBA history to win the Finals MVP in a losing effort.

26. Gail Goodrich

Position: Guard

School: UCLA

Years: 1962-65

Team record: 78-11 (.876)

Stats: 89 G, 1,691 total points (19.0 PPG), 415 total rebounds (4.7 RPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 10 G, 235 total points (23.5 PPG), 40 total rebounds (4.0 RPG), 8 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1964, 1965), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1964, 1965), Helms Foundation Player of the Year (1965), Consensus First-Team All-American (1965), All-Pac 8 First Team (1964, 1965)

Bottom line: Gail Goodrich gets credit for kicking off the UCLA dynasty after a pair of national championships and an undefeated season for the Bruins.

A Los Angeles native, Goodrich kicked off an era of success that to this day is unequaled in college basketball.

And one we are unlikely to ever see again.

25. Michael Jordan

Position: Guard

School: North Carolina

Years: 1981-84

Team record: 88-13 (.871)

Stats: 101 G, 1,788 total points (17.7 PPG), 509 total rebounds (5.0 RPG), 181 total assists (1.8 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 10 G, 165 total points (16.5 PPG), 42 total rebounds (4.2 RPG), 13 total assists (1.3 APG), 8 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1982), Wooden Award (1984), Sporting News Player of the Year (1983, 1984), Naismith Award (1984), Rupp Trophy (1984), AP Player of the Year (1984), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1982), ACC Player of the Year (1984), Consensus First-Team All-American (1983, 1984), All-ACC First Team (1983, 1984), ACC Rookie of the Year (1982)

Bottom line: Michael Jordan’s greatness first made itself known to the sports world when, as a freshman, he drilled the game-winning jumper in the national title game for the Tar Heels.

The joke would be, as time went on, that the only man that could contain Jordan was Dean Smith.

The more he played, the truer that became.

24. Kemba Walker

Position: Guard

School: UConn

Years: 2008-11

Team record: 81-30 (.730)

Stats: 111 G, 1,783 total points (16.1 PPG), 493 total rebounds (4.4 RPG), 460 total assists (4.1 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 11 G, 192 total points (17.5 PPG), 51 total rebounds (4.6 RPG), 54 total assists (4.9 APG), 10 team wins, 1 team loss

Accolades: NCAA champion (2011), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (2011), NCAA All-Tournament Team (2011), Consensus First-Team All-American (2011), Bob Cousy Award (2011), All-Big East First Team (2011), All-Big East Third Team (2010), Big East All-Freshman (2009)

Bottom line: The UConn Huskies were not a national championship team for 90 percent of the 2010-11 season. They finished ninth in the Big East and needed to win the Big East Tournament just to get in to the NCAAs.

Kemba Walker willed them to a Big East championship with close wins over No. 3 Pittsburgh, No. 11 Syracuse and No. 14 Louisville in that tournament.

And then he did the same in the national version.

23. Lionel Simmons

Position: Forward

School: La Salle

Years: 1986-90

Team record: 100-31 (.763)

Stats: 131 G, 3,217 total points (24.6 PPG), 1,429 total rebounds (10.9 RPG), 355 total assists (2.7 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 4 G, 106 total points (26.5 PPG), 48 total rebounds (12.0 RPG), 11 total assists (2.8 APG), 1 team win, 3 team losses

Accolades: Wooden Award (1990), Naismith Award (1990), AP Player of the Year (1990), Rupp Trophy (1990), Consensus First-Team All-American (1990), MAAC Player of the Year (1988, 1989, 1990), Consensus Second-Team All-American (1989)

Bottom line: Playing in basketball obscurity at La Salle, the "L-Train" is one of just a few players to amass more than 3,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in NCAA history.

It’s sad that so few got to see him play outside of his handful of tournament games.

22. Freeman Williams

Position: Guard

School: Portland State

Years: 1974-78

Team record: 65-41 (.613)

Stats: 106 G, 3,249 total points (30.7 PPG), 458 total rebounds (4.3 RPG)

NCAA tournament stats: N/A

Accolades: Consensus First-Team All-American (1978)

Bottom line: If we omit his freshman year, Freeman Williams' scoring average jumps to 35.2 points per game.

The 6-foot-4 Williams also had a dynamite outside shot that likely would have brought his scoring average north of the 40-point mark in at least two of his four seasons had the 3-point line existed.

Only Pete Maravich (3,667) scored more points than Williams in Division I history.

21. Anthony Davis

Position: Center

School: Kentucky

Years: 2011-12

Team record: 38-2 (.950)

Stats: 40 G, 567 total points (14.2 PPG), 415 total rebounds (10.4 RPG), 186 total blocks (4.7 BPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 6 G, 82 total points (13.7 PPG), 74 total rebounds (12.3 RPG), 29 total blocks (4.8 BPG), 6 team wins, 0 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (2012), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (2012), NCAA All-Tournament Team (2012), Consensus First-Team All-American (2012), Naismith Award (2012), Wooden Award (2012), Sporting News Player of the Year (2012), NABC Defensive Player of the Year (2012), SEC Player of the Year (2012), SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2012), Rupp Trophy (2012), AP Player of the Year (2012), All-SEC First Team (2012), SEC Rookie of the Year (2012)

Bottom line: Anthony Davis basically controlled his own stats at Kentucky.

Showing far more than his statistical line suggests in the pros, Davis opted to reserve his skills and serve as the defensive anchor for the Wildcats.

His ball skills as a big man are unparalleled, as a result of growing eight inches during his last 18 months of high school.

20. Jerry Lucas

Position: Forward

School: Ohio State

Years: 1959-62

Team record: 78-6 (.929)

Stats: 82 G, 1,990 total points (24.3 PPG), 1,411 total rebounds (17.2 RPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 12 G, 266 total points (21.2 PPG), 197 total rebounds (16.4 RPG), 10 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1960), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1960, 1961, 1962), Sporting News Player of the Year (1961, 1962), AP Player of the Year (1961, 1962), Helms Foundation Player of the Year (1961), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1960, 1961), Consensus First-Team All-American (1960, 1961, 1962), All-Big Ten First Team (1960, 1961, 1962)

Bottom line: Jerry Lucas opted for an academic scholarship rather than an athletic one.

That smart decision opened the door for an ensemble of star players at Ohio State, and Lucas teamed with Mel Nowell, Larry Siegfried, Bob Knight and John Havlicek on a team that won a national championship.

19. Bill Bradley

Position: Forward

School: Princeton

Years: 1962-65

Team record: 62-21 (.747)

Stats: 83 G, 2,503 total points (30.2 PPG), 1,008 total rebounds (12.1 RPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 9 G, 303 total points (33.7 PPG), 108 total rebounds (12.0 RPG), 5 team wins, 4 team losses

Accolades: NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1965), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1965), Sporting News Player of the Year (1964, 1965), Consensus First-Team All-American (1964, 1965), AP Player of the Year (1965), Helms Foundation Player of the Year (1965)

Bottom line: Bill Bradley was one of the top players on the hardwood in 1960s.

Posting eye-popping numbers for the Ivy League Tigers of Princeton was the net result.

And he followed up his legendary college years with a Hall of Fame career in the NBA.

18. Wilt Chamberlain

Position: Center

School: Kansas

Years: 1956-58

Team record: 42-8 (.840)

Stats: 48 G, 1,433 total points (29.9 PPG), 877 total rebounds (18.3 RPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 4 G, 121 total points (30.3 PPG), 62 total rebounds (RPG), 3 team wins, 1 team loss

Accolades: NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1957), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1957), Consensus First-Team All-American (1957, 1958)

Bottom line: He was maybe the most dominant individual player in basketball history, and he doesn’t have much team hardware to show for it.

Maybe there’s a larger narrative to Wilt Chamberlain’s story, but there’s no doubting the big man’s game.

17. Hank Gathers

Position: Forward

School: USC/Loyola Marymount

Years: 1985-90

Team record: 85-38 (.691)

Stats: 117 G, 2,723 total points (23.3 PPG), 1,128 total rebounds (9.6 RPG), 168 total assists (1.4 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 3 G, 64 total points (21.3 PPG), 41 total rebounds (13.7 RPG), 3 total assists (1.0 APG), 1 team win, 2 team losses

Accolades: WAC Player of the Year (1989), Consensus First-Team All-American (1990)

Bottom line: An absolute beast of a player, Hank Gathers was the first in the line of dominating undersized forwards, leading to a modern-day Zion Williamson.

Gather is the only player to ever die during a game and will be remembered for his tenacity and effort on the glass and underneath the basket.

It was a tragedy he didn’t get to do that at the highest level.

16. Danny Manning

Position: Forward

School: Kansas

Years: 1984-88

Team record: 115-34 (.772)

Stats: 147 G, 2,951 total points (20.1 PPG), 1,187 total rebounds (8.1 RPG), 342 total assists (2.3 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 16 G, 328 total points (20.5 PPG), 117 total rebounds (7.3 RPG), 20 total assists (1.3 APG), 13 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1988), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1988), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1988), Wooden Award (1988), Naismith Award (1988), Big 8 Player of the Year (1986, 1987, 1988), Consensus First-Team All-American (1987, 1988), Consensus Second-Team All-American (1986)

Bottom line: Danny Manning is a made man in Lawrence, Kansas.

The towering forward led the team dubbed "Danny and the Miracles" to a 1988 national championship, despite posting a mediocre 21-11 record during the regular season.

15. Magic Johnson

Position: Guard

School: Michigan State

Years: 1977-79

Team record: 51-11 (.823)

Stats: 62 G, 1,059 total points (17.1 PPG), 471 total rebounds (7.6 RPG), 491 total assists (7.9 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 8 G, 142 total points (17.8 PPG), 76 total rebounds (9.5 RPG), 64 total assists (8.0 APG), 7 team wins, 1 team loss

Accolades: NCAA champion (1979), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1979), Consensus First-Team All-American (1979), All-Big Ten First Team (1978, 1979), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1979)

Bottom line: A Michigan native, Magic Johnson nearly led the Spartans to a massive upset over eventual-champion Kentucky in the 1978 NCAA tournament.

The following year, he took down Larry Bird in the championship game, foreshadowing a rivalry that would permeate sports for the next decade at the professional level.

14. JJ Redick

Position: Guard

School: Duke

Years: 2002-06

Team record: 116-23 (.835)

Stats: 139 G, 2,769 total points (19.9 PPG), 375 total rebounds (2.7 RPG), 306 total assists (2.2 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 14 G, 223 total points (15.9 PPG), 43 total rebounds (3.1 RPG), 26 total assists (1.9 APG), 10 team wins, 4 team losses

Accolades: Wooden Award (2006), Sporting News Player of the Year (2006), Naismith Award (2006), AP Player of the Year (2006), Rupp Trophy (2005, 2006), Consensus First-Team All-American (2005, 2006), ACC Player of the Year (2005, 2006), All-ACC First Team (2005, 2006), All-ACC Second Team (2004), All-ACC Second Team (2003), ACC All-Freshman (2003)

Bottom line: It was clear immediately that JJ Redick would be a superstar at Duke.

During an ACC tournament game in his freshman season, Redick led a furious comeback against North Carolina State with a series of deep 3-pointers.

Following in the line of Christian Laettner, Redick was a hated visitor everywhere the Blue Devils went.

13. Tyler Hansbrough

Position: Forward

School: North Carolina

Years: 2005-09

Team record: 121-22 (.846)

Stats: 142 G, 2,872 total points (20.2 PPG), 1,219 total rebounds (8.6 RPG), 154 total assists (1.1 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 17 G, 325 total points (19.1 PPG), 146 total rebounds (8.6 RPG), 25 total assists (1.5 APG), 14 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (2009), NCAA All-Tournament Team (2009), Wooden Award (2008), Naismith Award (2008), Rupp Trophy (2008), Sporting News Player of the Year (2008), AP Player of the Year (2008), ACC Player of the Year (2008), Consensus First-Team All-American, (2007, 2008, 2009), Consensus Second-Team All-American (2006), All-ACC First Team (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009), ACC Rookie of the Year (2006), ACC All-Freshman (2006)

Bottom line: Tyler Hansbrough exceeded every expectation for the Tar Heels, but his grit stood above all else.

Famously bloodied by Duke’s Gerald Henderson in a brutal showdown of the bitter rivals, Hansbrough gutted out that victory over the Blue Devils and represents a significant era of dominating North Carolina basketball.

12. Larry Bird

Position: Forward

School: Indiana State

Years: 1976-79

Team record: 81-13 (.862)

Stats: 94 G, 2,850 total points (30.3 PPG), 1,247 total rebounds (13.3 RPG), 435 total assists (4.6 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 5 G, 136 total points (27.2 PPG), 67 total rebounds (13.4 RPG), 26 total assists (5.2 APG), team wins, team losses

Accolades: NCAA All-Tournament Team (1979), Wooden Award (1979), Sporting News Player of the Year (1979), Helms Foundation Player of the Year (1979), AP Player of the Year (1979), Naismith Award (1979), Rupp Trophy (1979), MVC Player of the Year (1978, 1979), Consensus First-Team All-American (1978, 1979)

Bottom line: Larry Bird should have been the greatest player in Indiana Hoosiers history, until the small-town kid was chased off by an overbearing Bobby Knight and Hoosiers star player Kent Benson.

Indiana’s loss was Indiana State’s gain, and Bird led a school that had never even been to the tournament to a championship game showdown against Magic Johnson’s Spartans.

11. Elvin Hayes

Position: Center

School: Houston

Years: 1965-68

Team record: 81-12 (.871)

Stats: 93 G, 2,884 total points (31.0 PPG), 1,602 total rebounds (17.2 RPG), 92 total assists* (1.4 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 13 G, 358 total points (27.5 PPG), 222 total rebounds (17.1 RPG), 8 total assists* (0.6 APG), 9 team wins, 4 team losses

Accolades: Sporting News Player of the Year (1968), AP Player of the Year (1968), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1967), Consensus First-Team All-American (1967, 1968)

Bottom line: Elvin Hayes' biggest moment was undoubtedly leading a Houston Cougars team that took down the UCLA Bruins led by Lew Alcindor.

Apart from ending the Bruins' 47-game winning streak, Hayes also took the mantle of the best player in college basketball away from Alcindor during the 1967-68 season, earning Hayes the nickname "Giant Killer."

10. Bill Russell

Position: Center

School: San Francisco

Years: 1953-56

Team record: 71-8 (.899)

Stats: 79 G, 1,636 total points (20.7 PPG), 1,606 total rebounds (20.3 RPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 9 G, 209 total points (23.2 PPG), 165 total rebounds (18.3 RPG), 9 team wins, 0 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1955, 1956), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1955), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1955, 1956), Helms Foundation Player of the Year (1955, 1956), Consensus First-Team All-American (1955, 1956), CBA Player of the Year (1956)

Bottom line: San Francisco assistant coach Hal DeJulio was the lone person to offer Bill Russell a scholarship.

DeJulio also noted that when he brought Russell in, he had "atrocious fundamentals."

Russell was clearly a quick learner, and he went on to become the greatest winner in basketball history.

9. Oscar Robertson

Position: Guard

School: Cincinnati

Years: 1957-60

Team record: 79-9 (.898)

Stats: 88 G, 2,973 total points (33.8 PPG), 1,338 total rebounds (15.2 RPG), 425 total assists* (7.1 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 10 G, 324 total points (32.4 PPG), 131 total rebounds (13.1 RPG), 82 total assists* (8.2 APG), 7 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: NCAA All-Tournament Team (1959, 1960), Sporting News Player of the Year (1958, 1959, 1960), Helms Foundation Player of the Year (1959, 1960), Consensus First-Team All-American (1958, 1959, 1960)

Bottom line: College basketball's all-time leading scorer until Pete Maravich came along, Oscar Robertson dominated at the collegiate level with a pair of trips to the Final Four for the Cincinnati Bearcats.

His dominance continued at the professional level, where he was the last person to average a triple-double before Russell Westbrook did it in 2016-17.

8. Walter Berry

Position: Forward

School: St. John’s (New York)

Years: 1984-86

Team record: 62-9 (.873)

Stats: 71 G, 1,424 total points (20.1 PPG), 703 total rebounds (9.9 RPG), 121 total blocks (1.7 BPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 7 G, 144 total points (20.6), 60 total rebounds (8.6), 10 total blocks (1.4 BPG), 5 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: Wooden Award (1986), Sporting News Player of the Year (1986), Rupp Trophy (1986), AP Player of the Year (1986), Big East Player of the Year (1986), Consensus First Team All-American (1986), All-Big East First Team (1986), All-Big East Second Team (1985)

Bottom line: Before becoming a Wooden Award winner at St. John’s, Walter Berry had one of the greatest junior college seasons ever at San Jacinto Junior College, where he averaged 28.9 points and 14 rebounds.

Paul Pierce would eventually honor Berry’s greatness, by taking on his nickname of "The Truth."

7. Len Bias

Position: Forward

School: Maryland

Years: 1982-86

Team record: 88-44 (.667)

Stats: 131 G, 2,146 total points (16.4 PPG), 745 total rebounds (5.7 RPG), 168 total assists (1.3 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 9 G, 168 total points (PPG), 67 total rebounds (RPG), 7 total assists (APG), 5 team wins, 4 team losses

Accolades: Consensus First-Team All-American (1986), ACC Player of the Year (1985, 1986), All-ACC First Team (1985, 1986), Consensus Second-Team All-American (1985)

Bottom line: Before tragedy struck, Len Bias was destined to be the next great Celtic, but a drug overdose took the phenom from us just a few days after being selected No. 2 in the NBA draft.

The two-time ACC Player of the Year was often compared to Michael Jordan, leading many Celtics fans to wonder what might have been had he joined the fray of the 1980s.

6. David Thompson

Position: Guard

School: North Carolina State

Years: 1972-75

Team record: 79-7 (.918)

Stats: 86 G, 2,309 total points (26.8 PPG), 694 total rebounds (8.1 RPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 4 G, 97 total points (24.3 PPG), 29 total rebounds (7.3 RPG), 4 team wins, 0 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1974), Naismith Award (1975), Rupp Trophy (1975), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1974), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1974), AP Player of the Year (1974, 1975), Sporting News Player of the Year (1975), Helms Foundation Player of the Year (1974, 1975), ACC Player of the Year (1973, 1974, 1975), Consensus First-Team All-American (1973, 1974, 1975), All-ACC First Team (1973, 1974, 1975)

Bottom line: David Thompson was the player Michael Jordan idolized as a kid, which is more than enough to land him near the top of this list.

Thompson and teammate Monte Towe are often credited with inventing the alley-oop, despite playing at a time when the slam dunk was outlawed in the aftermath of Lew Alcindor.

A lot of people looked up to Thompson — literally and figuratively.

5. Christian Laettner

Position: Forward

School: Duke

Years: 1988-92

Team record: 123-26 (.826)

Stats: 148 G, 2,460 total points (16.6 PPG), 1,149 total rebounds (7.8 RPG), 273 total assists (1.8 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 23 G, 307 total points (13.3 PPG), 169 total rebounds (7.3 RPG), 40 total assists (1.7 APG), 21 team wins, 2 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1991, 1992), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1991), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1991, 1992), Wooden Award (1992), Sporting News Player of the Year (1992), Rupp Trophy (1992), Naismith Award (1992), AP Player of the Year (1992), ACC Player of the Year (1992), Consensus First-Team All-American (1992), All-ACC First Team (1991, 1992), All-ACC Second Team (1990)

Bottom line: Christian Laettner was more than a skilled instigator. He was perhaps the most hated player in college sports history. And he relished the villain role while playing for Coach K.

In more than 20 tournament games, Laettner had plenty of opportunities to draw the ire of fans and players alike throughout the world of college basketball.

4. Ralph Sampson

Position: Center

School: Virginia

Years: 1979-83

Team record: 112-23 (.830)

Stats: 132 G, 2,225 total points (16.9 PPG), 1,511 total rebounds (11.4 RPG), 462 total blocks (3.5 BPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 10 G, 164 total points (16.4 PPG), 113 total rebounds (11.3 RPG), 27 total blocks (2.7 APG), 7 team wins, 3 team losses

Accolades: Wooden Award (1982, 1983), AP Player of the Year (1981, 1982, 1983), Rupp Trophy (1981, 1982, 1983), Naismith Award (1981, 1982, 1983) Sporting News Player of the Year (1982), Consensus First-Team All-American (1981, 1982, 1983), ACC Player of the Year (1981, 1982, 1983), All-ACC First Team (1981, 1982, 1983), NIT Most Valuable Player (1980), ACC Rookie of the Year (1980)

Bottom line: A 7-foot-4, Ralph Sampson is one of the tallest people to ever play college basketball, and he was also one of the most gifted.

His combination of size and skill led to a stacked trophy case and six Sports Illustrated covers in just three years.

3. Pete Maravich

Position: Guard

School: LSU

Years: 1967-70

Team record: 49-35 (.583)

Stats: 83 G, 3,667 total points (44.2 PPG), 528 total rebounds (6.4 RPG), 425 total assists (5.1 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: N/A

Accolades: Sporting News Player of the Year (1970), Naismith Award (1970), Helms Foundation Player of the Year (1970), AP Player of the Year (1970), SEC Player of the Year (1968, 1969, 1970), Consensus First-Team All-American (1968, 1969, 1970), All-SEC First Team (1968, 1969, 1970)

Bottom line: Pete Maravich is the top scorer in NCAA history, and he wasn’t allowed to play his freshman season.

Dale Brown, a former coach at LSU, went back and tracked all of Maravich’s shots from college and estimated that "Pistol Pete" would have averaged 57 points (and 13 made 3-pointers per game) had the 3-point shot existed when he played.

Now, imagine how many points Maravich (another basketball player who died too young, at age 40, in 1988) would have scored if he played as a freshman.

2. Bill Walton

Position: Center

School: UCLA

Years: 1971-74

Team record: 86-4 (.956)

Stats: 87 G, 1,767 total points (20.3 PPG), 1,370 total rebounds (15.7 RPG), 148 total assists* (5.5 APG)

NCAA tournament stats: 12 G, 254 total points (21.2 PPG), 176 total rebounds (14.7), 37 total assists (3.1 APG), 11 team wins, 1 team loss

Accolades: NCAA champion (1972, 1973), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1972, 1973), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1972, 1973), AP Player of the Year (1972, 1973), Sporting News Player of the Year (1972, 1973, 1974), Naismith Award (1972, 1973, 1974), Rupp Trophy (1972, 1973, 1974), Consensus First-Team All-American (1972, 1973, 1974), All-Pac 8 First Team (1972, 1973, 1974)

Bottom line: Don’t let the zany Pac-12 color commentator fool you with his antics.

A year removed from losing the greatest player in college basketball history, John Wooden simply reloaded when Bill Walton came aboard in 1971.

Walton led the Bruins to back-to-back undefeated seasons, continuing in the line of outstanding Bruin big men.

1. Lew Alcindor

Position: Center

School: UCLA

Years: 1966-69

Team record: 88-2 (.978)

Stats: 88 G, 2,325 total points (26.4 PPG), 1,367 total rebounds (15.5 RPG)

NCAA tournament stats: 12 G, 304 total points (25.3 PPG), 201 total rebounds (16.8 RPG), 12 team wins, 0 team losses

Accolades: NCAA champion (1967, 1968, 1969), NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1967, 1968, 1969), NCAA All-Tournament Team (1967, 1968, 1969), Sporting News Player of the Year (1967, 1969), AP Player of the Year (1967, 1969), Helms Foundation Player of the Year (1967, 1968, 1969), Naismith Award (1969), Consensus First-Team All-American (1967, 1968, 1969), All-Pac 8 First Team (1967, 1968, 1969)

Bottom line: Before Lew Alcindor was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, he was a legend at the collegiate level.

The man (who would develop into the all-time leading scorer in NBA history) famously led the UCLA freshman team to a victory over the NCAA champion varsity squad, then led the Bruins to three national championships, losing only two games in his college career.

His greatness across four decades is unquestioned and unequaled.