Top 10 College Basketball Players Of All Time
College basketball is an American tradition that has been around for over 100 years. Over the years, there have been many great players who have gone on to make a name for themselves in the NBA and beyond. In this article, we will be looking at the top 10 college basketball players of all time.
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, formerly known as Lew Alcindor, played for UCLA from 1966-1969. In his three seasons at UCLA, he led the Bruins to three consecutive national championships and was named the Most Outstanding Player in all three tournaments. He finished his college career with 2,325 points and 1,367 rebounds, both of which are still school records.
2. Bill Russell
Bill Russell played for the University of San Francisco from 1953-1956. In his junior and senior seasons, he led the Dons to back-to-back NCAA championships and was named the Most Outstanding Player in both tournaments. He finished his college career with 1,449 points and 1,483 rebounds.
3. Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson played for Michigan State from 1977-1979. In his sophomore season, he led the Spartans to the national championship and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. He finished his college career with 1,059 points, 408 rebounds, and 422 assists.
4. Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan played for North Carolina from 1981-1984. In his junior season, he hit the game-winning shot in the national championship game and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. He finished his college career with 1,788 points, 555 rebounds, and 264 assists.
5. Pete Maravich
Pete Maravich played for LSU from 1967-1970. He is the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I history with 3,667 points. He was named a first-team All-American in all three of his seasons at LSU and won several national player of the year awards.
6. Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal played for LSU from 1989-1992. In his three seasons at LSU, he averaged 21.6 points and 13.5 rebounds per game. He was named a first-team All-American in each of his final two seasons and won several national player of the year awards.
7. Christian Laettner
Christian Laettner played for Duke from 1988-1992. He helped lead the Blue Devils to back-to-back national championships in 1991 and 1992 and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1991 tournament. He finished his college career with 2,460 points and 1,149 rebounds.
8. Jerry West
Jerry West played for West Virginia from 1957-1960. He led the Mountaineers to the NCAA championship game in his senior season and was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, despite West Virginia losing to California in the final. He finished his college career with 1,999 points and 744 rebounds.
9. Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan played for Wake Forest from 1993-1997. He was a consensus first-team All-American in each of his final three seasons and won several national player of the year awards. He finished his college career with 1,570 points, 1,215 rebounds, and 481 blocked shots.
10. Oscar Robertson
Oscar Robertson played for Cincinnati from 1957-1960. He is the only player in NCAA history to average a triple-double for an entire season, which he did in his junior season. He was a two-time consensus first-team All-American and finished his college career with 2,973 points and 1,338 rebounds.
In conclusion, these 10 college basketball players are the best of the best. Each one of them had a tremendous impact on the game of basketball and will forever be remembered as some of the greatest players to ever step foot on a college court.