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THE BEST OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL

    There are and were so many great players in the NCAA. I have my best two players in mind. You probably won't agree but you'll get no argument from me. In fact, I'd like to see who our posters believe might hold that honor. There are a few things to keep in mind. I think there is no doubt that modern players are superior athletes. When I was in school there were some great athletes but today's size and speed are beyond compare. Finally, who made a significant impact on the game of basketball. That narrows the list. 


    Here's an example - What player had the biggest impact on the history of college basketball? Michael Jordan would be a good pick. What about Kareem? Or should we say Lew Alcindor? If you like SEC players you might pick Pete Maravich,  who averaged 44.8 points a game. That is just short of an Anthony Grant team average. Bill Walton was a deadly shooter. I was in the stands in '73 when he made 21-22 against the Memphis Tigers in the NCAA Championship game. The list is long and distinguished. 

Here, are some I considered. 

The Shooters:

Think style, grace, and percentage 

      Rick Mount of Purdue refined college shooting with the deadliest jump shot ever. He was so technically perfect that every kid who ever dreams of shooting should watch his form. If Mount had a three-point line he would have averaged 45 a game.  Runner-Up in the shooting category - Pete Maravich of LSU - the pistol could do it all including long range shooting, 

High Honorable Mention: Steve Alford of Indiana - Alford was a dead eye shooter before becoming a coach. Larry Bird of Indiana State: The bird man has the quickest release of any shooter I've seen. As an aside, John Petty may be quicker and he is a lot like Bird. Jerry West of West Virginia - back in the day he was the absolute man.

Honorable Mention:  Wesley Person Auburn, Chris Lofton Tn, Alan Houston Tn, Jimmer Fredette BYU (best long distance shooter in NCAA history) Tony Bennett Wisc. Green Bay (holds the NCAA record for the percentage on threes) Glenn Rice Michigan, Jason Kapono UCLA, Austin Carr Notre Dame, Salim Stoudemire Arizona, Steph Curry Davidson, J.J.Redick of Duke.

For the record: Pete Maravich is the greatest college player in NCAA history. There are two categories for that honor. Pistol Pete is #1 and the rest of the NCAA is up for grabs. He was a single man Harlem Globetrotters team against real opposition. He was Meadowlark Lemon with the ball. He transcended the era of basketball when he came to LSU. No one had ever seen anyone like him. If he played today, he would still be the best player on the floor. There have been some great players in NCAA history but there was only one Pete Maravich. I am excited to watch him, talk with him, and even play a three-on-three game with him back when younger blood flowed through my veins. The day he passed away I wept tears of sadness but also tears of joyful remembrance. 

Number two: Lew Alcindor, and if I lost the argument about Pete, it wouldn't be much of a surprise.


Did you know that Mount was the first high school player on the cover of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED?

 THE POST PLAYERS

Think dominance 

   

  Lew Alcindor of UCLA was a tremendous presence in the lane for UCLA. Alcindor came out of NYC and stunned the world by choosing UCLA. He did everything you could ask a big man to do. He could score (and literally was so long no one could guard him). He rebounded and if a big board was needed he was always there. He blocked shots. No doubt Alcindor was the most versatile. He was also responsible for the Alcindor rule. Dunking in college was prohibited because the NCAA thought he would dominate the game.

Bill Walton of UCLA - he defied logic. He was the center in terms of playing within a system I've ever seen. Walton was a free spirit except for one place - in the paint. He was a dominant player. You want to know one reason why UCLA had the best program in basketball history. Think Walton. He looked gangly. John Wooden would never single out a favorite player, but if he did it probably would have been Walton

Wilt Chamberlain of Kansas. Chamberlain's first game as a JayHawker saw him score 52 points and grab 31 rebounds. Chamberlain frequently led Kansas fast breaks. He would get a rebound and turn and fly down the court. He was the fasted player on the Kansas team. Chamberlain's impact on the game is undeniable. Chamberlain causes a rule change in college basketball - he would throw the ball off the glass on a free throw, follow the shot in, and then slam dunk.

Tom Gola of LaSalle - as hard as it is to understand how good LaSalle was back in the day just look them up. The reason why? Tom Gola had 2021 rebounds at LaSalle. Gola was only 6-6 but played like a giant. He was technically a shooting guard, but he spent most of his time inside. 

Honorable Mention: Bill Russell of the University of San Fransico. Robert Parrish of Centenary. David Robinson of Navy. Elvin Hayes of Houston. Jerry Harper of Alabama* Hakeem Olajuwon of Houston.

Coming up soon: OTHER POSITIONS AND IMPACT ON THE GAME.

* Technically a power forward, but played inside