The Greatest Player in the History of the Top 100 College Basketball Programs

It’s natural to assume that the best college basketball players would have played for the best college teams. Nevertheless, in college hoops history, some great programs are decidedly more equal than others.

The teams on this list are No. 1 through 100 in NCAA history in all-time victories. While many great programs have unfortunately been left off the list by this selection method, it seemed the closest thing to an objective way of picking the top 100 schools.

Herein, then, a look at the best players (based on everything from college stats to NBA successes) in the history of the 100 winningest teams in college hoops.

100. Michigan: Chris Webber

One of the best point forwards in basketball history, Chris Webber was (when healthy) a devastating offensive weapon (27.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 2000-01).

As a Wolverine, Webber (the best of the fabled Fab Five) led Michigan to back-to-back title game appearances, even if one ill-considered timeout call in the second game spoiled his college legacy.

99. Mississippi State: Bailey Howell

Far from the most recognizable Hall of Famer, ex-Pistons PF Bailey Howell earned his spot with career averages of 18.7 points and 9.9 rebounds a game.

Howell lit up college opponents as well, and his career average of 27.1 points per game in Starkville is still a Bulldogs record.

98. Duquesne: Norm Nixon

As a Duquesne senior, Norm Nixon led the Dukes to their most recent NCAA tournament berth in 1977, setting single-season and career assist records for the school in the process.

He was just as good in the NBA, averaging as many as 11.1 assists per game (and leading the league in postseason assists twice) in 10 seasons with the Lakers and Clippers.

97. South Carolina: Alex English

As impressively as Alex English played at South Carolina (22.6 points and 10.3 boards per game as a senior), it would’ve been tough to predict the player he’d become as a pro.

Playing for Doug Moe’s up-tempo Nuggets, English became a perennial All-Star who finished in the league’s top five in scoring six times in his Hall of Fame career.

96. Elon: Jesse Branson

Jesse Branson, a 6’7” power forward, holds Elon’s all-time records for career points and career rebounds.

Drafted by the 76ers, Branson played just five games in Philadelphia, followed by one indifferent season with the ABA’s New Orleans Buccaneers.

Image from thedraftreview.com.

95. Eastern Washington: Rodney Stuckey

Rodney Stuckey lit up the Big Sky conference in two seasons at Eastern Washington, averaging 24.4 points and 4.8 assists per game.

He’s proven a competent, if unspectacular, point guard in Detroit, where his three seasons as a starter (out of four total) have featured five assists a contest with double-digit scoring outputs.

94. Stephen F. Austin: James Silas

A point guard by trade, James Silas was a more-than-effective scorer at Stephen F. Austin, averaging a combined 27 points per game in his last two seasons at the school.

The 6’1” Silas went on to a 10-year pro career (mostly with the Spurs) that featured two ABA All-Star appearances and an average of nearly five assists per game.

93. Xavier: David West

The best of many outstanding power forwards to come out of Xavier, David West is the leading shot-blocker in school history while standing second in both scoring and rebounding.

He’s entering his ninth season as a Hornet, where he’s made a pair of All-Star Games so far as Chris Paul’s right-hand man.

92. Navy: David Robinson

Not much arguing with this one, as the Admiral has dominated everywhere he’s been.

Whether it’s setting the Division I single-season blocks record at Navy (207) or winning two titles as a Spur, Robinson deserves his place among the all-time great centers.

91. Tulsa: Paul Pressey

As a Milwaukee Bucks swingman playing for Don Nelson, Paul Pressey was the original point forward, averaging as many as 7.8 assists per game while still scoring in double figures.

Whether in the pros or at Tulsa, though, Pressey’s calling card was his defense, a skill that helped him earn All-America recognition and put him on three NBA All-Defensive teams.

90. Providence: Lenny Wilkens

Before becoming a Hall of Fame coach, Lenny Wilkens was a Hall of Fame point guard (mostly with the Hawks and the Sonics) who ranks 11th in NBA history in assists.

At 6’1”, Wilkens was also an exceptional rebounder, averaging 4.7 boards a game in the NBA and a remarkable 7.3 at Providence (along with nearly 15 points per game).

89. Toledo: Steve Mix

A 6’7” power forward, Steve Mix cleaned up at the college level, averaging 23 points and 11.9 rebounds per game for his career at Toledo.

Mix’s nose for rebounds stayed with him in the NBA, where he twice pulled in over 10 per game as a 76er.

88. Holy Cross: Tom Heinsohn

A very close call over fellow Hall of Famer Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn wasn’t quite as dominant in the pros as Cousy but was a hair better in college.

The hard-charging power forward holds the Crusaders records for points in a career and in a game, and went on to play a major role in Boston’s first six NBA titles.

87. Detroit: Dave DeBusschere

Dave Debusschere, one of the game’s all-time great defensive small forwards, helped bring two championships to the Knicks in his Hall of Fame career.

At Detroit, DeBusschere was also an outstanding rebounder, ranking 21st all-time in career boards for Division I at just 6'6".

86. Virginia Tech: Allan Bristow

Versatile 6’7” swingman Allan Bristow (pictured during his ill-fated coaching stint with the Hornets) had a long if undistinguished NBA career for several teams, but never lived up to the promise he’d showed at Virginia Tech.

As a Hokie, Bristow had been a consistent game-changer, averaging 23.1 points and 12.7 rebounds over his college career.

85. Montana: Micheal Ray Richardson

A close call over erstwhile coach and PF Larry Krystkowiak, Micheal Ray Richardson was a standout point guard for Montana who averaged 24.2 points a game as a senior.

Richardson gets the nod here for his NBA achievements, including leading the league in assists once and steals three times as a Knick, Warrior and Net.

84. Yale: Chris Dudley

Decidedly the most successful player in Yale’s largely barren hoops history, Chris Dudley averaged 11.1 rebounds per game over his last three seasons in New Haven.

The 6’11” Dudley had his moments as a rebounder as a pro (including 9.3 boards a game as a Blazer in 1994-95), but his NBA performance never rose above the level of half-decent backup.

83. South Dakota State: Mark Tetzlaff

Mark Tetzlaff, a 6’7” center, rewrote the South Dakota State record books, setting school marks for points and rebounds in his career.

After leading the then-Division II Jackrabbits to the title game as a senior (a loss to Jacksonville State), Tetzlaff’s basketball career ended, as he never played professionally.

Image from gojacks.com.

82. New Mexico State: Sam Lacey

A competent scorer but a first-class rebounder and shot-blocker, Sam Lacey was a solid starting center for the Kings franchise for a decade.

The 6’10” Lacey also put up impressive rebounding numbers in college, averaging 14.2 boards per game at New Mexico State.

81. Penn State: Bob Weiss

Point guard Bob Weiss had a long career (largely as a backup) with several NBA teams, most prominently as a Bull shortly after that franchise entered the league.

At Penn State, Weiss had been a more valuable scorer than he’d ever be in the pros, averaging 16.3 points per game for his college career.

80. Wichita State: Xavier McDaniel

A dangerous scorer (mostly for Seattle) in his NBA career, Xavier McDaniel was a beast at the college level.

The Wichita State forward was the first player ever to lead Division I in scoring (27.2 points per game) and rebounding (14.8 per game) in the same season.

79. New Mexico: Mel Daniels

One of the greatest players in ABA history, 6’9” center Mel Daniels won a pair of MVP awards and made eight All-Star teams in that league (largely as a Pacer).

Daniels was nearly as impressive as a Lobo, earning All-America recognition and averaging 20 points and 11.1 boards for his career.

78. Marshall: Hal Greer

Marshall’s first African-American scholarship athlete, SG Hal Greer set the Thundering Herd’s career mark for field-goal percentage at 54.6.

He was a top-flight shooter in the NBA as well, topping 20 points per game for seven straight seasons in a Hall of Fame career with the 76ers franchise.

77. Seton Hall: Bob Davies

One of the NBA’s earliest stars, Bob Davies made four All-Star teams and won an NBA championship in a Hall of Fame career with the Rochester Royals (now the Kings).

Davies narrowly edges out Royals teammate Bobby Wanzer (also a Hall of Famer) for this spot, thanks to Davies’ superior pro stats (especially his career average of 4.9 assists per game).

Image from hoophall.com.

76. Indiana State: Larry Bird

As easy a choice as there is on this list, Larry Bird will forever be the face of Sycamores basketball after leading the school to its only No. 1 seed and only title game appearance (a hard-fought loss to Magic Johnson’s Michigan State squad).

Bird would, of course, go on to become the greatest Celtic since Bill Russell, winning three championships (and averaging a career double-double as a SF with 24.3 points and 10 boards a game) as the heart of the team’s '80s dynasty.

75. Santa Clara: Steve Nash

Steve Nash’s first big splash on the basketball scene was leading No. 15 seed Santa Clara to an epic 1993 upset of Damon Stoudamire and the No. 2-seeded Arizona Wildcats.

Nash currently ranks sixth on the NBA’s career assist list, and one more season like last year will move him past Oscar Robertson into fifth.

74. Ohio: Gary Trent

Gary Trent was nicknamed “The Shaq of the MAC” for a reason, averaging 22.7 points and 11.3 boards per game in his three seasons as an Ohio Bobcat.

The 6’8”, 250-lb Trent struggled to stay healthy as a pro, but proved to be a solid backup PF for several teams (most successfully with the Blazers, who drafted him).

73. Rhode Island: Lamar Odom

A close call over Cuttino Mobley, Odom played one outstanding season at Rhode Island—17.6 points and 9.4 boards per game—to Mobley’s four good ones.

Odom has been a competent starter and a very good reserve at the NBA level, earning Sixth Man of the Year honors as a Laker last season.

72. Memphis: Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose made the most of his one season at Memphis (since vacated), averaging 14.9 points and 4.7 assists while leading the Tigers to the NCAA title game.

Rose hasn’t lost any time as a pro, either, winning the MVP in just his third season in 2010-11.

71. DePaul: George Mikan

Basketball’s first great big man, the 6’10” George Mikan was dominant enough to inspire the widening of the three-second lane and the institution of the rule against defensive goaltending (which had been assumed to be impossible until he came along).

Mikan led DePaul to the 1945 NIT title (more prestigious than the NCAA tournament at the time) and followed up with five championships in six years with the then-Minneapolis Lakers.

70. Stanford: George Yardley

Though he earned All-America recognition twice with the Stanford Cardinal, George Yardley earns his spot on this list largely because of his NBA accomplishments.

The first player to score 2,000 points in a season, the 6’5” Yardley made six consecutive All-Star appearances (primarily as a Piston) in his Hall of Fame career.

69. Niagara: Calvin Murphy

Calvin Murphy led Niagara to the first NCAA tournament appearance in school history to cap a career in which he averaged 33.1 points per game.

The 5’9” point guard kept right on scoring at the NBA level for the Rockets, breaking 20 points per game five times (and shooting 89.2 percent from the free-throw line) in his Hall of Fame career.

68. Maryland: Juan Dixon

This one is a close call, as Maryland has had some outstanding individual talent at both the college (Len Bias) and pro (Buck Williams, Steve Francis) levels.

Juan Dixon, though, gets the nod—in spite of his unimpressive NBA career–because his scoring (20.4 points per game) and defense (2.5 steals a contest) led the Terrapins to their only NCAA championship in 2002.

67. Nebraska: Tyronn Lue

Point guard Tyronn Lue did his fair share of scoring at Nebraska, averaging 21.2 points per game as a junior before jumping to the NBA.

A career backup as a professional, Lue did average as many as 4.6 assists per game during his 11 NBA seasons (with eight teams).

66. Wyoming: Theo Ratliff

Shot-blocking specialist Theo Ratliff learned his trade early, ranking 13th in NCAA history with 425 career rejections at Wyoming.

Ratliff, who played 10 games as a Laker last year, has led the NBA in blocks three times in his 16 NBA seasons.

65. Creighton: Paul Silas

An elite defensive power forward, Paul Silas averaged 20 points and 20 rebounds a game over his Creighton career.

He wasn’t half bad as a pro either, making five All-Defensive teams and winning a pair of titles (both as a Celtic).

64. Central Arkansas: Scottie Pippen

As a Central Arkansas senior, Scottie Pippen earned a No. 5 selection in the 1987 draft by filling up stat sheets, averaging 23.6 points, 10 boards and 3.1 steals per game.

Although Pippen probably wouldn’t have made the Hall of Fame if it hadn’t been for Michael Jordan, he was an exceptional defender (nine consecutive All-Defensive team selections) and an underrated scorer as a Bull.

63. Wisconsin: Michael Finley

Though he arrived too early for the Dick Bennett-led renaissance of Wisconsin basketball, Michael Finley had an impressive career as a Badger, setting a school record for career scoring and carrying the team to its first NCAA tournament in nearly 50 years.

Scoring was Finley’s NBA calling card as well, and he posted 20 points per game averages five years in a row for the Mavericks.

62. Gonzaga: John Stockton

The NBA’s career leader in both steals and assists, John Stockton deserves this spot on the strength of his pro accomplishments alone.

Of course, he was awfully good at Gonzaga, too, setting school records for assists and steals in both a season and a career.

61. Virginia: Ralph Sampson

One of the most decorated individual players in NCAA history, Ralph Sampson won three Naismith Awards and two Wooden Awards as a center at Virginia.

Though injuries kept him from fulfilling his enormous potential, the 7'4" Sampson did start his NBA career with four straight All-Star appearances as a Rocket (where he was paired for a while with Hakeem Olajuwon in a lineup that was more intimidating than effective).

60. LSU: Shaquille O'Neal

Though the Tigers’ Pete Maravich is widely considered the best college player of all time, Shaquille O’Neal’s NBA success makes him the choice here (though just barely).

Shaq didn’t win as much as one might expect at LSU, but his career averages of 21.6 points and 13.5 boards certainly presaged his NBA dominance.

59. Butler: Gordon Hayward

The emotional leader of Butler’s first Final Four squad, Gordon Hayward’s last-second jumper in the final against Duke came within inches of triggering the greatest upset in basketball history.

He didn’t have an impressive rookie campaign off the Jazz bench, and it’s not impossible that Shelvin Mack could take this spot from him if the latter has a better NBA career.

58. Akron: Romeo Travis

Romeo Travis is perhaps most recognizable for his high school days (pictured), when he was a teammate of LeBron James, but his college performance at Akron was impressive in its own right.

Travis set a school record for blocked shots while finishing in the program’s all-time top 10 in scoring and rebounding, and is currently playing professionally in Israel.

57. Utah State: Nate Williams

Though PF Wayne Estes had the more impressive career in an Aggies uniform, Nate Williams gets the nod here because he’s the only Utah State player to make something of himself in the NBA.

Williams was a 6’5” swingman who had six double-digit scoring seasons with a combination of the Kings, Jazz and Warriors.

56. Wake Forest: Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan left little doubt about his potential for greatness after a four-year career at Wake Forest that featured 2,000 points, 1,500 rebounds and nearly 500 blocked shots.

Two MVP awards, 13 All-Star appearances and four championships later, he’s left little doubt about his status as a Hall of Famer when he ultimately retires.

55. Murray State: Joe Fulks

Known as “Jumping Joe” not for an impressive vertical but because he was one of the first adopters of the jump shot, Joe Fulks played just two seasons at Murray State because he left to join the Marines during WWII.

A Hall of Famer as a Warrior, Fulks was the NBA’s scoring champion in its first two seasons, back when it was still known as the BAA.

54. California: Jason Kidd

As a California Golden Bear, Jason Kidd broke the school’s single-season assist record as a freshman, then broke that record as a sophomore.

As a pro, Kidd won his first championship with Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks this spring, the crowning achievement for a player second only to John Stockton in career assists.

53. Southern Illinois: Walt Frazier

He’ll always be associated with the Knicks (both as a broadcaster and a two-time NBA champion player), but Walt Frazier put Salukis basketball on the map.

When the still-Division II squad was ineligible for the 1967 NCAA tournament, Frazier took them to the NIT instead and led them to a victory over Division I Marquette.

52. Fordham: Ed Conlin

Swingman Ed Conlin is the leading scorer and rebounder in Fordham history, records that have stood since his graduation in 1955.

Conlin’s best NBA seasons came with the Syracuse Nationals (now the 76ers), where he averaged as many as 15 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

Image from fordhamsports.com.

51. Oregon: Terrell Brandon

Terrell Brandon made quite a splash in the Pac-10 in his two seasons at Oregon, averaging a combined 22.2 points and 5.5 assists per game.

After a three-year apprenticeship under Mark Price, Brandon would become a two-time All-Star point guard for the Cavaliers before being traded to Milwaukee in the three-team Sam Cassell-Stephon Marbury deal.

50. Pittsburgh: Billy Knight

As a Pitt senior, Billy Knight’s 21.8 points and 13.4 boards a game helped a team that had gone 12-14 the year before finish 25-4 and reach the Sweet 16.

Knight would have a solid ABA/NBA career as a swingman, mostly with the Pacers, before becoming a much-maligned executive with the Hawks.

49. Marquette: Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Wade led Marquette to its first Final Four in nearly three decades in 2003, posting the seventh triple-double in tournament history in an Elite Eight win over Kentucky.

Wade made his seventh consecutive All-Star appearance last season, setting a career high with 6.4 rebounds per game.

48. Minnesota: Kevin McHale

One of the great power forwards of his generation, Kevin McHale stands second on the Golden Gophers career lists for both points and rebounds.

McHale teamed with Larry Bird and Robert Parish to lead the Celtcs to three championships, making six All-Defensive teams and seven All-Star teams in his career.

47. Vanderbilt: Clyde Lee

Rebounding specialist Clyde Lee led Vanderbilt to its first-ever SEC title as a junior in 1964-65, then won SEC Player of the Year honors the following season.

As a pro, the 6'10" Lee averaged 10.3 rebounds per game over 10 NBA seasons, mostly with the Warriors.

46. Dayton: Jim Paxson

Swingman Jim Paxson (son of another NBA player also named Jim Paxson) put up impressive numbers as a Dayton Flyer, placing in the top five in school history in both points and assists.

In the NBA, Paxson was most valuable as a scorer, posting averages of 17 points per game or better for five straight years as a Trail Blazer.

45. USC: Bill Sharman

The first of many great guards to come out of USC, Bill Sharman averaged 18.6 points per game as a Trojans senior.

Sharman earns this spot, though, for his NBA accomplishments, including four championships and seven All-NBA selections with the Celtics.

44. Montana State: Jack Gillespie

Montana State forward Jack Gillespie ranks 10th in Big Sky Conference history in scoring average and fourth in rebounds for his three-year career as a Bobcat.

Gillespie’s pro career lasted just 27 minutes, over two games with the ABA’s New York Nets.

43. Illinois State: Doug Collins

A sharp-shooting SG, Doug Collins averaged 29.1 points per game in his All-America senior year, snapping school records for a single season and career scoring.

He then became the first Illinois State player to make it to the NBA, earning four All-Star selections with the 76ers (whom he now coaches).

42. Kansas State: Mitch Richmond

The NBA had a pretty good idea what to expect from Mitch Richmond after he averaged 20.7 points per game over two seasons at Kansas State.

Richmond would average at least 20 points per game for each of his first 10 seasons in the league, split between the Warriors and Kings.

41. Ohio State: John Havlicek

A very close call over Buckeye teammate Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek’s versatility and raw scoring ability (12th all-time in NBA career points) win out.

The 6’5” Hondo could play anything from shooting guard to power forward, and won the 1960 NCAA championship at OSU, followed by eight NBA titles as a Celtic.

40. Tennessee: Bernard King

Though he was primarily a scorer as a pro, Bernard King was also an outstanding rebounder at Tennessee, posting 13.2 boards per game to go with 25.8 points over his three college seasons.

One of the last players to win the scoring title before Michael Jordan made it his personal property, King scored fewer than 20 points per game in a full season just once in his 15 years in the NBA (most effectively with the Knicks).

39. Washington State: James Donaldson

A rebounding and shot-blocking specialist, James Donaldson banged and bruised his way through 14 NBA seasons (most successfully with the Mavs).

Even at Washington State, the 7’2” Donaldson wasn’t an effective scorer (8.5 points per game for his career), but did put up double-digit rebounding averages as a junior and senior.

38. Missouri: Steve Stipanovich

Steve Stipanovich capped his outstanding Missouri career with averages of 18.4 points and 8.8 rebounds, not to mention a stunning upset of No. 1-ranked Virginia and its all-everything center, Ralph Sampson.

Knee problems ended Stipanovich’s pro career after just five seasons as a Pacer, but he proved a competent center until then (13.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game for his career).

37. Iowa: Connie Hawkins

Though his college career was over before it really began—he was barred from college hoops during his freshman season due to a point-shaving scandal in which he was actually an innocent bystander—Connie Hawkins became the best player ever to have worn a Hawkeyes uniform.

In a colorful career that included stops with the Globetrotters, the ABA and the even-more-defunct ABL, the high-flying 6'8" Hawkins earned a place in the Hall of Fame with numbers like 24.6 points and 10.4 rebounds a game in his first season as a Sun.

36. Michigan State: Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson’s reputation as one of history’s greatest point guards started in East Lansing, where Magic led the Spartans to the 1979 national title in an epic duel with Larry Bird and Indiana State.

A three-time NBA MVP, Magic won five titles in his Lakers career while averaging 19.5 points, 11.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds per game.

35. St. Joseph's: Jameer Nelson

Jameer Nelson has been the best NBA player to come out of St. Joseph’s (beating out Delonte West), but it’s his college career that earns him his place on this list.

As a Wooden Award-winning senior, Nelson led the Hawks to an undefeated regular season and a spot in the Elite Eight (where his last-second jumper came within inches of propelling the school to its first Final Four in 40 years).

34. Oklahoma State: Bryant Reeves

As a senior in 1994-95, Bryant “Big Country” Reeves carried Oklahoma State to its first Final Four appearance in four decades, averaging 21.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

Though the 7’0”, 275-lb Reeves was hardly a graceful center, he was better than his reputation in his brief NBA career, averaging as many as 16.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game with the Grizzlies.

33. Georgetown: Patrick Ewing

One of the greatest college centers in history, Patrick Ewing led the Hoyas to three NCAA title games in four seasons, including a win in the 1984 championship game against Hakeem Olajuwon and Houston.

Ewing never managed to lead the Knicks to an NBA title, but he did give them nine consecutive seasons of 20-point, 10-rebound averages in his Hall of Fame career.

32. Alabama: Antonio McDyess

Though Antonio McDyess didn’t put up eye-popping numbers at Alabama (12.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game for his career), he gets the pick over Latrell Sprewell for his combination of outstanding NBA play and never having choked his head coach.

Though his skills have deteriorated significantly after 15 NBA seasons, McDyess was an explosive scorer and rebounder in his earlier years as a Nugget (including 20.8 points and 12.1 rebounds per game in 2000-01).

31. Arkansas: Sidney Moncrief

The best of many superlative defenders who have worn a Razorbacks uniform, versatile SG Sidney Moncrief posted 22 points and 9.6 rebounds per game as a senior.

Moncrief won the first two Defensive Player of the Year awards in NBA history, making five All-Star Games as a Buck.

30. Oklahoma: Mookie Blaylock

A close call over Alvan Adams and Wayman Tisdale, Mookie Blaylock led Oklahoma to its first NCAA championship game in 40 years by putting up 20 points and 6.7 assists per game.

Though Blaylock was an impressive passer at the NBA level (a career-best 9.7 assists per game), it was his defense that made his career, as he earned six consecutive All-Defensive team selections as a Hawk.

29. UConn: Richard Hamilton

A pure scorer at the college level, Rip Hamilton’s 21.5 points per game led the Huskies to the NCAA title in 1999 (a tournament in which Hamilton was named Most Outstanding Player).

As a pro, Hamilton’s late-emerging defense helped the Pistons win the 2004 title, but after his lowest scoring output (14.1 points per game) since his rookie year, he may not have much time left in his career.

28. Missouri State: Curtis Perry

It’s not hard to find Curtis Perry’s specialty in the Missouri State record books, where the 6’7” power forward holds the school marks for rebounds in a game, a season and a career.

Perry’s eight-year NBA career was similarly built on an average of 8.8 rebounds a game, and as a Sun he also added a bit of scoring to his repertoire (though his career high was still just 13.4 points per game).

Image from missouristatebears.com.

27. Villanova: Paul Arizin

A first-class scorer at any level, Paul Arizin averaged 25.3 points per game as a Villanova senior, including a school-record 85-point game (albeit against a non-Division I opponent).

As a pro, Arizin would win two scoring titles and one NBA championship in his Hall of Fame career with the Warriors.

26. Bradley: Hersey Hawkins

Although Hersey Hawkins was a respectable NBA shooting guard as a Sixer and Sonic, his professional accomplishments paled in comparison with what he’d done in college.

At Bradley, Hawkins became one of seven players in NCAA history to score 3,000 points, leading the nation as a senior with 36.3 points per game.

25. North Carolina State: David Thompson

Nothing will ever quite match the 1983 championship team in Raleigh, but that team didn’t have the star power of David Thompson.

The high-flying guard carried NC State to its first championship in 1974 (the first non-UCLA team to win it since 1966), then lit up the ABA and NBA on his way to 22.7 career points per game and the Hall of Fame.

24. Arizona: Mike Bibby

Mike Bibby made his two seasons at Arizona count, averaging 15.4 points and 5.4 assists per game and leading the Wildcats to the 1998 national title.

Bibby’s wretched recent showings with the Hawks and Heat notwithstanding, he was one of the best playoff point guards in the league as a King, where he averaged 17.9 points and 5.8 assists in postseason play.

23. Cincinnati: Oscar Robertson

Oscar Robertson never won a national title at Cincinnati, but he took the Bearcats to back-to-back Final Fours in a career in which he averaged 33.7 points (winning the national scoring title in all three of his seasons), 14.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists.

Robertson led the NBA in assists seven times with the Cincinnati Royals (now the Kings), but will always be best remembered for the 1961-62 season, when he averaged a triple-double (30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, 11.4 assists per game).

22. Princeton: Bill Bradley

As a New York Knick, Bill Bradley was a valuable passer and defender who helped the team win two NBA titles on his way to the Hall of Fame.

As a Princeton Tiger, though, Bradley was a superstar who averaged 30.1 points per game for his career and carried the school to its only Final Four in 1965.

21. West Virginia: Jerry West

In three All-American seasons as a Mountaineer, Jerry West racked up 24.8 points and 13.3 boards per game while leading West Virginia to two Final Fours (losing the 1959 title game to California by a point).

As a Laker, West made 12 All-NBA squads and averaged 27 points and 6.7 assists per game over his 14 seasons.

20. Purdue: Glenn Robinson

Glenn Robinson may have been overhyped coming out of Purdue, but there was plenty of cause for hype about a player who had averaged 30.1 points and 10.1 boards per game while carrying the Boilermakers to the 1994 Elite Eight.

Twice an All-Star, the Big Dog was a prolific scorer who averaged 20.7 points over 11 NBA seasons (mostly with the Bucks, who had picked him No. 1 overall).

19. Louisville: Wes Unseld

Despite standing just 6’7”, Wes Unseld was an all-time great as a center, averaging 20.6 points and 18.9 boards per game in his Louisville career.

Unseld wasn’t much of a scorer as a pro, but his rebounding and defense earned him simultaneous Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in 1968-69 (a feat accomplished only by him and Wilt Chamberlain) and carried the Washington Bullets to the only championship in franchise history in 1978.

18. Oregon State: Gary Payton

By the time he was done at Oregon State, Gary Payton held the school’s career records (mostly broken in the two decades since) for points, three-point field goals, assists and steals.

The Glove would earn his nickname with one Defensive Player of the Year award and nine All-Defensive selections (all as a Sonic), and he ranks eighth in NBA history in career assists.

17. BYU: Danny Ainge

At BYU, Danny Ainge won the Wooden Award as a senior (in between seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays) and led the Cougars to the Elite Eight with an unforgettable coast-to-coast drive against Notre Dame.

Ainge’s NBA career had its own share of highlights, as the defensive-minded PG won a pair of championship rings with Larry Bird’s Celtics.

16. Texas: Kevin Durant

The first freshman to win either the Naismith or Wooden Awards—and he won both—Kevin Durant averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds in his lone season in Austin.

At age 22, Durant already has two NBA scoring titles, the youngest player ever to accomplish that feat.

15. Washington: Brandon Roy

After playing most of his career in Nate Robinson’s shadow, Brandon Roy broke out as a Huskies senior, averaging 20.2 points, 5.6 boards and 4.1 assists per game.

As a pro, only Roy’s balky knees have managed to slow him down, as he’s made three All-Star Games in five years as a Blazer.

14. Western Kentucky: Jim McDaniels

Jim McDaniels, Western Kentucky’s career leader in points and rebounds, led the Hilltoppers to the only Final Four in school history in 1971.

The 6’11” McDaniels started his pro career with the ABA’s Carolina Cougars, but after a brilliant half-season (26.8 points per game, 14 rebounds per game), he jumped to the Sonics and was never able to hold a starting job in the NBA.

13. Illinois: Deron Williams

The best of the three guards who carried Illinois to the 2005 championship game, Deron Williams averaged 6.8 assists as a junior for that team.

After six NBA seasons, Williams’ average of 9.2 assists per game for his career is second among all active players.

12. Indiana: Isiah Thomas

At Indiana, it would be hard to compete for this list without a national championship, and Isiah Thomas has one, having racked up 16 points and 5.8 assists per game for the 1980-81 Hoosiers.

In the NBA, though, Thomas really came into his own, making 12 straight All-Star Games and winning two titles as the engine of the Bad Boys Pistons.

11. Utah: Andrew Bogut

Andrew Bogut’s solid NBA career hasn’t yet outdone that of former Utes standout Tom Chambers, but he’s developing into a very solid starting center.

At Utah, though, Bogut was a bona fide star, winning both the Naismith and Wooden Awards as a sophomore with averages of 20.4 points and 12.2 rebounds per game.

10. Pennsylvania: Matt Maloney

In Matt Maloney’s three seasons at Penn, he averaged 15.1 points and 3.9 assists per game, but his biggest accomplishment was taking the Quakers to three consecutive Ivy League Championships (and their most recent NCAA tournament victory, over Nebraska in 1994).

As a pro, Maloney’s biggest asset was his three-point shot (399 career makes and a .372 percentage), but it wasn’t enough to keep him around more than six seasons, two as a Rockets starter.

9. Notre Dame: Adrian Dantley

Over his last two seasons in South Bend, Adrian Dantley averaged 29.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, but his biggest achievement may have been as a freshman, when he helped the Irish snap UCLA’s record 88-game winning streak.

In the NBA, Dantley won two scoring titles and averaged 24.3 points per game over a career spent mostly with the Jazz.

8. UCLA: Lew Alcindor

Before he was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lew Alcindor was a three-time national champion at UCLA who was so dominant—26.4 points and 15.5 rebounds per game—that dunking was outlawed for nearly 10 years in the college game after he graduated.

He didn’t exactly struggle to adapt to the NBA, winning the first of his six MVP awards and five championships in just his second season as a Milwaukee Buck.

7. St. John's: Chris Mullin

As a senior in 1985, Chris Mullin won the Wooden Award, led St. John’s to its first Final Four in 30 years and finished his career as the school’s all-time leading scorer.

Mullin, a newly minted Hall of Famer for his NBA performance, topped 25 points per game in five straight seasons as a Warrior.

6. Temple: Eddie Jones

The 1994 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, swingman Eddie Jones was a lockdown perimeter defender (one of many Owls in that category) who was also a top-notch three-point shooter.

As a pro, Jones made a pair of All-Star teams as a Laker before being shipped to the Hornets in the Glen Rice deal (much to the dismay of L.A. fans).

5. Syracuse: Carmelo Anthony

Not as obvious a choice as he might seem (thanks mostly to competition from Hall of Famer Dave Bing), Carmelo Anthony gets the nod here for carrying the Orange to their only national championship in 2003.

After posting 22.2 points and 10 boards a game as a college freshman, Anthony has been even more impressive as a pro, averaging 24.8 points per game (and a respectable 6.3 rebounds) in eight NBA seasons to date.

4. Duke: Christian Laettner

Few college careers anywhere have matched Christian Laettner’s, as Duke’s most beloved and most hated player took the Blue Devils to four straight Final Fours and two national titles.

That college brilliance puts Laettner ahead even of Grant Hill’s stellar NBA career for this spot, especially considering that the much-maligned Laettner was actually a perfectly competent NBA power forward in his youth (five straight seasons of 16 points and seven rebounds per game).

3. Kansas: Wilt Chamberlain

Even at a school that has turned out bushels of NBA big men, Wilt Chamberlain stands head and shoulders above the crowd.

His greatest accomplishments would wait for the NBA (including his 100-point game and 50-points-per-game season), but he did average 29.6 points and 18.9 boards while leading the Jayhawks to the NCAA title game in 1957, losing in a legendary triple-OT battle with North Carolina.

2. North Carolina: Michael Jordan

This isn’t as obvious a call as it might seem, as Michael Jordan wasn’t nearly the unstoppable force at Chapel Hill that he would eventually become (averaging "only" 20 points and 2.2 steals per game in his best season).

Still, his pro success is unmatched, and he wasn’t any worse as a collegian than fellow Hall of Famers James Worthy and Billy Cunningham.

1. Kentucky: Cliff Hagan

In an era when a 6’4” player could be a great center, Cliff Hagan was one, averaging 22.8 points and 15 rebounds a game over his last two seasons at Kentucky after winning a national title as a sophomore in 1952.

A forward in the NBA, Hagan made five straight All-Star teams and won a championship ring in his Hall of Fame career with the Hawks.