Greatest College Hoops Player of All-Time

[HOGLIGULA]

Pistol Pete!

end of thread

no smite just a Karma +1

SMITE THIS!

[the donger]

What great college player was the biggest flop in the NBA?

Scotty Thurman, oh wait......

[dj shanon "Notshavin" smeya]

What great college player was the biggest flop in the NBA?

Scotty Thurman, oh wait......

Now that would correctly be Len Bias...

[HOGLIGULA]

What great college player was the biggest flop in the NBA?

Scotty Thurman, oh wait......

Now that would correctly be Len Bias...

that is sad the guy never made it out of college.

[CiriusPorker]

did i miss it, or did no one mention Michael Jordan?

[dj shanon "Notshavin" smeya]

did i miss it, or did no one mention Michael Jordan?

Was real good in college, not great, and definitely not the greatest.

[Niels Boar]

Love Pistol Pete as a showman, but he wasn't in the same class as Walton as an NCAA player in terms of team goals.  Didn't LSU have a losing record during some of Pete's seasons?  Check out Walton's resume.

The Sporting News College Player of the Year (1972-74)

Naismith Award winner (1972-74)

The Sporting News All-America first team (1972-74)

NCAA Division I Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1972-73)

Member of NCAA Division I championship teams (1972-73)

Holds NCAA tournament career record for highest field goal percentage (minimum of 60 made)68.6 percent, 109 of 159 (1972-74)

Holds NCAA tournament single-season record of highest field-goal percentage (minimum of 40 made)76.3 percent, 45-of-59 (1973)

Averaged 20.3 points and 15.7 rebounds per game

Member of UCLA team with record 88 straight wins

Was the foundation of the only teams to record back-to-back 30-0 seasons

Led UCLA to 86-4 record during his three years

Scored 44 points on 21-of-22 shooting in 1973 NCAA CG win over Memphis State!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holds UCLA record for rebounds in a season (506 for a 16.9 average) and twice had 27, one shy of that record


The other guys I would put in the discussion are Jerry West, Lew Alcindor, Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, and David Thompson. 

The Big O

lead nation in scoring two consecutive years
14 scoring records
in only three seasons with out the three point line no question to him or pete being the greatest.  Walton as I have said was a product of a system that Wooden created and allowed Walton to be a great player

Allowed Walton to be great?  Did that system win 88 games in a row pre-Walton?  Walton was as good a center as any in the history of BB before his feet disintegrated.  A lot of coaches would have a lot of NCs if they had Kareem and Walton for six years.

[clarksville hog]

I'm just barely too young to remember Pistol Pete in college. But I do remember the dominance of Bill Walton at UCLA. Other dominating college players that I don't think have been mentioned are Patrick Ewing, Akeem Olajuwon, and Ralph Sampson. It is a different era now where you're lucky if you get to see potential NBA greats for a year or two in college, if at all. Therefore, it is hard to include in the mix the collegiate merits of early NBA entries.  As a college fan, I'm happy that high school standouts will have to play at least one year in college now, otherwise you would never see Greg Oden on a college campus.

[hoggystyle78]

I would go with Pistol Pete and then Bill Russell and Bill Walton, Maravich was just unbelievable!, can you imagine how many points per game he would've averaged if their had been a three point line?

[LA HAWG]

Larry Satchell

[wishyjoshy]

What great college player was the biggest flop in the NBA?

Scotty Thurman, oh wait......

Now that would correctly be Len Bias...

that is sad the guy never made it out of college.

Len Bias did make it out of college.  He was the number 2 draft pick in 86 - I believe. 
Are you referring to Hank Gathers?

[hogfan064]

What great college player was the biggest flop in the NBA?

Scotty Thurman, oh wait......

Now that would correctly be Len Bias...

that is sad the guy never made it out of college.

Len Bias did make it out of college.  He was the number 2 draft pick in 86 - I believe. 
Are you referring to Hank Gathers?

Bias died of a drug overdose after his draft party right?

[wishyjoshy]

Yes, I believe so.
Another great that died like that was Reggie Lewis.

[hogfan064]

Yes, I believe so.
Another great that died like that was Reggie Lewis.

Yeah I was commenting on a thread below about how the Celtics would still be a great franchise with those 2.  And I might still care about the NBA.

[hogtheball]

Walton and Pistol are the obvious choices - Maravich was the greatest offensive player ever, while Walton was the undisputed leader of the greatest team ever - good arguments for both.   

My honorable mention goes to Larry Bird.  Bird's Indiana State finals team had less talent than any team to ever make it to the final game.  Bird was great and absolutely carried a terrible team on his shoulders to the finals (through a good Arkansas team). 

[A Boy Named Sue E.]

David Thompson.

[pfrg999]

Pistol Pete.... He would Avg 60 per game if thet had the 3-pts line back then...
He has the All timer scoring record in only 3 years.... Freshman couldn't play back then

[Killean]

Pete Maravich had a team that was recruited specifically to give him the ball.  You're deluding yourself if you think that someone like Oscar Robertson wouldn't have done a LOT better if he'd been that much of the focus.

[dj shanon "Notshavin" smeya]

What great college player was the biggest flop in the NBA?

Scotty Thurman, oh wait......

Now that would correctly be Len Bias...

that is sad the guy never made it out of college.

Len Bias did make it out of college.  He was the number 2 draft pick in 86 - I believe. 
Are you referring to Hank Gathers?

Bias died of a drug overdose after his draft party right?

Yes, he had already been drafted by the Celtics. 

My point was that this is a thread about college players, not pro.
So he counts.

[HOGLIGULA]

What great college player was the biggest flop in the NBA?

Scotty Thurman, oh wait......

Now that would correctly be Len Bias...

that is sad the guy never made it out of college.

Len Bias did make it out of college.  He was the number 2 draft pick in 86 - I believe. 
Are you referring to Hank Gathers?

Bias died of a drug overdose after his draft party right?

Yes, he had already been drafted by the Celtics. 

My point was that this is a thread about college players, not pro.
So he counts.

still not one of the greats

[Deuce Pigelow]

Olu just called, said it was him.

That's funny. I don't care who you are.

[chillinhoggie]

Pistol Pete/Corliss

[HOGLUVIN]

Oscar Robertson, career triple double? That's domination in every facet. Doesn't get much better if any than that.

[dman]

Lew Alcindor

Yep, Kareem Abdul JaBBAR

[ColinRagan]

Pistol Pete was a great player and had great numbers, but he never even led his team to the NCAA tournament.

[Jaison Black]

I wish we could pull game film on Pistol.  People's mouths would be on the floor.  ESPN Classic did a thing on him and I caught it one day.  Truly unbelievable.  I don't know that we will ever see anything like it every again.

just unbelievable the things that he could do with the ball and just the ability and heart with which he played not known in today's game

Okay, let's think about this. Pistol was a great player, but he HAD to have the ball in his hands to dominate the game.

At one point the NCAA outlawed dunking because of Lew Alcindor. Walton, Alcindor and Russell dominated the game at both ends of the court and even caused rule changes. They also didn't have to have the ball in their hands to dominate a game.

So Pistol was probably the greaest guard ever but as far as player you have to give it to someone that could dominate the game with or without the ball.

Walton, Alcindor and Russell would be the best.

[LSUFan]

The girl who baby sat my oldest son lived in the Pistols Old House, they bought it after he died. It was a schrine.

[wrightobe]

I mentioned Bob Cousey as the greatest basketball player, not realizing the question was for greatest college basketball player.  If I were to pick the greatest college player, it indeed would be Larry Bird at Indiana State, of the  MVC.  As Nolan Richardson stated, he was not fast, could not jump, but with those great hands and basketball instincts, he was usually the leading scorer, leading rebounder, and a great clutch player.  He did indeed carry that Indiana State team that beat Arkansas in the semi-finals of the NCAA tournament the year that Sidney Moncrief was a senior.   Bird went on to have just as illustrious career as a pro, with the Boston Celtics.  By the way Moncrief had a bad ref call on him that NCAA semi-final game. If I remember correctly, he was bumped by the defensive player, and stumbled, and everyone and the TV camera's caught the bump, and the referee called Moncrief for travel, and it proved to be a factor in the final score.  I think there was less the 2 minutes left in game when it was called, and the score was tied, or within 1 or 2 points. IT WAS A VERY BAD CALL!!!!

[three]

Bill Walton, the guy made his teammates better, NEVER took a bad shot (hence he's #1 in NCAAT FG%), played under the greatest COACH of all-time and benefitted greatly from it.  A smart, underrated player in both his college and Pro career.  And before you say, "How could he be underrated!?!?"  I simply mean he was a very unselfish big man, the type of center who actually made his teammates better rather than take away from their games, plus he still had good numbers.  Smart, selfless, great player at both levels........but I hate him as a commentator!!!!!

[An old hog fanatic]

By the way Moncrief had a bad ref call on him that NCAA semi-final game. If I remember correctly, he was bumped by the defensive player, and stumbled, and everyone and the TV camera's caught the bump, and the referee called Moncrief for travel, and it proved to be a factor in the final score.  I think there was less the 2 minutes left in game when it was called, and the score was tied, or within 1 or 2 points. IT WAS A VERY BAD CALL!!!!

That call wasn't against Moncrief.  I think it was called against U.S. Reid (sp).  Interesting note.  Byrd killed us in the first half of that game and Sutton put Moncrief on him in the second half.  I don't think Byrd scored a single point in the second half.

[RAZ FAN]

 Several come to mind, in no specfic order: Keith Lee (Memphis), Corliss, Pistol Pete, Larry Bird, Shaq

[hogtheball]

By the way Moncrief had a bad ref call on him that NCAA semi-final game. If I remember correctly, he was bumped by the defensive player, and stumbled, and everyone and the TV camera's caught the bump, and the referee called Moncrief for travel, and it proved to be a factor in the final score.  I think there was less the 2 minutes left in game when it was called, and the score was tied, or within 1 or 2 points. IT WAS A VERY BAD CALL!!!!

That call wasn't against Moncrief.  I think it was called against U.S. Reid (sp).  Interesting note.  Byrd killed us in the first half of that game and Sutton put Moncrief on him in the second half.  I don't think Byrd scored a single point in the second half.

Bird scored 31 points in that game - I think 13 were in the second half.  However, with 10 minutes to go, Sutton put Moncrief on Bird.  Bird was shut down the rest of the way.  He has said that Moncrief is the best all-around player he ever played against - college or pro. 

Bird carried the least talented team EVER to the finals in college.  Something the Pistol couldn't dream of doing.

[wishyjoshy]

I wish we could pull game film on Pistol.  People's mouths would be on the floor.  ESPN Classic did a thing on him and I caught it one day.  Truly unbelievable.  I don't know that we will ever see anything like it every again.

just unbelievable the things that he could do with the ball and just the ability and heart with which he played not known in today's game

I like the reasoning and I understand what you are saying, but I still think that back then, Pistol was playing against people who could not even understand the way he played the game.  If he would have had an OK big man on his team, LSU would have one the Championship.  It is a lot like Jordan playing for the Wizards.  It was too much for one man to overcome.  
+1 for the insight, though.

Okay, let's think about this. Pistol was a great player, but he HAD to have the ball in his hands to dominate the game.

At one point the NCAA outlawed dunking because of Lew Alcindor. Walton, Alcindor and Russell dominated the game at both ends of the court and even caused rule changes. They also didn't have to have the ball in their hands to dominate a game.

So Pistol was probably the greaest guard ever but as far as player you have to give it to someone that could dominate the game with or without the ball.

Walton, Alcindor and Russell would be the best.

[sportscrazy]

You have to split this.  Best perimeter player and best big man.

Big man: Bill Walton.
Perimeter:  Pete Maravich

Bill Walton was a phenominal college player as was Pistol Pete.  Most people do not realize how good Bill Walton was before he got hurt.  He was good at everything.  Defense, offense and rebounding.