I was asked to compile a Top 5 all time positional player list for the Final Four. The task was much more difficult than I could have imagined. While I am not a historian, I am well aware of the past contributions of the many greats that I never actually saw play (at least through their college careers) so while I am aware of their measured accomplishments, its always hard for me to compare the impacts of the accomplishments of “The Big O” Oscar Robertson versus Magic Johnson, or the Impact of Bill Russell in college versus Patrick Ewing or (H)Akeem Olajuwon.
So I will make two Top 5 all time lists. The first will be inclusive of everyone historically, and the second will be a pseudo modern era list. In this case modern era will start at 1979. That year was picked and significant for two reasons. The first is because it was the start of the Magic vs. Bird rivalry and era. Secondly, it was the first year I ever watched basketball, so my second list is solely inclusive of players and an era I am speaking with personal knowledge.
LIST 1:
Center: Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar)– Arguably (though there is not really much of an argument) the greatest college player ever (That same argument extends to his career in the NBA). Lew Alcindor was not allowed to play varsity basketball as a freshman. Over the next 3 years UCLA was 88-2. The Bruins won 3 consecutive National Championships and Alcindor (Kareem) was named the tournaments Most Outstanding Player (MOP) each year. He is the only player to have won award 3 times. Alcindor gets the nods over many greats at his position including 2x Champion Bill Russell, while at the University of San Francisco as well as Patrick Ewing and (H)Akeem Olajuwon as well as fellow UCLA Bruin and 2x MOP Bill Walton.
Power Forward: Jerry Lucas- The 2x Final Four MOP, led the Ohio State Buckeyes to three consecutive finals appearance, resulting in 1 National Championship (1960)
Small Forward: Bill Bradley- before becoming a Rhodes Scholar, member of the only two New York Knick Championship teams and United States Senator from New Jersey, Bill Bradley put Ivy League basketball on the national map. His 58 points in a Final Four consolation game is still a tournament record.
Shooting Guard: Jerry West- there are many on this list from older players to more current, including David Thompson, Jack “Goose” Givens (41 points in the Finals for Kentucky), Tony Delk from Kentucky and others, but the edge goes to “The Logo” Jerry West. Though his team lost in the finals 71-70 to California, West averaged 32ppg for West Virginia for the tournament along with over 12 rebounds a game.
Point Guard: Earvin “Magic” Johnson- Magic may have not even necessarily been label a full time point guard at that time but his 1979 run to the Championship with a win over Larry Bird’s Indian State team was transcendent in having a 6’9″ player running the point. His semifinal triple double of 29 points 10 rebounds and 10 assists was only the third ever recorded triple double in Final Four History
Kareem Abdul Jabbar – The GOAT?
List 2: 1979-present
Center: Patrick Ewing- The Georgetown center lead his team to three NCAA finals. His freshman year was marked by a loss to fellow freshman Michael Jordan and North Carolina, known as much by an errant pass a teammate thew in the final seconds. His Junior year the Hoyas defeated (H)Akeem Olajuwon and the University of Houston (and the sole reason I gave Ewing the nod over (H)Akeem whose teams never won the title) and the MOP. Ewing’s senior year the heavily favored Hoyas again lost in the Finals to Villanova, but Patrick’s overall body of work is why I nominate him for the top spot.
Power Forward- Christian Laettner- Perhaps college basketball’s most controversial and even despised player, there is no arguing the greatness of his college career which included 3 Finals appearances, 2 National Championships and 1 Final Four MOP.
Small Forward-Larry Bird & Danny Manning- I cheated here because no two players were asked to do so much in carrying their teams as both Larry Bird and Danny Manning for the University of Kansas team that won the 1988 National Championship. Bird won neither the Championship nor MOP in 1979, losing both to Magic Johnson, but his impact and 30 ppg scoring showed he greatness of a player who nearly took an undermanned team to a undefeated and historic season. Manning was the catalyst for a Kansas team that relied on his versatility for a 6-11 forward with a unique skill set.
Shooting Guard: Richard Hamilton- I thought about cheating here as well and placing Glenn Rice as the shooting guard, but in reality he did not play much of the 2 until he reached the NBA. Richard Hamilton’s 24ppg and MOP award during the University of Connecticut’s 1999 National Championship run were enough to give him the nod over other deserving candidates.
Point Guard: Earvin “Magic” Johnson-Ironically though Magic tops both of my lists, point guard was one of the most difficult positions to pick from. Isaiah Thomas at Indiana, Kemba Walkers NCAA run at UCONN along with Juan Dixon at Maryland and Bobby Hurley at Duke made the pick hard, but inevitably I had to go with Magic.
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