Best College Players ever.

[porkpa]

My list of the five greatest college hoops players ever - must have played four years.
Lew Alcindor, Pete Maravich, Oscar Robertson, David Thompson, Bill Walton, with Christian Laettner the first man off the bench.

[richardjackson199]

I'll give Len Bias a mention. Good day to watch this play again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VD2nx9EIgk

[porkpa]

As great as he was and as much as I loved Lenny Bias as a player, he never really achieved stardom until his junior year. Whereas the six that I named were great almost from the get go.

[Tripping William]

Technically, Lew Alcindor didn’t play four years. :p

[OldPhiKap]

I'll give Len Bias a mention. Good day to watch this play again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VD2nx9EIgk

I remember watching this game at the bar/restaurant under Gilbert-Adams on East (forget the name), and seeing Len’s last game in Cameron where he was absolutely unstoppable. Most impressive non-Devil I saw in Cameron my four years in Dur’m, easily.

[75Crazie]

My list of the five greatest college hoops players ever - must have played four years.
Lew Alcindor, Pete Maravich, Oscar Robertson, David Thompson, Bill Walton, with Christian Laettner the first man off the bench.
I assume the reason for stating "four years" is to eliminate those who leave early for whatever reason? I only ask because four of those players did NOT play four years for their primary college team, unless you want to include results on the freshman team in the evaluation.

At any rate, only looking at those players who maximized their eligibility in college causes you, almost by definition, to only look at players of the past century (with maybe a little bleed over into the aughts).

And yet … while I criticize how the poll is defined, I like the parameters of the poll. I just want to make sure that you understand that, while your definition excludes somebody like Anthony Davis, a realistic case could be made that his status as one of the greatest college players of all time is only impeded by the changing landscape of college ball in the present era. I shudder to think what he would have accomplished in four years at Kentucky.

[dukelifer]

Technically, Lew Alcindor didn’t play four years. :p

Either did Robertson, Thompson, Walton and Maravich

[OldPhiKap]

I can’t even find Alcindor’s name appearing on an NBA roster but for a few years.

[duke4ever19]

My list of the five greatest college hoops players ever - must have played four years.
Lew Alcindor, Pete Maravich, Oscar Robertson, David Thompson, Bill Walton, with Christian Laettner the first man off the bench.

'Greatest'
A few examples from Merriam-Webster:

1. Remarkable in magnitude, degree, or effectiveness
2. Eminent and/or Distinguished
3. Markedly superior in character or quality
4. Remarkably skilled

We all know where this conversation is headed if people don't define their terms.

[OldPhiKap]

Either did Robertson, Thompson, Walton and Maravich

Or Walton. At least on varsity.

[Kdogg]

I think Bill Russel is always over looked and deserved to be in the conversation.

[fuse]

Ummmm...

Hurley
GHill
Laettner
Battier
Reddick

all say hello 😀👋

[Reddevil]

We do this from time to time - usually in the off season. I wonder what the list would look like if it only included graduates before turning pro.

[porkpa]

I assume the reason for stating "four years" is to eliminate those who leave early for whatever reason? I only ask because four of those players did NOT play four years for their primary college team, unless you want to include results on the freshman team in the evaluation.

At any rate, only looking at those players who maximized their eligibility in college causes you, almost by definition, to only look at players of the past century (with maybe a little bleed over into the aughts).

And yet … while I criticize how the poll is defined, I like the parameters of the poll. I just want to make sure that you understand that, while your definition excludes somebody like Anthony Davis, a realistic case could be made that his status as one of the greatest college players of all time is only impeded by the changing landscape of college ball in the present era. I shudder to think what he would have accomplished in four years at Kentucky.

That is correct. I am including their freshman years. It could just as well bephrased by saying those that played in all their years of eligibility.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

According to Tim Duncan, Greg Newton should be on the list.

Just couldn’t help myself. ;)

[dukelifer]

According to Tim Duncan, Greg Newton should be on the list.

Just couldn’t help myself. ;)

Magic Johnson would argue Larry Bird should be on that list

[TKG]

Lew Alcindor (hat tip to dukelifer). He was so good and so much better than everyone else that they changed the rules (no dunks) in an effort to handicap him. How did that work out?

[sagegrouse]

My list of the five greatest college hoops players ever - must have played four years.
Lew Alcindor, Pete Maravich, Oscar Robertson, David Thompson, Bill Walton, with Christian Laettner the first man off the bench.

If you are putting Pete Maravich ahead of Jerry West, keep it a secret when traveling in WVa. Bill Russell was the best college player of the 1950's and dominated in the NBA. Laettner didn't have the brlilliance of Oscar and Jerry, but he has the rings -- and he was dominant.

That's my top five:
Russell
Lew/Kareem
Oscar
David Thompson
Christian

Sorry, Bill Walton and Jerry -- you were both brilliant but have to come off the bench.

Pete? What did he ever win, anywhere? And, if he was so great, why couldn't his Dad or the NBA teams build a championship contender around him?

Now back to the regular Duke season -- see you on this topic after the Final Four.