I must admit, this has been a phenomenal NCAA tournament. This tournament has had most of the elements that we love about the annual month of madness which college basketball provides us with each March. We have seen “Cinderellas” upset highly seeded teams. We have seen great individual performances, and we have seen TEAMS prove that even though they may seem less talented, the sum of their parts is better than the more talented individuals they faced. This tournament has also shown us why coaches are so important in college basketball. Some of the in-game adjustments that have been made have been absolutely brilliant (Rick Pitino’s change from a zone to man defense in the second half against Florida immediately comes to mind). The only thing that this tournament is missing is the dramatic buzzer beater to win the game. But, hey, we still have one game left, so it’s still a possibility.
While
watching some of the great individual performances in this year’s tournament
and throughout this college basketball season, I couldn’t help but to let my
mind wonder and try to figure out where these players rank against the college
basketball greats that came before them. That is when I decided that in this
blog entry, I would name the top 5 college basketball players of all time (one
per position). I quickly realized that I wouldn’t be able to do a good job on
that list because I am not old enough to have seen some of the greats play. For
instance, Bill Walton is widely considered to be one of the best college
players to ever play. However, since his college career took place in the early
70’s, I really don’t have an informed opinion of him. So with my 30-year-old
frame of reference, I decided to instead create a list of the 5 best college
basketball players since 1990. This is around the time when I really got into
college basketball, and for the purposes of this blog that means I am qualified
to create this list. I know that there will be players that are left off the
list that some of you feel were better players than my top 5. If that is indeed
the case, please feel free to chime in with your opinions in the comments
section found at the bottom of this blog entry. These players are simply the
top 5 in MY opinion. I recognize the high probability of dissension here and I
look forward to your rebuttals.
Although the
players on this list may have gone on to have great NBA careers. That was not a
factor in creating this list. This list is based strictly on their performance
in college and the impact they made to the college game.
My starting
five are….
Point
Guard
Allen
Iverson: Simply put, college basketball has never seen a player this dynamic
before him or since he moved on to the NBA. Before Iverson was the “Answer” to
all of the NBA’s problems, he was the first truly dominant guard to hit the
floor for a University known for producing great big men. Even in college,
Iverson was bigger than life. He was a rock-star who had the game to live up to
the persona and swagger that seemed to precede him. He could handle the ball as
good as a Harlem Globetrotter, could get to the basket anytime he damn well
pleased, and was also an excellent shooter. He was unstoppable in college, and
had some of the best duels in college basketball history with my pick for shooting
guard. Fortunately for Iverson, this is a list of the best college basketball
players and not the best student athletes. If that was the case, he definitely
would not have made it. The fact that Iverson has blown nearly the entire
fortune that he amassed while playing in the NBA, tell us that he didn’t
exactly take advantage of the free Georgetown education. However, if it wasn’t
for his spectacular basketball skills, he would have never had the opportunity
to blow such a fortune. As JaMarcus Russell might say, “It’s better to
have been a rich and lost it all, then to never have been rich.” He is without
a doubt the best point guard to play college basketball in the last two decades.
Honorable Mention: Mike Bibby, Stephon Marbury
Shooting
Guard
When the
basketball gods created the position of shooting guard, Ray Allen was
definitely the prototype that they had in mind. Allen was one of the most
complete college basketball players that I have ever seen. He was his team’s
best perimeter defender (evidenced by the fact that he always drew the
defensive assignment on Iverson), a great ball handler, and could also beat his
man off the dribble. Oh yeah, there’s one other thing. He has the best jumpshot
in the history of jumpshots. During his time at UConn their offense was
completely built around him. Their offense mainly consisted of running Allen
off of a series of complex screens to get him open shots. There have been other
great shooters to play college basketball since Allen, but none of them
possessed the ability to go by defenders who played them tight to prevent them
from getting their shot off. Allen was simply that good. I will never
understand how UConn coach Jim Calhoun was able to convince a kid from Los
Angeles to come to Connecticut to play college basketball. I don’t want to
assume anything on the matter, but whatever Calhoun did to get Allen, it was
well worth it.Honorable Mention: Stephen Curry, Richard Hamilton
Small
Forward
I initially
struggled with this pick. I was initially torn between Jalen Rose and Grant
Hill. Both had stellar and memorable college careers. After thinking about it a
little more, I ultimately chose Grant Hill. Then while writing about Hill, I
instantly realized that I had made a mistake and that Hill was definitely not
the right selection. An epiphany struck and I remembered the dominant force
that was Carmelo Anthony during the 2002-2003 season. Anthony, much like Ray
Allen, is the embodiment of an offensively complete basketball player. During
his lone season at Syracuse, Anthony was simply unstoppable. He averaged 22
points and 10 rebounds per game. Anthony was able to score at will, and no one
could come close to stopping him. He was a superb shooter that could also
punish opponents in the post. Anthony also showed that he could handle the ball
like a guard. Every time Anthony stepped onto the college basketball floor, he
was hands down the best player in that game. Jim Boeheim will forever be
indebted to Carmelo for single-handedly winning him his only national
championship. Honorable Mention: Jalen Rose, Grant Hill
Power
Forward
Michigan’s
“Fab 5” will always be remembered by college basketball fans for their impact
on the game (long shorts & black socks), as well as their raw basketball
talent. On a team filled with some of the best players in their recruiting
class, Chris Webber was without a doubt the Alpha-male. The moment he entered
college, he immediately became the best power forward in the nation. Without
Webber, Michigan would have been just another talented college basketball team,
but with Webber they were legit championship contenders from day one. The fact
that Weber’s college career ended in infamy doesn’t take away from his
collegiate brilliance at all. Ray Jackson, Jimmy King, Juwan Howard, Jalen
Rose, and Chris Webber will always be remembered together as the “Fab 5”.
However, Chris Webber was without a doubt Michael Jackson. The other four were
immensely talented, but compared to Webber, they may as well had been “Tito”.Honorable Mention: Tim Duncan, Larry Johnson
Center
Yes, I am a Kentucky fan. Yes, this list spans a 22-year period. However, my bias towards Kentucky has absolutely nothing to do with my selection at center. Anthony Davis is simply the most dominant force in college basketball today. On a team full of High School All-Americans, he clearly stands out as the best player. The best description that I have seen of Davis’ ability came from Bomani Jones (via twitter). He said, “Anthony Davis is make you giggle good.” That pretty much sums it up. Sometimes while watching Kentucky (I watch all of their games every season), I find myself chuckling at the plays that Davis routinely makes. What’s amazing is that Davis can completely control the game without taking a shot. He has blocked 180 shots this season (including the postseason). His 180 blocked shots ranks HIM 11th in TEAM BLOCKED SHOTS. That’s right, only 10 TEAMS (including Kentucky) have blocked more shots than Anthony Davis this season. He is also averaging 14 points per game. This is also incredible once you consider the fact that he attempts only about 8 shots a game. On a team as talented as his, everyone can score, so everyone has to fill a role. His role is defensive stopper and paint dominator. On a less talented team with him as the clear number one option on offense, he would easily average 25 points per game or more. Oh yeah, you can also pencil him in for 10 rebounds per night. He is hands-down the best and most dominant center to play college basketball in the last 22 years. I dare you to find someone better! .
Honorable Mention: Shaquille O’Neal, DeMarcus
Cousins
And now for my Baller
& Scrub of the Week….
BALLER – Guggenheim Baseball
Management: Everyone
meet the new owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Guggenheim Baseball Management
consists of Magic Johnson, Stan Kasten, Peter Guber, Todd Boehly, and Bobby
Patton. These gentlemen pooled their resources and came up with $2 BILLION to
purchase the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yes, they overpaid for the franchise, and yes
it was a terrible deal because they didn’t even get all of the parking lots in
the deal, but the fact that they had $2 billion dollars of disposable income
between them to make this purchase, gives them Baller of the Week status. To
add insult to injury, this was an ALL CASH PURCHASE! That’s right, they didn’t
finance a penny. I double dare, matter of fact, I double-dog dare another
rapper to go into the recording booth and tell the world how much he is
balling. Unless he can call up four friends and come up with $2 billion, I
don’t want to hear it. Maybe one day, I’ll be able to pull together a group of
my friends to make such an enormous purchase, but right now, I doubt that we
could even afford an indoor women’s professional soccer franchise.
SCRUB – The Charlotte Bobcats: The Bobcats have a 7 and 43 record this season and are currently riding a 7 game losing streak. This is absolutely horrible. It’s now time for team owner Michael Jordan to call NBA Commissioner David Stern and ask for a small favor as repayment for all of the money that Jordan made for the league during his playing days. I’m sure that Jordan would consider rigging the NBA lottery so that the Bobcats were sure to get the first pick in the draft ample repayment. This pick would certainly be used to select Kentucky’s Anthony Davis in the draft, and hopefully usher in a new era of Bobcat basketball. If they don’t get the first pick, look for more of the same from the Bobcats next year as well. To put in perspective how bad they are, Larry Brown couldn’t make them a winner. This is the guy who even made the Clippers of the early 90’s a respectable team.
This is my list, if you disagree feel free to share your list in the comments section.
Follow me on twitter @scashhomey for updates
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