Walking Tall: 21st Century Boasts Five of Eight DI Players Taller Than 7-4
Who have been the tallest players in major-college history? Five of eight NCAA Division I players taller than 7-4 have impacted major-college hoops who could literally look down upon national POY winners Lew Alcindor (7-2/UCLA), Anthony Davis (7-0/Kentucky), Patrick Ewing (7-0/Georgetown) and Shaquille O'Neal (7-1/Louisiana State) plus two-time All-Americans Artis Gilmore (7-2/Jacksonville) and Hakeem Olajuwon (7-0/Houston). Consider the following list of skyscrapers taller than 7-3 (including active players Tacko Fall and Christ Koumadje for Florida universities via Africa):
| Tallest Players | Ht. | School(s) | Summary of NCAA DI Career |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neil Fingleton | 7-7 1/2 | North Carolina/Holy Cross | Played one game with UNC in 2001-02 before averaging 2.7 ppg, 1.6 rpg and 0.7 bpg for HC in 2002-03 and 2003-04 |
| Tacko Fall | 7-7 | UCF | 9.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg and 2.4 bpg from 2015-16 to 2018-19 |
| Kenny George | 7-7 | UNC Asheville | 9.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 2.7 bpg in 2006-07 and 2007-08 before having part of his right foot amputated because of staph infection |
| Shawn Bradley | 7-6 | Brigham Young | 14.8 ppg, 7.7 rpg and 5.2 bpg in 1990-91 |
| Mike Lanier | 7-6 | Hardin-Simmons/UCLA | Averaged 5.1 ppg and 3.4 rpg for Hardin-Simmons in 1988-89 and 1989-90 before averaging 1.3 ppg and 1.1 rpg with UCLA in 1991-92 and 1992-93. |
| Mamadou Ndiaye | 7-6 | UC Irvine | 10.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg and 2.5 bpg from 2013-14 through 2015-16 |
| Sim Bhullar | 7-5 | New Mexico State | 10.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg and 2.9 bpg in 2012-13 and 2013-14 |
| Chuck Nevitt | 7-5 | North Carolina State | 3 ppg, 2.4 rpg and 1 bpg from 1978-79 through 1981-82 |
| Alan Bannister | 7-4 | Oklahoma State/Arkansas State | 6.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg and 1.6 bpg with OSU in 1985-86 and 1987-88 |
| Lonnie Boeckman | 7-4 | Oklahoma State | 1.8 ppg and 1.4 rpg from 1973-74 through 1976-77 |
| Tom Burleson | 7-4 | North Carolina State | 19 ppg and 12.7 from 1971-72 through 1973-74 |
| Mark Eaton | 7-4 | UCLA | 1.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg and 0.9 bpg in 1980-81 and 1981-82 |
| Christ Koumadje | 7-4 | Florida State | 4.1 ppg, 3 rpg and 1.2 bpg from 2015-16 to 2018-19 |
| Rolf Mayr | 7-4 | Duquesne | 1.2 ppg and 1.2 rpg in 1987-88 |
| Ralph Sampson | 7-4 | Virginia | 16.9 ppg, 11.4 rpg and 3.5 bpg from 1979-80 through 1982-83 |
| Rik Smits | 7-4 | Marist | 18.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg and 3.2 bpg from 1984-85 through 1987-88 |
| Steve Turner | 7-4 | Vanderbilt | 8.1 ppg and 6.7 rpg from 1969-70 through 1972-73 |
NOTE: George Bell (7-8/Morris Brown GA, UC Riverside and Biola CA), Paul Sturgess (7-7/Florida Tech and Mountain State WV), Manute Bol (7-6/Bridgeport CT) and Priest Lauderdale (7-4/Central State OH) played for non-DI colleges.