Shatterproof: Loud and Proud NCAA Marks Likely Never to Be Matched (#8)

July 4th, 2023 - 9:37

What are the school and individual records that will never come close to being matched, let along exceeded? In ensuing blogs, CollegeHoopedia.com will designate the ultimate team and individual standards of excellence. Records were made to be broken, but perhaps not always in our lifetime. Following is #8 in the countdown of most illustrious NCAA achievements:

8. Robert Parish finished among nation's top five in rebounding all four seasons with more than 15 rpg each year.

Parish, attending Centenary College in his hometown of Shreveport, La., finished his career (1972-73 through 1975-76) as the only Division I player ever to rank among the national top five in rebounding for four seasons. He averaged more than 15 rpg each campaign, a figure no one surpassed since 1979-80 when Alcorn State's Larry "Mr. Mean" Smith led the country with 15.1 rpg until Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe averaged 15.2 rpg two years ago.

Even disregarding his subsequent 21-year NBA career, how in the name of James Naismith did no outlet acknowledge Parish as a first-team All-American? Is he Exhibit A for the quality of college basketball being vastly superior 50 years ago while NCAA consensus All-Americans Drew Timme (Gonzaga), Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky) and Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona) weren't picked in NBA draft last month? Parish had 33 games grabbing a minimum of 20 rebounds en route to retrieving an average of 16.9 missed shots per contest. Centenary de-emphasized its program early last decade but Parish's prolific performances won't be forgotten despite the NCAA overlooking them as part of less-than-gentle probation sanctions against the Gentlemen. Following is a list of Parish's eight contests with at least 25 rebounds and his game-by-game totals:

33 -- vs. Southern Mississippi (January 27, 1973)
30 -- at Lamar (December 22, 1972)
29 -- vs. Texas-Arlington (February 5, 1973)
27 -- vs. Lamar (February 7, 1973)
27 -- vs. Northwestern State (December 9, 1974)
27 -- at Northeast Louisiana (January 15, 1976)
26 -- vs. Houston (January 17, 1974)
25 -- vs. LSU-New Orleans (January 15, 1973)

1972-73 (Freshman/18.7 rpg)

Game Opponent Reb.
1. Southwestern TX 21
2. *Houston Baptist 8
3. *Louisiana Tech 15
4. East Texas Baptist 7
5. Indiana State 8
6. Northern Colorado 20
7. at Lamar 30
8. at Arkansas 21
9. Texas 16
10. at Southern Mississippi 16
11. at Northwestern State 22
12. LSU-New Orleans 25
13. at Texas-Arlington 9
14. Virginia Commonwealth 12
15. at Indiana State 16
16. Southern Mississippi 33
17. at Houston 22
18. Arkansas State 20
19. Texas-Arlington 29
20. Lamar 27
21. at Arizona State 20
22. at Hawaii 23
23. at Hawaii 14
24. at Arkansas State 23
25. at LSU-New Orleans 17
26. Northwestern State 14
27. Houston 17

*Sports Foundation Tournament.

1973-74 (Sophomore/15.3 rpg)

Game Opponent Reb.
1. McNeese State 17
2. Louisiana Tech 8
3. Dallas Baptist TX 10
4. Henderson State AR 21
5. Northwestern State 23
6. at Texas 14
7. at Arkansas 16
8. at Southern Mississippi 23
9. Northeast Louisiana 8
10. at Northwestern State 16
11. Houston 26
12. at Lamar 11
13. at Virginia Commonwealth 12
14. Southern Mississippi 16
15. at Hardin-Simmons TX 14
16. at Arizona 14
17. at Indiana State 18
18. at Southern Illinois 10
19. Portland 15
20. at Loyola of Chicago 13
21. Houston Baptist 13
22. Lamar 13
23. at Houston 13
24. at Houston Baptist 18
25. Hardin-Simmons TX 20

1974-75 (Junior/15.4 rpg)

Game Opponent Reb.
1. *UNC Charlotte 16
2. *Dartmouth 18
3. at Lamar 17
4. Texas 10
5. Northwestern State 27
6. McNeese State 19
7. at Virginia Commonwealth 15
8. &Pacific 21
9. &North Texas State 15
10. &Oklahoma City 10
11. Wabash College IN 9
12. East Texas Baptist 13
13. Arkansas 17
14. Hawaii 19
15. Lamar 14
16. at Southern Mississippi 8
17. at Indiana State 16
18. at Houston Baptist 16
19. Virginia Commonwealth 16
20. Southern Mississippi 17
21. at Northwestern State 21
22. Houston Baptist 18
23. at Hardin-Simmons TX 9
24. Indiana State 15
25. Southern Illinois 20
26. at Hawaii-Hilo 16
27. at Hawaii 15
28. at Hawaii 11
29. Hardin-Simmons TX 9

*Hall of Fame Tournament.
&All-College Tournament.

1975-76 (Senior/18.0 rpg)

Game Opponent Reb.
1. at South Alabama 19
2. Northwestern State 21
3. at McNeese State 23
4. at Southwestern Louisiana 14
5. South Alabama 12
6. Texas 19
7. Virginia Commonwealth 19
8. at Northern Illinois 24
9. at Illinois State 15
10. *Bowling Green State 14
11. *Utah State 14
12. *Long Island 21
13. at Texas 14
14. UNC Charlotte 19
15. Hawaii 19
16. Louisiana Tech 23
17. at Northeast Louisiana 27
18. at Northwestern State 14
19. East Texas Baptist 23
20. at Houston Baptist 6
21. Hardin-Simmons TX 19
22. Southern Mississippi 20
23. at Nevada-Las Vegas 11
24. at Hardin-Simmons TX 22
25. Houston Baptist 17
26. at UNC Charlotte 17
27. at Virginia Commonwealth 20

*All-College Tournament.

9. Kentucky's 129-game homecourt winning streak (under coach Adolph Rupp from Jan. 4, 1943, to Jan. 8, 1955).
10. Bill Chambers' 51 rebounds in a single game (for William & Mary vs. Virginia on Feb. 14, 1953).