Bill Walton Ranks Fourth Among Greatest Collegiate Players in NCAA History

One takes the risk of making some colossal blunders by rating players who had the most impact while in college? An observer could assemble a compelling argument that recently-deceased Bill Walton certainly is among the five greatest collegians of all time. At first glance, the prospect of not including him among the top five to 10 basketball collegians in history is as ridiculous as his chances of overcoming a speech impediment to become a long-time commentator.

Extended impact is a vital factor in the elite player equation. In order to whittle the illustrious field to a manageable number, candidates for most influential had to play a minimum of three major-college seasons to be included among the Top 10.

Michael Jordan is the greatest hooper of all time if you include a collegian's pro career. But from an all-time great perspective, he averaged a modest 17.7 points, 5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game with North Carolina.

Walton compiled an 11-1 NCAA playoff record during an era when a stunning number of UCLA All-Americans posted comparable tourney marks - Lew Alcindor (12-0), Henry Bibby (12-0), Dave Meyers (12-1), Curtis Rowe (12-0), Richard Washington (12-1), Sidney Wicks (12-0) and Keith Wilkes (11-1). Walton ranks fourth on the following Top Ten list of most influential college basketball players while they were in school (minimum of three varsity seasons):

1. Lew Alcindor, C, UCLA (88-2 team record, .978; 26.4 ppg, 15.5 rpg, 63.9 FG%)
The only individual selected the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player three times averaged 25.7 points and 18.8 rebounds and shot 64.1 percent from the floor in six Final Four games from 1967 through 1969. Alcindor, who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, is the only player to couple three unanimous first-team All-American seasons with three NCAA titles. Of the 10 different individuals to average more than 23 points per game for a national champion a total of 12 times, Alcindor achieved the feat all three of his seasons with the Bruins. He is also the only player to hit better than 70 percent of his field-goal attempts in two NCAA title games. UCLA '67, the first varsity season for Alcindor, set the record for largest average margin of victory for a champion when the Bruins started a dazzling streak of 10 consecutive Final Four appearances. They won their 12 NCAA playoff games with Alcindor manning the middle by an average margin of 21.5 points. The three Alcindor-led UCLA teams rank among the seven NCAA champions with average margins of victory in a tournament of more than 19 points per game. He led the nation in field-goal percentage in 1967 and 1969 and finished fourth in 1968. Ranked among the nation's leading scorers in 1967 (2nd), 1968 (12th) and 1969 (29th). Ranked among the nation's leading rebounders in 1967 (4th), 1968 (9th) and 1969 (16th). Both of UCLA's defeats with Alcindor manning the middle were by two points. It's no wonder a perceptive scribe wrote that the acronym NCAA took on a new meaning during the Alcindor Era--"No Chance Against Alcindor." A player that graces the sport once in a lifetime also lost only one of 117 high school games for Power Memorial in New York.

2. Oscar Robertson, F-G, Cincinnati (79-9, .898; 33.8 ppg, 15.2 rpg, 53.5 FG%, 78 FT%)
Averaged at least 29 points and 10 rebounds per game each of his three years in the NCAA tourney. Led the country in scoring all three varsity seasons. First player to lead the nation's scorers in both his sophomore and junior seasons. Ranked among the nation's top 20 in rebound percentage and field-goal percentage all three seasons. The textbook definition of an all-around player also ranked among the leaders in free-throw percentage in 1958 (33rd) and 1959 (35th). Had six games of at least 50 points, including a school-record 62 against North Texas State and 56 when he personally outscored Seton Hall (118-54). Amassed 33 consecutive double-doubles (double figures in scoring and rebounding).

3. Pete Maravich, G, Louisiana State (49-35, .583; 44.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 5.1 apg)
All-time leading male scorer in Division I holds NCAA records for most 50-point games (10) and most 40-point games (56). Dazzling ballhandler never scored fewer than 30 points in back-to-back games and tallied under 20 just once (17 at Tennessee as a sophomore) in his three varsity seasons. The son of LSU coach Press Maravich was outscored by a teammate in just one regular-season game en route to three consecutive national scoring titles. "Pistol Pete" scored an amazing 48.2 percent of LSU's points in his three-year career en route to setting a bevy of NCAA scoring records. The three-time SEC Player of the Year likely would have averaged more than 50 ppg if there had been a three-point arc at the time. The most disconcerting things about his career were failing to participate in the NCAA playoffs, an anemic 7-13 mark during his career in contests decided by fewer than four points and SEC setbacks each year against bottom-feeder teams--ninth-place Ole Miss as a sophomore, tenth-place Alabama as a junior and ninth-place Alabama as a senior. But when doubts creep in, just watch some old video of him and you'll be forced to acknowledge that his off-the-chart creativity revolutionized the game.

4. Bill Walton, C, UCLA (86-4, .956; 20.3 ppg, 15.7 rpg, 65.1 FG%)
Averaged 28.8 points and 17.8 rebounds per game at the Final Four in 1972 and 1973. His championship game-record 44 points against Memphis State in 1973 when he hit 21 of 22 field-goal attempts will probably never be duplicated. Ranked among the nation's top four in field-goal percentage in 1972 (4th), 1973 (2nd) and 1974 (2nd). Ranked among the nation's top 10 rebounders all three seasons. He joined Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati '58) as the only players in history during the freshman team era to be named national player of the year in their first season of varsity competition. Walton was headliner of the first major-college team in history to compile back-to-back perfect-record seasons. Walton, who paced three consecutive league champions in scoring and rebounding, is the only player to be a three-time first-team NCAA unanimous All-American and first-team Academic All-American. He shot an NCAA Tournament-record 68.6 percent from the floor in 12 playoff games (11-1 record).

5. Jerry Lucas, C, Ohio State (78-6, .929; 24.3 ppg, 17.2 rpg, 62.4 FG%)
Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 1960 and 1961. Three-time Big Ten Conference MVP led the nation in field-goal percentage all three seasons from 1960 through 1962. Paced the country in rebounding in 1961 and 1962 after finishing 11th in 1960. Ranked among the nation's leading scorers in 1960 (8th), 1961 (11th) and 1962 (38th) and 43rd in free-throw percentage in 1962. Lucas departed with the three best single-season rebounding totals in Big Ten history. He became the first player ever to gain five individual national statistical titles in a career (two for rebounding and three for shooting). He had 20 games with at least 20 rebounds and managed streaks of 38 and 24 consecutive double-doubles (double figures in scoring and rebounding).

6. Larry Bird, F, Indiana State (81-13, .862; 30.3 ppg, 13.3 rpg, 53.3 FG%, 82.2 FT%)
Indiana transfer ranked among the nation's top three scorers in 1977 (3rd), 1978 (2nd) and 1979 (2nd). Two-time MVC Player of the Year ranked among the nation's top seven rebounders in 1977 and 1979. Had eight games with at least 44 points, including a school-record 49 against Wichita State. How good would the Hoosiers have been in the '70s if Bird had stayed put?

7. David Thompson, F, North Carolina State (79-7, .919; 26.8 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 55.3 FG%)
Three-time ACC Player of the Year ranked among the nation's leading scorers in 1973 (17th), 1974 (5th) and 1975 (3rd). Incredible leaper ranked 19th in the nation in field-goal percentage in 1973. He had a total of 33 30-point games, including a school-record 57 against Buffalo State. You had to see him to believe his high-wire act.

8. Bill Russell, C, San Francisco (71-8, .899; 20.7 ppg, 20.3 rpg, 51.6 FG%)
Grabbed an incredible 50 rebounds at the 1956 Final Four (23 against SMU in the semifinals and 27 against Iowa in the championship game). No other player has retrieved more than 41 missed shots in two Final Four games or more than 21 in the final. One of six players to average more than 20 points and 20 rebounds per game in his career. Ranked among the nation's leading rebounders in 1954 (7th), 1955 (4th) and 1956 (4th). Ranked among the nation's leaders in field-goal percentage in 1954 (15th), 1955 (7th) and 1956 (9th).

9. Bill Bradley, F, Princeton (62-21, .747; 30.2 ppg, 12.1 rpg, 51.3 FG%, 87.6 FT%)
The former U.S. Senator (D-N.J.) and presidential candidate for 2000 holds the record for most points in a single Final Four game (58 against Wichita State in 1965 national third-place game). He scored 39 points in the second half of the consolation game. The Rhodes Scholar was the only player to have a double-digit season scoring average (30.5 points per game) for Princeton's Final Four team. Bradley also holds the career playoff record for highest free-throw percentage (minimum of 50 attempts). He was 89 of 96 from the foul line (90.6 percent) from 1963 through 1965. In five of his nine playoff games, Bradley made at least 10 free throws while missing no more than one attempt from the charity stripe. He made 16 of 16 free throws against St. Joseph's in the first round of the 1963 East Regional and 13 of 13 foul shots against Providence in the 1965 East Regional final to become the only player to twice convert more than 12 free throws without a miss in playoff games. He led the nation in free-throw percentage in 1965 after finishing 2nd in 1963 and 14th in 1964. Ranked among the nation's top five scorers in 1963 (5th), 1964 (4th) and 1965 (3rd). Set a mark for most points in an Ivy League contest when he poured in 51 against Harvard. He is the only Princeton player to score 40 or more points in a game, a feat he achieved 11 times. Bradley led three consecutive Ivy League champions in scoring and rebounding.

10. Elvin Hayes, F-C, Houston (81-12, .871; 31 ppg, 17.2 rpg, 53.6 FG%)
He is the only player to lead an NCAA tournament in scoring by more than 60 points (167 points in five games in 1968). Hayes became the only player in tournament history to collect more than 40 points and 25 rebounds in the same game when he amassed 49 points and 27 rebounds in a 94-76 decision over Loyola of Chicago in the first round of the '68 Midwest Regional. He holds the records for most rebounds in a playoff series (97 in five games as a senior in 1968) and career (222 in 13 games). He had five tourney games with at least 24 rebounds, including the first three playoff contests in 1968, before being held to five in a 101-69 national semifinal loss against UCLA. Hayes also holds the record for most playoff field goals in a career with 152. Ranked among the nation's top six rebounders in 1966 (5th), 1967 (6th) and 1968 (3rd). Ranked among the nation's leading scorers in 1966 (11th), 1967 (4th) and 1968 (3rd). Accrued 52 games with at least 30 points and 25 contests with a minimum of least 20 rebounds.