Mighty Mites: Shortest of Subjects Became Big-Time NCAA Playoff Performers
March 20th, 2025 - 10:08
Mississippi's Cam Brent (5-4) is the shortest player in this year's NCAA Tournament but he rarely gets off the bench. When diminutive dandy Tyrone Bogues isn't on the list (scoreless in three playoff games as a Wake Forest freshman in 1983-84), you know the small packages are something big. A couple of North Carolina State playmakers - Monte Towe and Spud Webb - spearhead the following ranking of the 25 most impactful pint-sized players in playoff history even shorter than 5-8:
| Rank | Mighty Mite (Height) | School/Tourney Year(s) | Summary of NCAA Playoff Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Shawnta Rogers (5-4) | George Washington 96-98-99 | averaged 20.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 5 apg and 2.7 spg in three defeats vs. power-league opponents |
| 2. | Monte Towe (5-7) | North Carolina State 74 | averaged 15.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.3 apg and 2 spg in four contests with national titlist |
| 3. | Anthony "Spud" Webb (5-7) | North Carolina State 85 | juco transfer averaged 17 ppg and 6.3 apg in four contests for regional finalist |
| 4. | Earl Boykins (5-6) | Eastern Michigan 96-98 | averaged 17 points, 3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.3 spg in three contests vs. schools winning national title at some point |
| 5. | Keith "Mister" Jennings (5-7) | East Tennessee State 89-90-91 | averaged 12 ppg and 8.3 apg in three defeats |
| 6. | Drew Lavender (5-6) | Oklahoma 05/Xavier 07-08 | averaged 10.9 ppg, 3 rpg and 5 apg in eight contests (four outings with > 5 assists) |
| 7. | Willie Worsley (5-6) | Texas Western 66-67 | averaged 10.8 ppg and 2.6 rpg in eight contests (scored game-high 24 points vs. Seattle in opener for defending NCAA titlist) |
| 8. | Demontrae Jefferson (5-7) | Texas Southern 17-18 | averaged 19.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4 apg and 2.7 spg in three contests |
| 9. | Tajuan Porter (5-6) | Oregon 07-08 | averaged 16.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg and 2 apg in five contests (including 33 points vs. UNLV) |
| 10. | Jackie Crawford (5-7) | SW Missouri State 92 | juco transfer collected team highs of 16 points and 7 assists in defeat vs. Michigan State |
| 11. | Chico Fletcher (5-6) | Arkansas State 99 | scored team-high 21 points in defeat vs. Utah |
| 12. | Greg Brown (5-7) | New Mexico 93-94 | juco transfer averaged 11 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 2.5 apg in two losses |
| 13. | Jeremiah Dominguez (5-6) | Portland State 08-09 | Portland transfer averaged 12 ppg, 3 rpg and 3 apg in two defeats |
| 14. | Dick Hickox (5-6) | Miami (Fla.) 60 | scored team-high 17 points vs. Western Kentucky |
| 15. | Otto Petty (5-7) | Florida State 72 | averaged 8.2 ppg, 2 rpg and 5 apg in five contests for national runner-up (three outings with > 5 assists) |
| 16. | Junior Robinson (5-7) | Mount St. Mary's 17 | averaged 15 ppg, 3 apg and 1.5 spg in two contests |
| 17. | Jason Harrison (5-5) | Mississippi 99-01-02 | averaged 6 ppg, 4 apg and 1.3 spg in six contests (five outings vs. power-league opponents) |
| 18. | Chris Lykes (5-6) | Miami (Fla.) 18/Arkansas 22 | collected 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals with the Hurricanes in loss vs. Loyola of Chicago before averaging 3.3 ppg in four contests with the Hogs' regional finalist |
| 19. | Arnold Bernard (5-5) | SW Missouri State 90 | juco transfer contributed 7 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals in reversal vs. North Carolina |
| 20. | Wat Misaka (5-7) | Utah 44 | averaged 6 ppg in three contests for NCAA titlist |
| 21. | Casey Jones (5-7) | Northeast Louisiana 90-91 | averaged 8.5 ppg and 2.5 rpg in two defeats (vs. Purdue and Duke) |
| 22. | Chuck Rolles (5-6) | Cornell 54 | averaged 5.5 ppg, 3 rpg and 1.5 apg in three contests |
| 23. | Gene Duffy (5-7) | Notre Dame 58 | averaged 5.7 ppg and 2.7 rpg in three outings |
| 24. | "Little" Johnny Campbell (5-6) | Arkansas 49 | averaged 5.5 ppg in two games for West Regional third-place team |
| T25. | Sherry Marshall (5-7) | Columbia 48 | averaged 4.5 ppg in two contests |
| T25. | Calvin Rayford (5-7) | Kansas 93-94-96 | collected total of 8 points, 11 rebounds and 15 assists in nine tourney tilts |
| T25. | Jim Reilly (5-7) | Georgetown 43 | averaged 2 ppg in three contests |
| T25. | Eric Bell (5-6) | Stephen F. Austin 09 | supplied 3 assists and two steals in setback vs. Syracuse |