ESPN Top 25 Men’s College Players of the last 25 years

[UCONN-NYC]

The top 25 men's college basketball players of the past 25 years

From Rip Hamilton to Zion Williamson, this list has national champs and Wooden Award winners, highlight reel makers and future Hall of Famers.

www.espn.com

Rip. Emeka. Kemba. Not bad.

 

[Waquoit]

Bazz remains criminally underrated.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

There is 0 chance Curry is on that list, let alone top 10, without the NBA career that followed.

 

[Offhegoes]

Trae Young was so good he led his team to an 18-14 record and finished 2nd to last in the Big12.

 

[nomar]

There is 0 chance Curry is on that list, let alone top 10, without the NBA career that followed.

Maybe. (Probably not top-10.) By the end of his career at Davidson, he was must-watch TV.

Jimmer's on the list. But where's Adam Morrison?

 

[auror]

There is 0 chance Curry is on that list, let alone top 10, without the NBA career that followed.

Maybe. By the end of his career at Davidson, he was must-watch TV.

 

[Ports21]

Hield, and McDermott being ahead of Kemba is laughable.

 

[Punkbo]

All great players, but I’m not sure I understand the criteria for the ranking. Either way, it should stir up an interesting debate.

 

[Inyatkin]

There are no criteria. Kevin Durant is fine for No. 1, but by those standards Greg Oden ought to be somewhere in the top 25.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I'm glad Mike Beasley didn't get left off. He was unreal at K State.

 

[JB75]

How the hell is Kemba not in the top 10 with leading the greatest tourney run in NCAA history ??? They must be basing it off nba career?

 

[UConNick]

I thought I had to scroll pretty far to find Kemba, but when the rankings themselves are so arbitrary, even making the list at all is OK, and we had three (should be 4 - Bazz?) on it.

 

[CCSUblue]

Maybe. (Probably not top-10.) By the end of his career at Davidson, he was must-watch TV.

Jimmer's on the list. But where's Adam Morrison?

Morrison was one spot ahead of Jimmer...

 

[navery12]

There is 0 chance Curry is on that list, let alone top 10, without the NBA career that followed.

Take another look at his stats, and Davidson's NCAA tournament run. He'd be on the list regardless

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Take another look at his stats, and Davidson's NCAA tournament run. He'd be on the list regardless

He is definitely too high though. Far too many 1st team AA’s and Wooden award winners behind him.

 

[navery12]

He is definitely too high though. Far too many 1st team AA’s and Wooden award winners behind him.

If you want to drop him a few spots then I'm not gonna argue it, but that's just nitpicking. He was a 2x All American and consensus 1st team All American his junior year. To say he doesn't belong in the top 25 is crazy

 

[CardiacAndre7]

If you want to drop him a few spots then I'm not gonna argue it, but that's just nitpicking. He was a 2x All American and consensus 1st team All American his junior year. To say he doesn't belong in the top 25 is crazy

I’m not saying drop him completely. But I would say winning there are certainly players with stronger careers and accolades lower. Brunson should be higher overall, 2 Chips, Wooden and 2 BEPOTY. McDermott Wooden and 3 1st AA. If it’s strictly college, those are a couple who specifically should be ahead of him.

 

[navery12]

I’m not saying drop him completely. But I would say winning there are certainly players with stronger careers and accolades lower. Brunson should be higher overall, 2 Chips, Wooden and 2 BEPOTY. McDermott Wooden and 3 1st AA. If it’s strictly college, those are a couple who specifically should be ahead of him.

Understood, but that's not the discussion. I'm responding specifically to a post that said Curry would not be in the top 25 without his NBA career

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I’m not saying drop him completely. But I would say winning there are certainly players with stronger careers and accolades lower. Brunson should be higher overall, 2 Chips, Wooden and 2 BEPOTY. McDermott Wooden and 3 1st AA. If it’s strictly college, those are a couple who specifically should be ahead of him.

I'm with the guy in the cliche thread who says we need to 86 the use of "chip."

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Fair. I think saying it is better than typing it though.

 

[TheHorde]

Maybe I’m old fashioned but I don’t care for lists that are topped by one and done players.

 

[BGesus4]

I'm glad Mike Beasley didn't get left off. He was unreal at K State.

I don’t think Durant should be 1, but wherever he is, Beasley should be ahead of him. He broke nearly all of Durants record.

 

[UConn Esq]

Watching Zion Williamson he just looked and felt so much better than everyone around him. I'd say he looked the best. Hard for me to give Durant #1 when they basically weren't even a top 25 team and he essentially had no impact on that college basketball season.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Take another look at his stats, and Davidson's NCAA tournament run. He'd be on the list regardless

Nobody would have ever heard of him until the March run. His point totals are impressive but there are other guys who have done similar at low majors.

I mean do we think Rip isn't putting up 28ppg in the SoCon?

 

[navery12]

Nobody would have ever heard of him until the March run. His point totals are impressive but there are other guys who have done similar at low majors.

I mean do we think Rip isn't putting up 28ppg in the SoCon?

Then those people aren't college basketball fans. And I do think Rip would put up big numbers at Davidson, which is why he's also on this list

 

[nomar]

I don’t think Durant should be 1, but wherever he is, Beasley should be ahead of him. He broke nearly all of Durants record.

I think I gave up my dream of being an NBA talent evaluator upon my call of Beasley-over-Rose being proven laughably wrong.

Man that dude dominated at K-State.

 

[nomar]

Nobody would have ever heard of him until the March run. His point totals are impressive but there are other guys who have done similar at low majors.

I mean do we think Rip isn't putting up 28ppg in the SoCon?

I don't know. Did Rip put up 30 PPG for Detroit? Hard to dismiss Steph's talent at this point.

Also, you can't take the NCAA run out of the equation. You can always do a "yeah but".

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I don't know. Did Rip put up 30 PPG for Detroit? Hard to dismiss Steph's talent at this point.

Also, you can't take the NCAA run out of the equation. You can always do a "yeah but".

I don't think anyone is questioning Curry's talent...he's what a top 10 NBA player of all time?

My point is that these lists are heavily skewed by how the guy turned out as a pro. Curry put up a ton of points at a low major and had 1 NCAA run, sorry I just don't think that qualifies him as the 6th best college player of the last 25 years.

 

[nomar]

I don't think anyone is questioning Curry's talent...he's what a top 10 NBA player of all time?

My point is that these lists are heavily skewed by how the guy turned out as a pro. Curry put up a ton of points at a low major and had 1 NCAA run, sorry I just don't think that qualifies him as the 6th best college player of the last 25 years.

He was pretty electric. He singlehandedly took a weak team to the Elite 8. (Interestingly, he and Rip both went 7th overall.)

My issue is that it's totally arbitrary when it comes to the non-NBA stars. As I mentioned, Jimmer's on there but Morrison isn't. Why?

I certainly agree he wouldn't be 6th on this list if he'd been playing with Jimmer in China rather than winning NBA MVPs.

 

[navery12]

He was pretty electric. He singlehandedly took a weak team to the Elite 8. (Interestingly, he and Rip both went 7th overall.)

My issue is that it's totally arbitrary when it comes to the non-NBA stars. As I mentioned, Jimmer's on there but Morrison isn't. Why?

I certainly agree he wouldn't be 6th on this list if he'd been playing with Jimmer in China rather than winning NBA MVPs.

Morrison is on there, he's #23