Top 3 College Basketballers Of All Time

Of all the countless superstars that first made their name in college basketball, some stood head and shoulders above their rivals, even at such an early stage of their careers. Some players peaked at the college level and didn't quite go on to fulfill their promises for various reasons. We'll explore these players today and chisel down who we believe showed tremendous promise before getting drafted into the big leagues.

Adapting to the NBA is an unimaginably colossal task for a young prospect. While some are built for the challenge and rise to it, others are better suited when playing college basketball, where the risks aren't as high. Unfortunately, when the stakes increase, this often partitions the great players from the elite players, and basketball stars who can't adapt in the NBA or move with the transitions in the game could get left behind.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan, one of the finest pro and college basketball players of all time, had a robust winning mentality that allowed him to thrive both on and off the court. Given that Jordan was one of the key reasons people were engaged in basketball events during the 1990s, he has become a global sports figure. Professional basketball grew in popularity over the years because of the impact of Michael Jordan.

He has been immortalized in video games because of this elite mindset, most recently exhibited in his NBA 2K23 special edition cover. The game, designed by EA Sports, is considered the premier basketball video game. It has become so popular that it features in many eSports tournaments and plays a pivotal role worldwide.

With Jordan on the front cover of the latest game, even decades after his retirement, it shows how impactful his presence still is. Many fans of crypto eSports betting prefer to bet on Basketball games, with over $1 billion in bets on the NBA alone in America during last season. Although Jordan narrowly misses out on today’s list, his star quality and legacy are something he shares with the three men we feature today.

Bill Russell

Russell isn't just one of the top college basketball players of all time but one of the greatest in the game's history. You'd have to travel far and wide to find anybody who disagrees with that statement; not only does he have the statistics and the achievements to back it up, he influenced the next generation of supreme talent to aspire to play for the big leagues.

However, Bill had a turbulent and tumultuous relationship with Boston Celtic fans while in the NBA; his college career was among the finest. Boston is considered the home of basketball in the US. Not only do the Celtics have the most titles alongside the Lakers, but their college basketball program is highly regarded too.

Thanks to Bill and his immaculate defensive play and overall ability, the Dons won two back-to-back college championships in 1955 and 1956. The same year, aged only 22, he captained the USA basketball team, which won gold at the Olympics. Although Bill would later replicate this form in the big leagues, his level at such a young age undoubtedly puts him on the list as one of the greatest college players ever.

Oscar Robertson

Around the same time, Bill Russell was making a name for himself, "The Big O" was setting the college league on fire. Again, like Russell, Oscar is one of the greatest players to have ever played the game, with many considering him one of the greatest point guards of the 20th Century.

He surpassed all his previous position records during college, averaging over 33.5 PPG and winning over 80% of his games. Some of his records stood for nearly 50 years, with some only beaten as recently as two years ago.

The sort of societal challenges that Robertson and Russell both faced in 1950s America would be so difficult for many of us to comprehend, and this shows that their strength of character and resolve was exceptional, just like their ability out on the court.

Kareem Abdul Jabaar

If you could make a case for one player being the greatest of all time, you could make a pretty strong argument for Kareem. During college, his unmatched ability was a nightmare for opponents who tried to handle his mesmerizing offense. He was known as Lew Alcindor during his time at UCLA before changing his name, and he dominated college basketball in a way no other player has since.

Kareem scooped up every possible individual and team accolade in the three consecutive years he learned his trade at UCLA. According to several experts, fans, and his fellow professionals, the number one draft pick continued this form into the NBA, where he became a 19x All-Star and is considered the finest player to have ever played the spot.

He set the standard for many of today's NBA superstars, which become so popular that they crossover into popular culture. Kareem was featured in the legendary film Airplane in 1980 and is among the most recognizable names and players to NBA fans and casual supporters.

Although we were limited to three selections today, we can't end this piece without a footnote and honorable mentions for Pete Maravich and Bill Walton as well, who could have easily found themselves on this list as legends of the college basketball leagues.