hoyahoyasaxa
Bulldog (over 250 posts)
Sead Dizdarezvic doesn't write term papers. The words rearrange themselves out of fear.
Posts: 464
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Post by hoyahoyasaxa on May 16, 2005 13:33:20 GMT -5
From his Post chat today...
Columbia, Md.: Mike, Where would you rank Pat Ewing in the top college basketball players poll. Let's say from 1975 till today?
Michael Wilbon: Very nice question: Okay, Oscar Robertson, Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton won before 1975 (or in '75 in Walton's case). So I'd have to start with (sorry Maryland people) Christian Laettner, who won two titles and went to the Final Four all four years. Maybe Grant Hill next, who won twice and went to the Finals a third time. Then, I guess Patrick Ewing, who went to the Final Four three times and won once. Olajuwon went to the Final Four three times. Larry Johnson went twice. Olajuwon, like C.Web and Juwan Howard, never won.
If I have to narrow it, I'd say, Laettner, Hill, Ewing, Quinn Buckner (two-times in the Final Four) and Olajuwon...I know I'm missing somebody. LJ and Bobby Hurley would have to go in the second five, I guess. So would Reggie Williams of Georgetown who is totally underrated as a college player. Ralph Sampson, although he went to the Final Four only once, he changed the way big man were to play forever more.
Great question.
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nychoya3
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,674
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Post by nychoya3 on May 16, 2005 14:58:54 GMT -5
Since 1975, you could make a really good case for Pat as the best ever. Not just 3 final fours...3 championship games. They were in position to win the first and it took an act of the devil (god had nothing to do with it) to keep them from winning in 1985. Frankly, Hurley doesn't belong anywhere near this list. Nice player and all, but not of this level.
David Thompson must be mentioned too.
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SFHoya99
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
Posts: 17,744
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Post by SFHoya99 on May 16, 2005 15:04:51 GMT -5
There's too much overlap on his list. How can Laettner, Hurley and Hill all be on there? Did they never lose a game? Three of the top 10 college players of all time on the same team?
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the_way
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
The Illest
Posts: 5,420 
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Post by the_way on May 16, 2005 15:34:15 GMT -5
Like I said before, consider the source. Wilbon is the last person to ask who are the top college basketball players. Notice the two Duke players he rattle off the top of his head first. I'm suprised he didn't say his Jesus, Michael Jordan. You can't just go by final fours. Final fours are hard to get to. A lot of it has to do with seeding (Duke always gets favorable, easy seeding in the tournament) and the players you have on around you. I always thought Lattener was overrated for a number of reasons outside of basketball. His pick to be on the olympic team was a sham. I always thought Alonzo was better than Lattener in college. Grant Hill got the least amount of credit than Lattener and Hurley in college, yet he was Duke's best all-around player. Ewing is defenitely one of the best. To say he is the best, I don't know. I'm not old enough to make the case. I wasn't old enough to see Ewing play in college, but from accounts that I hear, I think he is up there. I also think Joe Smith from Maryland is up there. Len Bias from Maryland is DEFINITELY up there.
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JimmyHoya
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Hoya fan, est. 1986
Posts: 1,867
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Post by JimmyHoya on May 16, 2005 18:54:01 GMT -5
Joe Smith?
Sure he was good....but better than Tim Duncan? Better than Dave Robinson? Better than Mourning or Mutombo? Better than Shaq? Rasheed Wallace? SERGE ZWICKER!?! (Okay, maybe not Serge)
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the_way
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
The Illest
Posts: 5,420
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Post by the_way on May 16, 2005 19:02:31 GMT -5
Joe Smith? Sure he was good....but better than Tim Duncan? Better than Dave Robinson? Better than Mourning or Mutombo? Better than Shaq? Rasheed Wallace? SERGE ZWICKER!?! (Okay, maybe not Serge) From a college standpoint, what Joe Smith did in two years was amazing. Freshman of the year, Player of the year. He had a better college career in his two years than Rasheed in his two years, even though Rasheed was more talented and played on more talented teams. Rasheed, McGinnis, and Stackhouse came off the bench their freshman year because UNC was so deep. Yet, the still got beat in the 2nd round by Boston College, which is another story. Its hard to compare Joe Smith to Zo and Duncan because they stayed all 4 years. Joe had to leave after his sophomore year. He maxed out. There was nothing more he could have achieved. Maryland was still getting back on its feet when Joe and Keith Booth arrived. Joe took Maryland to another level to being competitively relevant again Nationally. Remember what he did to us. That sparked the turnaround of Maryland's program. If you are talking from a talent perspective, Rasheed, Zo, and Mutumbo win hands down. But what Joe accomplished in 2 years was pretty remarkable in the last 30 years of basketball. |
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Post by RaleighHoya on May 18, 2005 17:45:52 GMT -5
David Thompson and Len Bias were two of the best college players I have ever seen. Thompson might be the best ever. Ewing is clearly a great college player, but Laetner won a ton too. It is a very tough question and completely subjective, and it is also a LONG time frame to examine.
You could make an argument that Shaq was a great college basketball player even though his teams did not win as much. Tim Duncan single handidly carried his team on his back when he was at Wake. It is too hard of a question, but Ewing is almost as good as any. He did play on a hell of a squad though. All of the starters, (Wingate, Martin, Jackson, Williams, and Ewing) of that 84 team played in the NBA. Add Floyd to the 82 team and you can see why they went to all of those final games.
Anyway, it is a thought provoking question, but I would pick Thompson (and as I hate NCSU that is hard for me to do) as the best college player since 75.
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