[SBFAMILY]

I did watch the the four forwards that skyvue mentioned and so I'm guessing we are close to the same age. I love Larry Bird and many were upset at IU when he transferred to ISU. My all time forward that was the first sophmore to lead the big 10 in scoring and rebounding was George McGinnis, in college no one could stop him. I read in sports illustrated he was ranked as one of the strongest players to play in the ABA/NBA. My top center Patrick Ewing. I got to see him up close at Cleveland and and he is a monster. He makes Bill Walton look like a kid. I got to play against Scotty May , Kent Benson, Steve Downing a few of the other greats at IU, But McGinnis was above all of them. He was just down right scarey!

[jgord24]

Originally Posted by Red_Skin_Pride

Wasn't even the best player on his team.

What?

-Hansbrough was a 3 time first team all american. and 2nd team his freshman year.
-He was a national player of the year and arguably could have been a 2 time national player of the year.

I have watched about 80-90% of UNC games since about 2001 when I was old enough to buy the espn extra package............I can assure you he was by far the best player on his team and the best player in the history of the ACC. Its kind of hard to be the all time leading scorer in the ACC and not be the best player! Hansbrough is not an NBA guy, but he was an outstanding and top 5 college player of all time. He owned Camden indoor S*@&hole.

Anyone who follows much college basketball at all, would never say Hansbrough wasn't the best player on the team..............he was the best player on the team all 4 years he was there!! And it wasn't even debateable!

[RedAuerbach]

There are some great lists here, but a couple just amaze me:
1.) Did someone actually list Kyle Singler and Mike Dunleavy??? They wouldn't even be listed with the 5 best players ever at Duke.
2.) Jalen Rose over Magic Johnson (from someone who supposedly saw Lucas and Havlicek in college). I wouldn't put Jalen Rose in front of Steve Alford (as a college player).

There were some great mentions - Sampson, Mount, David Thompson, etc.

[jgord24]

That was my whole point for throwing Hansbroughs name out there!

[USA70PP]

Originally Posted by RedAuerbach

There are some great lists here, but a couple just amaze me:
1.) Did someone actually list Kyle Singler and Mike Dunleavy??? They wouldn't even be listed with the 5 best players ever at Duke.
2.) Jalen Rose over Magic Johnson (from someone who supposedly saw Lucas and Havlicek in college). I wouldn't put Jalen Rose in front of Steve Alford (as a college player).

There were some great mentions - Sampson, Mount, David Thompson, etc.

Didn't watch Magic in college. Was overseas.

[reclegend22]

Originally Posted by RedAuerbach

There are some great lists here, but a couple just amaze me:
1.) Did someone actually list Kyle Singler and Mike Dunleavy??? They wouldn't even be listed with the 5 best players ever at Duke.
2.) Jalen Rose over Magic Johnson (from someone who supposedly saw Lucas and Havlicek in college). I wouldn't put Jalen Rose in front of Steve Alford (as a college player).

There were some great mentions - Sampson, Mount, David Thompson, etc.

I listed the five best players that I have seen play LIVE. As in, in person. I did this because I was not alive during the Cold War and thus unable to list names such as iconic as Maravich or Alcindor.

And lulz that you would take issue with Mike Dunleavy being on the list but not Wally Szczerbiak. Lulz.

[USA70PP]

Originally Posted by reclegend22

I listed the five best players that I have seen play LIVE. As in, in person. ...

As did I. And seeing these guys play in high school was a real treat, Lucas, Jordan, Ewing and Bias, but it also gives a real clue to my age.

[Red_Skin_Pride]

Originally Posted by jgord24

What?

-Hansbrough was a 3 time first team all american. and 2nd team his freshman year.
-He was a national player of the year and arguably could have been a 2 time national player of the year.

I have watched about 80-90% of UNC games since about 2001 when I was old enough to buy the espn extra package............I can assure you he was by far the best player on his team and the best player in the history of the ACC. Its kind of hard to be the all time leading scorer in the ACC and not be the best player! Hansbrough is not an NBA guy, but he was an outstanding and top 5 college player of all time. He owned Camden indoor S*@&hole.

Anyone who follows much college basketball at all, would never say Hansbrough wasn't the best player on the team..............he was the best player on the team all 4 years he was there!! And it wasn't even debateable!

I don't have a dog in the fight, I honestly don't care about Duke or NC, but he was the same type of player as Jared Sullinger. Played hard, but wasn't that tall, and got a ton of crap calls. I watch a TON of basketball, and have since the early 1990's and anybody over the age of 30 doesn't think Tyler Hansbrough is a top 5 player in college basketball...maybe since 2001, as you said. But again, most people over about 30 wouldn't agree with you. I said he wasn't even the best player on his team because we all saw what they were without Ty Lawson. (and when they needed big shots, Wayne Ellington was the guy they turned to). He got all the honors because he was CONSISTENT, he toughed it out and played pretty much every game for 4 years while putting up good numbers, on one of the best teams in the country. He was sort of the face of UNC's basketball program (especially his Jr/Sr year) but he's nowhere near one of the top 5 players in the last 30 years. Maybe in the last 10.

[jgord24]

Originally Posted by Red_Skin_Pride

I don't have a dog in the fight, I honestly don't care about Duke or NC, but he was the same type of player as Jared Sullinger. Played hard, but wasn't that tall, and got a ton of crap calls. I watch a TON of basketball, and have since the early 1990's and anybody over the age of 30 doesn't think Tyler Hansbrough is a top 5 player in college basketball...maybe since 2001, as you said. But again, most people over about 30 wouldn't agree with you. I said he wasn't even the best player on his team because we all saw what they were without Ty Lawson. (and when they needed big shots, Wayne Ellington was the guy they turned to). He got all the honors because he was CONSISTENT, he toughed it out and played pretty much every game for 4 years while putting up good numbers, on one of the best teams in the country. He was sort of the face of UNC's basketball program (especially his Jr/Sr year) but he's nowhere near one of the top 5 players in the last 30 years. Maybe in the last 10.

First off I am 34 years old(not sure how old you are). Yes I am somewhat bias because I have been a UNC fan since I was 6 years old (1984) and have been a die hard college basketball fan in general since then. I have to disagree with you on this. I watch a ton of college basketball, not just UNC. Maybe he isn't top 5 player of the past 30 years, but you can't say he is nowhere near the top 5. That's my opinion, but we may have to agree to disagree on this!

[reclegend22]

To branch this thread into a fun kind of different argument, if I had to rank the five best players of the last 30 years (1982-2012):

1. Christian Laettner
2. Patrick Ewing
3. Chris Jackson
4. Michael Jordan
5. Kevin Durant

Next Five: James Worthy, Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson, Shane Battier, Jason Williams and Antawn Jamison

Jordan is the greatest NBA player ever -- with the only possible exception being Wilt Chamberlain -- but he didn't become "His Airness" until he hit the League, and so his college ranking isn't quite as high. Being that this list is post-1982, Isiah Thomas, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were not eligible.

[blakeslee]

Bill Walton
Magic Johnson
Quinn Buckner
Austin Carr
David Thompson