Earlier this month our friends at SLAM put out an amazing special edition issue featuring their Top 100 Greatest College Players of All Time. That's a huge undertaking and one they did a tremendous job of handling. The task is nearly impossible because of the way the game has changed throughout the years. Comparing eras is hard to do. Really, really hard to do and SLAM did an amazing job putting together their list and giving each era its just due. We didn't want the issue to end...although we the way it did...with an ad from 19nine.
You can order your copy for a limited time here. So HVS thought we could add to SLAM's list with an Honorable Mention type of blog. No particular order, and probably a little 90s era heavy, here are the ballers of our youth that could flat out play and deserve to be in the conversation. Honestly, it was a reason to talk about our favorite players. Enjoy...
RAY ALLEN- CONNECTICUT HUSKIES
1995 NCAA Tournament All-Region
1995 & 1996 1st Team All Big East
1996 Big East Player of the Year
1995-1996 1st Team All-American
1995-1996 UPI Player of the Year
MIKE BIBBY- ARIZONA WILDCATS
1997 National Champion
1997 NCAA All Tournament Team
1997 Pac 10 Freshman of the Year
1998 1st Team All American
1998 Pac 10 Player of the Year
CALBERT CHEANEY- INDIANA HOOSIERS
1992 Final Four
1993 AP Player of the Year
1993 Big Ten Player of the Year
1993 1st Team All American
1993 Naismith Award
1993 Wooden Award
All Time Big Ten Leading Scorer
RANDOLPH CHILDRESS- WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS
1994 & 1995 1st Team All ACC
1995 All-American
1995 ACC Tournament MVP
1995 ACC Male Athlete of the Year
ACC 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
MATEEN CLEAVES- MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS
2000 National Champion
Big Ten Player of the Year 1998 & 1999
1997-1998 All-American
1998-1999 1st Team All-American
1999-2000 All-American
2000 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
ANFERNEE HARDAWAY- MEMPHIS STATE TIGERS
1992 Great Midwest Freshman of the Year
1992 & 1993 Great Midwest Player of the Year
1992 NCAA Tournament All-Region
1992-1993 1st Team All-American
JIM JACKSON- OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
1991 Big Ten Player of the Year
1990-1991 First Team All-American
1992 Big Ten Player of the Year
1991-1992 First Team All-American
1991-1992 UPI National Player of the Year
JASON KIDD- CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS
1993 & 1994 All Pac-10 1st Team
1993 USBWA Freshman of the Year
1993-1994 1st Team All-American
1994 Pac 10 Freshman of the Year
Pac-10 All-Century Team
JAMAL MASHBURN- KENTUCKY WILDCATS
1993 Final Four
1992 & 1993 NCAA Tournament All-Region
1992-1993 1st Team All-American
1993 SEC Player of the Year
1993 SEC Athlete of the Year
DERRICK ROSE- MEMPHIS TIGERS
2008 Final Four
2008 1st Team All C-USA
2008 NCAA All Tournament Team
2008 All-American
JALEN ROSE- MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
1992 & 1993 Final Four
1992 NCAA All-Tournament
1992 & 1993 NCAA Tournament All Region
1993-1994 All-American
STEVE SMITH- MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS
1990 NCAA Tournament All-Region
1989-1990 All-American
1990-1991 All-American
DAMON STOUDAMIRE- ARIZONA WILDCATS
1993, 1994, 1995 All Pac-10 1st Team
1994 NCAA Tournament All-Region
1994-1995 1st Team All-American
1995 Pac-10 Player of the Year
Pac 10 All-Century Team
CORLISS WILLIAMSON- ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS
1994 National Champion
1995 Final Four
1994 & 1995 SEC Player of the Year
1994 & 1995 All-American
1994 NCAA All-Tournament
1994 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
1995 NCAA All-Tournament
