 |
9 Replies
Last post:
Sep 5, 2008 3:00 PM by
ball4life
132 posts since
Jan 8, 2008
Sep 4, 2008 11:27 AM
Patrick Ewing heading to the Hall of Fame - Was he the best college player of the last 30 years?
With Patrick Ewing being enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame tomorrow night, it begs the question of whether he's the best player of the last 25 years. We define this time as the modern era, a time when the NCAA Tournament exploded onto the scene. You could even make this the last 30 year so Magic and Bird could be included. I would certainly say he was the most intimidating, but whether he was the best is up for debate. Here's his college credentials:
- 3 time first team all-american.
- 2 time Big East player of the year.
- Led Georgetown to the 1984 National Title (where he was the tourney MVP) and 3 Final Fours in 4 years.
- Naismith player of the year in 1985.
- Won an Olympic Gold Medal in 1984.
119 posts since
Jan 7, 2008
Re: Patrick Ewing heading to the Hall of Fame - Was he the best college player of the last 30 years?
Tough call since rarely do players stay four years anymore. Here's a couple of four year guys that I would submit that could challenge Ewing for that honor.
Christian Laetnarr, Duke: 4 Final Fours and a host of huge shots.
Ed O'Bannon, UCLA: Actually was at UCLA for five years. National Title and POY year his senior season.
Shane Battier, Duke: More of a role player for his first two years but won a national title on a loaded team in 2001.
Mateen Cleaves, Michigan St: Great career but more of a PG leader type than a dominator.
Danny Manning, Kansas: Tremendous four years with two FF's and a title which he singlehandedly won.
If you want to be considered better than Ewing, you have to have won a national championship.
7 posts since
Jan 21, 2008
Re: Patrick Ewing heading to the Hall of Fame - Was he the best college player of the last 30 years?
Magic was only at Michigan St for two years and nobody knew who Bird was until his Junior year so they're out. I'd go like this.
1. Laetnarr
2. Ewing
3. Manning
4. JJ Redick (no national title but a great career)
5. O'Bannon
153 posts since
Mar 16, 2008
Re: Patrick Ewing heading to the Hall of Fame - Was he the best college player of the last 30 years?
If you were a coach and could build your dream team, with the information you know now... you would take Patrick Ewing over Laetnarr everytime. Teams just gave up trying to defend him, he was one scary dude on the court.
67 posts since
May 29, 2008
Re: Patrick Ewing heading to the Hall of Fame - Was he the best college player of the last 30 years?
He might have been scarier but Laetnarr was the overall better college player. Remember, Laetnarr went to the Final Four every year and won two titles. He was remarkably versatile and hit so many big shots. People will say Ewing because he was by far the better pro but on the collegiate level, it's Laetnarr by a nose.
Which begs another question. Why was the College Basketball Hall of Fame so slow in being created. It just started a couple of years and it has mostly players who were inducted into the regular basketball hall of fame. (BTW, Neither Laetnarr or Ewing are in there). If guys like Kobe, LeBron, Garnett and others who didn't play in college can go into the Hall of Fame, how about a place for guys who were great college players but not great pros.
109 posts since
Jan 10, 2008
Re: Patrick Ewing heading to the Hall of Fame - Was he the best college player of the last 30 years?
Has someone slipped me a crack pipe or has Michael Jordan's name been omitted from the list of best college players of the last 30 years. He did stay three years and was the POY twice. People overlook Jordan because he was a freshman on the UNC team that won the title. But, who did they go to when they needed the big shot. You just can't have a conversation like this without mentioning MJ.
77 posts since
Jun 4, 2008
Re: Patrick Ewing heading to the Hall of Fame - Was he the best college player of the last 30 years?
Chris Mullin has to be under consideration as well. St John's didn't win a title when he was there but they did get to the Final Four. If they didn't have to play Georgetown four times that season (losing 3) they might have won it all. What many fans don't realize is that Mullin was Big East player of the year three straight years. He won it outright in 82-83 and then shared it with Ewing in 83-84 and 84-85. Don't let Ewing's team accomplishments overshadow the fact that Mullin was the better college player in that same four year period.
81 posts since
Jun 3, 2008
Re: Patrick Ewing heading to the Hall of Fame - Was he the best college player of the last 30 years?
Another guy that hardly gets mentioned is Hakeem Olajuwon who's also going in to the Hall of Fame tonight. He played three seasons at Houston and they went to the Final Four every year but he barely played as a freshman so it was really only two years. If that keeps him from being considered the best or one of the best of the last 30 years, I understand. But, for the two years he played he was every bit as good if not better than Ewing.
For my money it's Danny Manning.
57 posts since
Jul 25, 2008
Re: Patrick Ewing heading to the Hall of Fame - Was he the best college player of the last 30 years?
Why did you all forget Michael Jordan, is it because his NBA career is so amazing that we forget what he did in college?
109 posts since
Jan 10, 2008
Re: Patrick Ewing heading to the Hall of Fame - Was he the best college player of the last 30 years?
Exactly strap man. That's what happens with a lot of great college players who are never good pros. Kevin Houston has got to be considered one of the best college players ever but he played for a lousy team and never got to the NBA. David Robinson was a tremendous college player as well.
|
|
|
|
|
