I'm not saying "Dream" should be #1, but he had a better college career than some of these guys. Thoughts? http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3230172
It's understandable, I don't think people ever consider Dream as much as other players .... because he wasn't on a prime time team, LA, Chicago, Boston, and etc. .... plus he wasn't a larger life figure......alot of all-time center list I've seen him as low as 8 and 9.....behind the likes of Walton, Malone, Mikan, Shaq, Russell, Chamberlain, and Kareem. But to be honest, probably for every skill and aspect of play, he is probably better every one of those guys.
He went ahead of Michael Jordan in the NBA draft. Michael is at 13. I'm sure there will be respect thrown Hakeem's way. Every other college player that made a collegiate impact is listed. What surprises me is that they didn't put Bill Russell as number one. They changed the rules for that man. Amazing.
I can understand him being behind stars who won titles at the college level, but how does he not make it but Duncan does? Edit: I just looked at the entire list. Magic behind Larry...even though he beat Larry for the title? How the hell is Magic #15 anyway. The game between him and Bird created the madness. How is MJ on the list but Worthy isn't? Worthy was the one carrying the team to a title. Man, David Robinson even looked soft in his navy uniform. This list is bs........
I agree I think the list is wrong in some instances, but you are wrong here. In reference to Bird vs. Magic one game doesn't decide who is better. If that is the case than Hakeem doesn't belong he lost his big game. And again just because they created the madness doesn't mean that makes them belong in the top ten. I stopped paying attention to the list when i saw how far down Sampson was. He is the only three time Naismith player of the year. That by its self makes him top 10 and possible even top 5. I don't know where he ended up but Pistol Pete is without a doubt No. 1. He holds two records that will never be broken. He averaged 44.2 pts per game in his career easily the record and has the 1st 3rd and 5th highest scoring single seasons (doesn't have four because freshman didn't play varisty back then). Think about it. He is averaging 10-15 pts more than Beasley is this year and everyone is all ga-ga over Beasley.
I have been dogging that list ever since it started. The talking heads need an education in college basketball.
Hakeem had a very good college career (13 ppg, 11 rpg, 4.5 bpg) and I think he deserves to be on the lower end of the list (20-25). Where I have problems is seeing Michael Jordan at 13, Christian Laettner at 12, and Ralph Sampson at 18. They should all be lower. Obviously, Michael went onto have arguably the greatest NBA career ever, but as far as college play goes (18 ppg, 5 rpg) I would have him somewhere between 16-22. Laettner is the classic overhyped, one-dimenisional good college basketball player. Hit some really big shots, played on a great team, and benefited with an unbelievable reputation. He was a very good offensive player in college (16.6 ppg) and a solid rebounder (7.8), but was a below average defender. Sampson had a comparable career to Hakeem in college and somehow he is at 18 and Hakeem isn't even on the list. Sampson should be in the 20-25 range too. Underrated on the list: Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, and Elvin Hayes. How are Wilt Chamberlain and Elvin Hayes #10 and #14 respectively? Chamberlain averaged 30 ppg and 18 rpg (30 & 19 as a freshman). Hayes averaged 31 ppg and 17 rpg for his career at Houston. You can easily compare those numbers and overall impact they had to Russell who sits all the way at #4. Magic played only two years at MSU and probably gets punished for that on this list, but I don't know if there was ever a more dynamic, polished, and overall dominant 6'8 point-forward in NCAA history. Magic averaged 17/8/7.5 as a true freshman. I find it incomprehensible that he is only the 15th best player in college history. Christian Laettner, David Thompson (who I love), Jerry Lucas, Jerry West, Michael Jordan, and a few others ahead of him weren't the same caliber player Magic was.