The college basketball season is coming to a close and got me thinking. What NBA greats or even really, really goods faced off in college basketball, especially during March Madness? I'll start: Hakeem Olajuwon and sometimes Clyde Drexler (Houston) -Micheal Jordan, James Worthy and Sam Perkins (UNC, 1982 Final Four) -Karl Malone (Louisiana Tech, 1984 NCAAT) -Patrick Ewing (Georgetown, 1984 NC game) -Olden Polynice and Rick Carlisle (Virginia, 1984 regular season and Final Four) Like I said, focus more on the Tournament and non-conference matchups because I'm sure there's a near infinite list of great players who played in the same conference at the same time.
Because he didn't, for example, play in the 1984 NCAA Tournament against Malone/Tech or Ewing/Georgetown. Olajuwon 1982-84 Final Fours Drexler 1982-83
Bird / Magic was easily the best matchup of NBA greats in the NCAA tournament, especially since it was in the Finals and Bird was undefeated, right?
I can add that one of the best matchups in high school tournament March Madness was in my home state, Illinois. Isiah Thomas (St Joseph) vs Mark Aguire (Westinghouse of Chicago Public League) for the state championship. Aguire's team was too good for Isiah's Private Catholic school And then they went #1 and #2 in the same nba draft. And got joined together to win two NBA titles Oh and btw. For me to talk about Illinois hs tourny matchups is not off topic because of the little known fact that the phrase "March Madness" is owned by the Illinois High School Association since the '30s. Everyone who uses the phrase is paying the ISHA. That's a fact. We coined the phrase in the thirties and own all rights to it Other little known fact. The only Illinois team who beat Aguire's Westinghouse team that year was Galesburg. My high school team for the win. Those Chicago teams never should play away in the corn fields against the bobby knight offenses. Big mistake
Ewing and Olajuwon were a close second, as they didn't meet in Finals as often but still facced off at both levels.
