'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
College basketball has been a ready pipeline that has produced NBA players for decades, and some great players have made the transition to the professional leagues and gone on to be legends.
Therefore, compiling a list of the seven greatest players of all time is quite the task considering both the collegiate and professional careers of these players.
#7, Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati)
The Big O was a record-breaking machine, and he averaged 35.0 points and 15.0 rebounds per game during his freshman year as a Bearcat.
Oscar Robertson led the team in scoring during all his years there and led Cincinnati to two Final Four appearances.
#6, Larry Bird (Indiana State)
Larry Bird was a ruthless shooter for Indiana State after opting out of playing for the Indiana Hoosiers.
He put up elite numbers as a freshman averaging, 32.8 ppg and 13.3 rpg, and as a sophomore, averaging 30.0 ppg and 11.5 rpg.
Although he lost the 1979 NCAA Tournament championship game against Magic Johnson's Michigan, he made the Sycamores relevant.
#5, Bill Russell (San Fransisco)
Bill Russell was an athletic freak with incredible speed allowing him to become a threat at both ends of the court.
Russell led San Fransisco to both the 1955 and 1956 NCAA tournaments and was the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 1955.
He was picked No. 2 overall by the St. Louis Hawks.
#4, Wilt Chamberlain (Kansas)
Wilt the Stilt averaged 29.3 ppg and 18.3 rpg as a Jayhawk even though he played in the worst possible conditions with fans shouting racist abuse at him and his teammates during games.
The Big Dipper still managed to be named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player before taking his talents to professional basketball, where he broke several records.
#3, Magic Johnson (Michigan State)
Magic Johnson could have opted for the UCLA Bruins but opted for the Michigan State Spartans and as a freshman immediately led them to the Elite Eight.
Johnson's college basketball career led to the start of one of the most enthralling rivalries. He led his team to the NCAA championship, beating Larry Bird's Indiana State in 1979.
He was a consensus All-American and the tournament's Most Outstanding Player before leaving for the NBA where he would reignite his rivalry with Bird playing for the LA Lakers.
#2. Michael Jordan (North Carolina)
His later career achievements in the NBA propel His Airness up this list. Michael Jordan played for the North Carolina Tar Heels between 1981 and 1984 and won the NCAA championship in his first year against Patrick Ewing's Georgetown.
Of course, he sank the game-winning shot in that game and went on to win the Naismith Award and become possibly the greatest basketball player ever.
#1, The greatest college basketball player of all time is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (UCLA)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar blows everyone out of the water and tops this list of the greatest college basketball players of all time.
He has the greatest college basketball resume of any player. He won the NCAA tournament three times and was the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player and National Player of the Year three times as well.
Abdul-Jabbar defines dominance, and during his debut game for the UCLA Bruins, he scored 56 points, which set the tone for his college career.
This is probably one of the hardest lists to break into considering the sheer number of players who come through college basketball to the NBA, but the above seven players have carved out their own niche in both arenas.
