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Who is the greatest CBB player you have ever seen play...

If you qualify the question to be the greatest college player I saw live, I will agree on Magic Johnson. But, I never hear anyone mention that for most of MSU's championship season, Greg Kelser was usually the best player on MSU's team. Kelser was a really undersized PF/Center (maybe 6-7/6-8, thin, but strong), who was tough as nails on both ends of the court, could run like a deer, and could jump higher than anyone he played against.
 
I've seen many but when he was done smoking and motivated to play Chris Ponca freaking Nebraska was the best pure shooter I saw in real life. He had the same motion shooting a ten footer as a forty footer.
 
He was before my time, but Pistol Pete Maravich seems to remain the gold standard for collegiate excellence.
 
I saw Michael Jordon play his rookie season with the Bulls. He didn't have a great team around him at that point but his drives to the hoop and leaping ability were mind blowing.
 
A lot of great answers so far. A few that I don't think have been mentioned yet are Carmelo Anthony, Steve Alford, Jimmer Fredette, Shaq. Of course, I saw none of them in person.

As for in person, as memory serves, probably Big Dog Robinson. Although Jim Jackson, Hersey Hawkins, Chris Webber, Steve Smith, Calbert Chaney, Michael Finely, Glenn Rice were all darn impressive.

Surprised no love for Garza yet
 
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Bill Walton
Larry Bird
Mike

Bird had no one on his national runner up. Mike and Bill had all star rosters. Walton played the most complete and mistake free games while also dominating like the other guys, plus two national titles and an 88 game winning streak (I guess it started under Wick/Rowe/Patterson).
 
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Larry Bird and Lew Alcindor, I went to Drake in there Hey day
Me too tator--I recal Bird at vets, before the game he was warming up and shooting long balls, did not have 3 pt line then. He was making them all. We were standing there counting them and all of a sudden he makes one and you hear a few people say out loud--8---the next one was 9--and had more people saying it, this was in a row making them.
Second best shooting display i have seen was Pierce-Leslie--and Alford playing horse--Alford just shot 3 pointers--made them--and all the other 2 did was chase down their misses--which I saw as funny because usually they probably had ball boys doing that.
After 3 games of getting their hats handed to them and chasing down their misses they had enough...pretty funny.
That same day I saw the worst shooting ever as the wrestlers came out after practice and played 4 on 4, took 25 minutes for the first 4 to make a free throw to decide the teams, some pretty ugly muscle bound shots there....
 
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Wes Unseld, Darrell Griffith, and Ron Bonham the night he started 9 for 10 vs. Drake (a game Cincy lost in OT.).
 
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In person:

Iowa player: Ronnie Lester

Others in Iowa City: Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Mychal Thompson, Kent Benson, Mike Woodson, David Robinson

Others elsewhere: Duke (Laettner, etc.) in 1990, Jameer Nelson
 
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Saw Jason Kidd beat Duke in NCAAs. Have a good Lamond Murray story. Grant Hill was on that Duke team. Saw Bird as a five year-old, but don’t remember it. Kidd seemed to control the entire floor. Saw Iverson, Carmelo, others by virtue of going to a bunch of Big East tourneys back in the day. Watched a ton of Hersey Hawkins and played a lot of pickup ball with him, too. He was a great college player. Saw X McDaniel and Antoine Carr and Cliff Livingston on those Wichita State teams. Paul Pressey at Tulsa was damn good.
 
Bill Walton
Larry Bird
Mike

Bird had no one on his national runner up. Mike and Bill had all star rosters. Walton played the most complete and mistake free games while also dominating like the other guys, plus two national titles and an 88 game winning streak (I guess it started under Wick/Rowe/Patterson).

The PG on Bird’s team played in the NBA.
 
Best college players only...not pro career:

In person: Lester, Isaiah Thomas, Luka Garza

TV: Ralph Sampson....7'4" athletic freak.....just in awe that there was a player like that...a human being with those physical traits.
 
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Carl Nicks had a less than memorable NBA career. Bird was the closest thing to a one man team winning the championship.
88 Kansas-Danny Manning is another example. Iowa smoked that team 100-81 that year. Won the tourney as a 6th seed.
 
If you qualify the question to be the greatest college player I saw live, I will agree on Magic Johnson. But, I never hear anyone mention that for most of MSU's championship season, Greg Kelser was usually the best player on MSU's team. Kelser was a really undersized PF/Center (maybe 6-7/6-8, thin, but strong), who was tough as nails on both ends of the court, could run like a deer, and could jump higher than anyone he played against.
That was really the difference in the title game against Indiana State’s Larry Bird lead team. 2 against 1 IMO
 
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Pete Maravich*GLSU19671970831,3878933,66744.2
The 3 pt shot didn't come into basketball until Pete was out - he averaged 44.2 a game!! #1 in NCAA History - and a absolute fantastic passer like Magic.

Pistol Pete
Larry Bird
Magic
Don Nelson 😉
 
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Best college player is MJ - Bird close second. Best HS player I saw play was Vince Carter at an international tournament in Germany (and he had just finished his Jr. year in HS).
 
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If were talking about people I saw in person then I would have to say Rick Mount at the Fieldhouse. If you are talking about Hawkeyes I would pick JJ. For my all time favorite Hawkeye I would pick the Stick.
Agree
As an 8 year old, saw Rick Mount pour in 53 versus Iowa in the Fieldhouse.

Best opposing college players I saw in person— Rick Mount and Magic Johnson

Best Iowa player I saw in person— John Johnson (saw his 49 point game later that 1970 season versus Northwestern)
 
Bill Walton . He would rebound and have the outlet pass to half court before his feet hit the ground . Terrific on defense and as shot blocker . He shot 21-22 in National championship game , and had one taken away for offensive goaltending.
Correct answer, although Maravich and Alcindor.........
 
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The GOAT...... Micheael Jordan. Got a high 5 from him at Carver!
Forgot that I saw that exhibition game at Carver between Team USA versus NBA players.

Jordan had already been drafted 3rd by the Bulls, but was playing on Team USA in Summer of 1984 prior to the LA Olympics.

Michael Jordan dominated that game, though some of the NBA players may have viewed it as a pick-up game. Jordan definitely went all out. It was easy to tell MJ would be an amazing pro.
 
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