March Madness is beloved for its underdog triumphs and Cinderella stories, but it’s the stars that tend to prevail and carry their team to glory that leave the biggest mark in history.
With the men’s NCAA Tournament just around the corner, we wanted to provide a reminder of those that consistently delivered when the stakes were highest and the lights were brightest.
Let’s take a look!
10 players with most career points in NCAA Tournament history
Timme was a quintessential collegiate superstar, as his game was absolutely dominant. Timme led Gonzaga to a 31-1 season and a national championship game appearance as a sophomore in 2021. The Bulldogs’ big man finished behind Luka Garza, Oscar Tshiebwe and Zach Edey for John R. Wooden Award honors.
T-8. Corliss Williamson, Arkansas (303 points)
Williamson led Arkansas to its only NCAA championship in 1994. He scored a game-high 23 points to down the Grant Hill-led Duke Blue Devils in the final, 76-72. He also helped Arkansas reach the national championship game the following season, but the Razorbacks fell to UCLA by double digits, 89-78.
T-8. Bill Bradley, Princeton (303 points)
Sixty years later, Bradley’s record for the most points scored of any Ivy League player still stands tall. He’s responsible for leading the Tigers to their lone Final Four appearance in 1964.
7. Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, UCLA (304 points)
Abdul-Jabbar, known then as Lew Alcindor, left nothing on the table during his time at UCLA. He led the Bruins to three national championship appearances in three seasons and led the conference in points and rebounds every year, too. He poured in a deluge of teardrops and sky-hooks en route to etching his name in Bruin lore.
6. Glen Rice, Michigan (308 points)
Rice’s performances throughout Michigan’s 1989 national championship run buoyed him onto this list, as he had four 30-plus games — including a 31-point, 11-rebound performance in the Wolverines’ 80-79 overtime win against Seton Hall in the title game. Rice dominated opponents with his athleticism and his ability to come off curl screens and knock down catch-and-shoot jumpers with ease.
5. Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati (324 points)
“The Big O” posted video-game stats in college, averaging 30-plus points per game — without the 3-point line — in his three seasons with Cincinnati. He led the nation in points scored all three years, and his best season statistically came as a freshman when he averaged 35.1 points and 15.2 rebounds per game. He took the Bearcats on deep postseason runs but fell one game short of the championship every season.
4. Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina (325 points)
Hansbrough had arguably the greatest college career of any Tar Heel, as he’s second to only Lennie Rosenbluth in points scored. He was a first-team All-American in all but his freshman season, won the Wooden and Naismith player of the year awards his junior year and then led North Carolina to an NCAA championship as a senior in 2009.
3. Danny Manning, Kansas (328 points)
Manning’s senior season was one of the best in Jayhawks’ history, as he averaged 25 points and nine rebounds en route to leading Kansas to its second national title in 1988. He scored 31 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in the Jayhawks’ title-game victory over Oklahoma. Manning dominated the paint both as a rebounder and a post player, often scoring second-chance points and using his footwork to oust bigger defenders.
2. Elvin Hayes, Houston (358 points)
“The Big E” paved the way for Houston as one of the best schools for big men. He led the Cougars to a pair of Final Four appearances in 1967 and 1968, though both ended in losses. Hayes was one of the first centers to combine finesse and physicality, as he’d face up defenders and spin off the block, while averaging 17.2 rebounds per game in his three seasons at Houston.
1. Christian Laettner, Duke (407 points)
Laettner’s 1981 and 1982 NCAA championship title banners hang high in Cameron Indoor Stadium, and his lore will live forever in Duke basketball history. His most memorable moment came when he hit a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer to push the Blue Devils past Kentucky and into the Final Four in 1982. Laettner hit numerous mid-range shots like that one to become the NCAA Tournament’s all-time leading scorer, but it was his constant effort and hustle that set his legacy apart.
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