5 greatest college basketball centers of all time ft. Wilt Chamberlain

Ranking the greatest college basketball centers of all time is no easy task. There are so many factors to consider that it can get overwhelming and everyone has a personal preference. Everyone loves a ranking list, so here are our top 5 greatest college basketball centers of all time.

5 greatest college basketball centers of all time

#5, Wilt Chamberlain, Kansas

In a preseason scrimmage, Wilt Chamberlain managed to score 42 points and grab 28 rebounds. In his varsity debut, he dropped 52 points and pulled down 31 rebounds. These are both records at Kansas. An immense presence on the court, the NBA legend was often triple-teamed because of his scoring prowess.

#4, Elvin Hayes, Houston

Elvin Hayes averaged 31 ppg and 17.2 rpg during his NCAA career. "The Big E", as the big man was known, led the 1967-68 Cougars to a 31-0 record before losing to UCLA in the National Semis.

Hayes won the National Player of the Year as a senior and was remembered for outperforming Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) to defeat UCLA in one of the greatest regular-season games ever played at the Houston Astrodome.

#3, Bill Walton, UCLA

To this day, Bill Walton and UCLA hold the NCAA record for the longest winning streak, 88 games undefeated, which included back-to-back championships. No doubt the big man was central to that success, averaging 20.3 ppg and 15.7 rpg through his college career. Walton was so devastating that he went 21-for-22 from the field to record 44 points in the 1973 National title game.

#2, Bill Russell, San Francisco

Touted by John Wooden as the greatest center he's ever seen, Bill Russell had a special knack for dominating the opposition on the defensive end and also managed to average a handy 20.7 ppg and 20.3 rpg in his college career. He was also the central figure in USF winning their only two National titles.

#1, Lew Alcindor, UCLA

Lew Alcindor, later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was a problem for the rest of the NCAA, particularly in the paint. After averaging 26.4 ppg and 15.5 rpg in his college career, and leading his team to three National titles in as many years with an overall record of 88-2, the NCAA proceeded to ban dunking for nearly a decade after his graduation.

Of all the greatest college basketball centers, Alcindor stands alone at the top.

---

Who's in your top 5? Let us know in the comments!