This should be fun. I started following around 1984-85 season. My first championship game was the amazing coked up Villanova Wildcats shooting 80% from the field to beat Ewing and Georgetown. For this list I tend to favor guys who were there longer since I got to cheer them on more.
1. Chris Jackson: I became an LSU fan in 1987. Still have the SI mag with him on the cover, "He's a Pistol".
2. Steve Alford: I started as an Indiana fan and he was the star who led them to my first ever championship of my sports fandom life in 1987.
3. Chris Mullin: first player I stanned. I learned how to shoot from looking at black and white still photos of his post release form in Street & Smith magazine.
4. Christian Laettner: Was a Duke fan back then (barf) and was a massive fan of those first title runs. Loved Laettner, such a great college player. So clutch.
5. Rocket Rod Strickland: First DePaul player on the list, but he won't be the last. Watching him battle and beat his childhood rival Mark Jackson in OT in the first round of the NCAA at Rosemont Horizon as as 17 year old was still the greatest game I've ever seen in person.
6. Derek Rose: Followed him since sophmore year of high school, my highest ranked 1 and done.
7. Bobby Hurley: Same with Laettner, such a great college PG. I think he went the entire tourny the second repeat and committed one TO the entire 7 games. And clutch too despite not being a great shooter.
8. Trae Young: The next 1 and done to make my list. Fell in sports love with him the second I saw him play in the PK80 tourny and haven't missed a game he's played since either college or pro
9. Tommy Kleinschmidt/DePaul: 2nd DePaul player, all american who went toe to toe with Penny. I'll admit he's high on this list because he was also my drinking buddy in college.
10. Mark Aguirre/DePaul: my first favorite player but a little before my time. We had season tickets his last year when they were #1 all season long and then choked in the first round of the tourney yet again.
11. Howard Nathan/DePaul: IMO one of the greatest what if's in basketball history. He was so good his freshman year and dominated senior Nick Van Exel all season long in every matchup. Some people remember where they were when they found out a President got shot. For me, i stil remember where I was when I heard that Nathan had failed out of school after his freshman year. Such a travesty he later became paralyzed and then died a few years ago.
12. Scott Skiles: such a stud. He's the reason they don't allow teams to host games in the tournament anymore. The way he got screwed by the time keeper IN Kansas vs Kansas is still one of the worst moments in NCAA history
13. Lonzo Ball: Another one and done, he's the guy who brought me back to basketball after 15 year hiatus
14. Jalen Brunson: Followed him since high school since he's from the town next to mine and went to wife's high school (and Jamie Gertz).
15. Quentin Richardson/DePaul: hard to believe that this lunch pail hard hat undersized PF who dominated inside in college would turn around and become a 3pt specialist in the NBA. Maybe he was the true precursor of what was to come to the game even before Curry made everyone pay attention
16. Jason Kidd: Loved the way he played and loved seeing him play vs Grant Hill and Bobby Hurley in person in the tourney
17. Shaq: Another LSU legend. Too bad the refs treated him like crap
18. Hersey Hawkins: Chicago legend who played center till he got to college which explains why he only got recruited by Bradley
19. Tremont Waters/LSU Almost like a poor man's Trae in college. he had some of tghe best off the glass finishes I've ever seen.
20. Glen Robinson: Big Dog!
1. Chris Jackson: I became an LSU fan in 1987. Still have the SI mag with him on the cover, "He's a Pistol".
2. Steve Alford: I started as an Indiana fan and he was the star who led them to my first ever championship of my sports fandom life in 1987.
3. Chris Mullin: first player I stanned. I learned how to shoot from looking at black and white still photos of his post release form in Street & Smith magazine.
4. Christian Laettner: Was a Duke fan back then (barf) and was a massive fan of those first title runs. Loved Laettner, such a great college player. So clutch.
5. Rocket Rod Strickland: First DePaul player on the list, but he won't be the last. Watching him battle and beat his childhood rival Mark Jackson in OT in the first round of the NCAA at Rosemont Horizon as as 17 year old was still the greatest game I've ever seen in person.
6. Derek Rose: Followed him since sophmore year of high school, my highest ranked 1 and done.
7. Bobby Hurley: Same with Laettner, such a great college PG. I think he went the entire tourny the second repeat and committed one TO the entire 7 games. And clutch too despite not being a great shooter.
8. Trae Young: The next 1 and done to make my list. Fell in sports love with him the second I saw him play in the PK80 tourny and haven't missed a game he's played since either college or pro
9. Tommy Kleinschmidt/DePaul: 2nd DePaul player, all american who went toe to toe with Penny. I'll admit he's high on this list because he was also my drinking buddy in college.
10. Mark Aguirre/DePaul: my first favorite player but a little before my time. We had season tickets his last year when they were #1 all season long and then choked in the first round of the tourney yet again.
11. Howard Nathan/DePaul: IMO one of the greatest what if's in basketball history. He was so good his freshman year and dominated senior Nick Van Exel all season long in every matchup. Some people remember where they were when they found out a President got shot. For me, i stil remember where I was when I heard that Nathan had failed out of school after his freshman year. Such a travesty he later became paralyzed and then died a few years ago.
12. Scott Skiles: such a stud. He's the reason they don't allow teams to host games in the tournament anymore. The way he got screwed by the time keeper IN Kansas vs Kansas is still one of the worst moments in NCAA history
13. Lonzo Ball: Another one and done, he's the guy who brought me back to basketball after 15 year hiatus
14. Jalen Brunson: Followed him since high school since he's from the town next to mine and went to wife's high school (and Jamie Gertz).
15. Quentin Richardson/DePaul: hard to believe that this lunch pail hard hat undersized PF who dominated inside in college would turn around and become a 3pt specialist in the NBA. Maybe he was the true precursor of what was to come to the game even before Curry made everyone pay attention
16. Jason Kidd: Loved the way he played and loved seeing him play vs Grant Hill and Bobby Hurley in person in the tourney
17. Shaq: Another LSU legend. Too bad the refs treated him like crap
18. Hersey Hawkins: Chicago legend who played center till he got to college which explains why he only got recruited by Bradley
19. Tremont Waters/LSU Almost like a poor man's Trae in college. he had some of tghe best off the glass finishes I've ever seen.
20. Glen Robinson: Big Dog!
