NCAA Basketball: Campbell’s Chris Clemons joins 3,000-point scoring club
Highest Division I point scorers
While Clemons is the ninth player ever to reach 3,000 career points, other players have also accomplished the feat.12 Division II players have topped 3,000 points with Kentucky State’s Travis Grant (4,025) leading the way. Meanwhile, 13 Division I women’s players have also surpassed the 3,000 point barrier. Kelsey Plum set the mark with 3,527 points in 2017 while Kelsey Mitchell, who graduated from Ohio State in 2018, is second with 3,402.
Mike Daum: South Dakota State (2015-16 to present) – 2,943
Daum is not quite at 3,000 points, but he will get there soon. He is just 57 points short of the mark after pumping in 31 points in Saturday’s victory over North Dakota State. The 6-foot-9 senior forward is having the best season of his college career as he is averaging a career-high 25.4 points on 50.8% shooting from the field. Daum, who has scored in double-figures in 22 of his 28 games, has tallied 23 or more points in nine straight games which includes topping the 30-point mark on five occasions.
The two-time Summit Player of the Year has at least three games left to become the 10th player to reach the milestone. The Jackrabbits (21-7) appear to be on the verge of capturing its second regular season conference title and could very well head to their third straight NCAA Tournament berth. Meaning that Daum could have as many as seven or eight games remaining in his illustrious career.
Daum is an excellent shooter, producing 22.3 points a game while shooting 50.3% from the field and 40.9% from beyond the arc for his career. The Kimball (Neb.) native has scored at least 30 points on 32 occasions and produced at least 40 points four times in his career. He has averaged at least 23.5 points a contest in each of his last three seasons.
Hersey Hawkins, Bradley (1984-85 to 1987-88) – 3,008
was always a good shooter, but he didn’t really start lighting up the scoreboard until his junior season when he went from 18.7 points a game in his second season to 27.2 points per contest and was named the
Player of the Year in 1986-87. He then upped his average to an incredible 36.3 points a game as a senior.
Hawkins was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 1988 draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. He ended up spending 13 seasons in the NBA split between the 76ers, Hornets, Supersonics, and Bulls.
Keydren Clark, St. Peter’s (2002-03-to-2005-06): 3,058
The 5-foot-11 guard was an electric scorer, tallying 700 or more points in each of his four seasons. He led the NCAA in points per game twice and averaged at least 24 points per game in all four seasons. Clark, who ranks fifth in the NCAA with 435 triples, averaged 25.9 points for his career while shooting 40.2% from the floor and 36.5% from long-distance.
Clark has played professionally overseas since leaving college. He is currently playing for Peristeri B.C. in Greece.
Harry Kelly, Texas Southern (1979-80 to 1982-83) – 3,066
Kelly was an offensive force. The 6-foot-7 forward attempted 20 shots a game in each of his four college seasons and he finished his career by averaging 27 points a contest while shooting 48.5% from the field. He averaged more than 28 points a contest in three of his seasons with a low of 23.7 points per game during his sophomore campaign.
The two-time SWAC Player of the Year was selected in the fourth round of the1983 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks. Kelly never played in the NBA and only briefly played in Italy.
Doug McDermott, Creighton (2010-11 to 2013-14): 3,150 points
The 6-foot-8 forward is one of the best shooters in modern college basketball. The former Blue Jay star, who played for his father in college, improved his scoring each of his four years in school. He averaged over 22 points in each of his last three college seasons, which included pumping in 26.7 points a game in his final year when he was named the National Player of the Year. McDermott finished his career with 21.7 points a game while shooting 55% from the floor and 45.8% on three-point attempts.
McDermott scored 20 points in nearly half of his 145 college games as he topped that mark 77 times. The two-time MVC Player of the Year also tallied at least 30 points on 22 occasions and 40 points three times.
McDermott has played for five different NBA teams since being selected with the 11th overall pick by the Nuggets in the 2014 draft. He is currently playing for the Pacers after stints with the Bulls, Knicks, Mavericks, and Thunder.
Alphonso Ford, Mississippi Valley State (1989-90 to 1992-93): 3,165 points
The 6-foot-1 guard was a big scorer earlier in his college career, totaling 29.9 points and 32.7 points a game in his freshman and sophomore campaigns, while becoming more of a distributor in his junior and senior years. Still, he attempted more than 22 shots a game for his career as he took 20 shots in each of his four years at MVSU.
Ford’s lowest scoring total was 26 points a game in his senior season and he finished his career averaging 29 points a game, which the second most in NCAA history since 1985-86 while shooting 45.4% from the field and 33.8% from beyond the arc.
Ford was selected in the second round of the 1993 NBA draft by the 76ers. He played for both the Supersonics and 76ers along with several Greek teams.
Lionel Simmons, La Salle (1986-87 to 1989-90) – 3,217
put the Explorers on the basketball map. Simmons was not just a scorer, however, as he was an outstanding all-around player with a penchant for hitting the boards hard. He averaged 20 points in each of four campaigns, topping 25 points a game in each of his last two years.
The 6-foot-7 forward, who averaged 20 shots a game in both his junior and senior years, finished his collegiate career by averaging 24.9 points along with 10.9 boards while shooting 50.1% from the field.
The 1990 NCAA Player of the Year was selected with the seventh overall pick in the 1990 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings. He spent all seven seasons of his NBA career with the Kings.
Freeman Williams, Portland State (1974-75 to 1977-78): 3,249 points
The 6-foot-4 guard was a scoring machine. After compiling 16.8 points a game as a freshman, Williams averaged at least 30 points in each of his final three seasons. He finished his college career by averaging 30.7 points a contest while shooting 46.8% from the field. Williams led the NCAA in scoring in 1976-77 and 1977-78.
Williams was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. He never played for the C’s, but spent six seasons in the Association with the Clippers, Hawks, Jazz, and Bullets.
Pete Maravich, LSU (1967-68 to 1969-70): 3,667 points
Marovich is one of the best players ever to don a college uniform. He averaged 43 points in all three of his seasons at LSU as freshmen were not allowed to participate. He topped 60-points four times, which included a career-high 69 points — with 47 points coming in the second half — against Alabama on Feb. 7, 1970.
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The 6-foot-5 guard was chosen by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1970 NBA draft. He ended up playing a decade in the Association with the Hawks, New Orleans/Utah Jazz, and the Celtics.