NCAA Basketball: 25 most mesmerizing players of all time

If you were a college basketball fan in the early ’90s, you should remember just how incredible Glenn Robinson was and the cache that his name held. He wasn’t just Zion Williamson before Zion Williamson was born, he was a better college basketball player than Zion Williamson was in almost every aspect of the game.

During just two seasons in West Lafayette, the “Big Dog” put up an unbelievable 1,706 points, 602 rebounds, 115 assists, 113 steals, and 65 blocks. Dating back to 1992-93, he is the only player in the NCAA to play in fewer than 65 games and put up those numbers.

Robinson was unable to play for Purdue during his first season on campus due to academic concerns, but he hit the ground running as a sophomore, averaging 24 points and nine rebounds while shooting 40% from behind the arc. As a junior, he averaged north of 30 points per game and is still the only power five conference player since 1992-93 to do so. Robinson is one of only two players to have scored over 1,000 points in a single season during that time.

He combined athleticism and shooting ability on a level that had rarely been seen before or since. The fact that he came back for a second season on the court is something that you would never see happen these days. Robinson’s domination was must-see tv when college basketball fans were fortunate enough to catch a Purdue basketball game that was nationally televised.

Robinson was a no-brainer for the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1994 NBA draft when they selected him 1st overall. He played 11 seasons in the NBA and never averaged less than 18 points per game in his first 9 seasons. He called it a career in 2005 with game averages of 20.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. To this day he is one of the most celebrated college basketball players of all time while being one of the most underappreciated NBA players of all time.