Card Chronicle: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Sports blogs for fans, by fans.
Around SBN: Cal RB Jahvid Best Seriously Injured, Carted Off Field

The Louisville Basketball Greats All-Time Tournament

This afternoon from 3-7 on 1570's "The Sports Mob," Matt Jones and I will name who we think the greatest basketball players in the history of the Louisville and Kentucky programs are as we unveil our 64-player all-time greats tournament for each school.

This was not an easy task, especially considering that there are many players on this list whom I've only seen in old clips, and several others I've never seen at all. I tried to rank the players based on performance relative to the game at the time (David Padgett could probably bang with Charlie Tyra in the post if they were matched up today, but he's not going to be near him on the list), and overall impact on the University of Louisville program.

The players are ranked from 1-64, and have been paired in four regions (creatively titled "red," "white," "black," and "yellow") just like the NCAA Tournament. The players' region seed is the first number listed, and then his overall ranking is in parentheses.

I'm not sure what direction I'm going to take this as far as actually playing the tournament out, but hopefully for the time being it will spark some good conversation.

Here you go:

Red Region

  1. Darrell Griffith (1)
  2. Tony Kimbro (64)
  3. Taquan Dean (32)
  4. Phil Bond (33)
  5. Billy Thompson (16)
  6. Jack Coleman (49)
  7. Lancaster Gordon (17)
  8. Phil Rollins (48)
  9. Reece Gaines (9)
  10. Tick Rogers (56)
  11. Felton Spencer (24)
  12. Bob Lochmueller (41)
  13. Marques Maybin (25)
  14. Scooter McCray (40)
  15. Junior Bridgeman (8)
  16. Kenny Reeves (57)
Yellow Region
  1. Charlie Tyra (4)
  2. Jerry King (61)
  3. Rick Wilson (29)
  4. Chuck Noble (36)
  5. LaBradford Smith (13)
  6. James Brewer (52)
  7. Wesley Cox (20)
  8. Larry O'Bannon (45)
  9. Rodney McCray (12)
  10. Cornelius Holden (53)
  11. Bud Olsen (21)
  12. Roger Burkman (44)
  13. Allen Murphy (28)
  14. Jerry Eaves (37)
  15. Butch Beard (5)
  16. John Prudhoe (60)
White Region
  1. Pervis Ellison (2)
  2. Ricky Gallon (63)
  3. Don Goldstein (31)
  4. Nate Johnson (34)
  5. Herb Crook (15)
  6. Manuel Forrest (50)
  7. Samaki Walker (18)
  8. Alvin Sims (47)
  9. Clifford Rozier (10)
  10. Jim Morgan (55)
  11. Mike Grosso (23)
  12. Dwayne Morton (42)
  13. John Reuther (26)
  14. Greg Minor (39)
  15. Derek Smith (7)
  16. Poncho Wright (58)
Black Region
  1. Wes Unseld (3)
  2. Keith Williams (62)
  3. Jeff Hall (30)
  4. Kenny Payne (35)
  5. Jim Price (14)
  6. Ellis Myles (51)
  7. John Turner (19)
  8. Henry Bacon (46)
  9. DeJuan Wheat (11)
  10. George Hauptfuhrer (54)
  11. Francisco Garcia (22)
  12. Ron Thomas (43)
  13. Everick Sullivan (27)
  14. Charles Jones (38)
  15. Milt Wagner (6)
  16. Alex Sanders (59)

0 recs  |  Comment 8 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Display:

player rankings
Can't quarrel with a lot of this because, as you note, the difference in eras makes direct comparisons impossible. But...

No way Pervis should be ranked ahead of Westley Unseld.  Unseld is still the only player in NBA history to be rookie of the year and MVP in the same year.  And though they didn't win a national title during his stay, he was in his senior year the most dominant post player in the nation.  And he was only 6-7 -- on his tip-toes.

by theoldman on Jun 28, 2007 4:00 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

A lot of names I havent thought of in years
Mem'ries,
Like the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored memories
Of the way we were
Scattered pictures,
Of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another
For the way we were
Can it be that it was all so simple then?
Or has time re-written every line?
If we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me, would we? could we?
Mem'ries, may be beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
So it's the laughter
We will remember
Whenever we remember...
The way we were...
The way we were...

by Peter McSheisty on Jun 28, 2007 4:03 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

missing players
Escalade, Dante Smith, Damien Dansler, Bo-Zac Smith, Carlos Hurt, Brian Kiser

by Blocky on Jun 28, 2007 5:06 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

so many more...
Can you do an NIT bracket for those left out?

I'd love to see a Tobiah Hopper-B.J. Flynn first-round match-up.

by rico clark on Jun 28, 2007 5:56 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

NIT
I shutter to think what a region consisting of Damian Dantzler, Tobiah Hopper, Dion Edward, Nouah Diakite and Joseph N'Sima would do to the mind of anyone who laid eyes upon it.

by Mike Rutherford on Jun 29, 2007 7:40 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

where's the play-in game??
should be between Troy Jackson v. Beau Zach Smith...epic battle
Little brother's all grown up now!

by HardCoreE on Jun 29, 2007 4:50 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Brian Kiser
I was young then so his accomplishments are somewhat blurred but it seems like I remember him  draining a clutch shot in Pauley to give Denny one of his last meaningful wins in his career...that should single handedly get him a nod somewhere in the bracket...just a thought
Little brother's all grown up now!

by HardCoreE on Jun 29, 2007 4:56 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Kiser
He did hit the famous "praise God then play defense" shot to knock off UCLA, but that alone wasn't enough to let him slide into the bracket.

by Mike Rutherford on Jun 29, 2007 5:06 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Welcome to Card Chronicle, the Louisville sports blog Otis George might read if he knew it existed.
Start posting about the Cardinals »

Join SB Nation and dive into communities focused on all your favorite teams.

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recent FanPosts

Dunkingcard_small
Jeremy Tyler Article in Sunday NY Times
Small
Kragthorpe quote re: will stein
Small
ESPN the Magazine
Small
Feelin' Optimistic...
Dz_pic_small
20 % = Edgy Eddie ?
Images_small
Great game tonight against Bellermine! How can CARDS fans respond to heckling?
Images_small
You've seen the exhibition games...
Small
The starting backcourt - your choice?
Small
21,000
T-willwitness_small
TWill's New Digs

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >


Managers

Admm_small Mike Rutherford

Official Partner of CBS Sports