Louisville basketball: Ranking the top 100 players of all time
By Alan Thomas
10: Milt Wagner (28 points)
Milt was a 2-time member of a Final 4 team (’82,’83) and the leading scorer on the1986 NCAA Championship team. He was also awarded 2-time First-team All-Conference (’84 & ’86).
Wagner ranks as the sixth all-time scorer and 9th in assists at Louisville. He appeared in 144 games, starting in 112. He shot 50 percent from the field in his career and was an AP Honorable Mention All-American for the 1985-86 season. He ranks 3rd all-time in career field goals made and is considered a living legend here in The Ville.
9: Reece Gaines (29 points)
Reece was by and large the most clutch Louisville shooter of all-time. Once vs Marquette, he drained an unflinching, deep, straightaway three-pointer to give us the lead in the final seconds. How about being down 6 to Tennessee with about 30 seconds remaining in regulation? Well, we all remember that finish. He gave Cardinal fans several nostalgic moments to stuff in our time capsules.
At 6’6″, Gaines is the school’s #4 all-time scorer, #3 three-point shooter, #6 in assists, and #9 in steals. He started 93 games and averaged 15.6 ppg. in his career, including 21 ppg. in 2001-02. In the early 2000s, every kid wanted to play like him.
8: Rodney McCray (29 points)
One of the highest NBA draft picks in Louisville basketball history (3rd overall) had a monstrous college career to support where he was selected in the draft. He played on the 1980 National Championship team and was later a member of the 1982 and 1983 Final Four squads where he led both teams in rebounding.
He is 5th on the all-time rebounding list, 6th in dunks, 6th in field goal percentage, and 6th in career blocked shots. Rodney played with a mean streak and was immensely aggressive. He was one of Coach Crum’s most relied upon players ever.
7: Billy Thompson (29 points)
Billy was a key player in two Final Four finishes (’82, ’83) and a National Title (’86). The “Camden Connection” recruit was an all-around textbook basketball player.
He’s 12th all-time on the scoring list. That’s saying a lot being that he also holds the #8 spot on the all-time leading rebounding list, #8 in dunks, as well as #7 in career assists and #3 in blocked shots. In a nutshell, Thompson was Mr. Everything.
He was First-team All-Conference two years straight (1985-86) and was the leading scorer on the ’86 Championship team. He appeared in 143 games and shot 52.8% from the field in his college days.