Louisville basketball: Ranking the top 100 players of all time
By Alan Thomas
90: Everick Sullivan
Sullivan was a man among boys. Coach Denny Crum’s team captain played with some big names in his time at Louisville but was never overshadowed. Many times he showed flashes of next-level attacking ability while going to the rack. Everick appeared in 126 games and averaged 12.6 ppg for his career. He ranks 15th on Louisville’s all-time scoring list.
89: Bill Bunton
He was the would’ve-been hero of the 1975 Final Four game vs UCLA. The elite rim protector swatted two consecutive shots in the final 45 seconds of regulation, only for both blocks to fall in Bruins players’ hands. Bunton was an essential piece of that squad, and two unfortunate bounces have kept his name away from the marquee.
88: Al Vilcheck
The 6’9” center averaged almost 10 rpg. and shot 49.2 percent from the field in his career. Vilcheck had a textbook boxing out technique that would frustrate opposing big men by achieving great position. He helped lead the Cards to the1972 Final Four.
87: Phil Rollins
Teams that Phil played on in his four years at Louisville went 89-24. The captain of the 1956 NIT title team made a living slicing his way through the lane. He’s considered one of the most diverse shooting guards in the Coach Peck Hickman era. Rollins is a member of the school’s athletic Hall of Fame.
86: Jim Morgan
The 6’1” guard averaged over 14 points as a junior, helping lead the Cards to the NIT title. He eclipsed that average in his senior season, pouring in over 17 per game. Morgan’s floater was as silky smooth as they come. He is another member of the U of L Athletic Hall of Fame.
85: Roger Burkman
Roger’s stats overall won’t impress. Nonetheless, he was plugged into Denny Crum’s lineups repeatedly, appearing in 120 games in his career. Burkman is a member of the 1980 NCAA championship team, dishing out 3.1 assists per game that year. He was one of those guys that just made things happen. The Chicago Bulls thought so too.
84: Jerry King
Jerry’s mid-range game was money. He had a knack for knowing how and when to pull up and shoot over backpedaling defenders. King ranks 41st on Louisville’s all-time scoring list (1,189 points). As a senior, he averaged 18 ppg.
83: Quentin Snider
“Q” started the majority of his career at point guard (98 out of 131) As a freshman, he led the Cardinals to an Elite Eight appearance. He shot 38.2 percent from three-point range and averaged 3.2 assists over the span of his career. Snider was one of Louisville’s best shooting point guards of all-time.
82: Tony Branch
Filling in for a fouled out Darrell Griffith, Tony had maybe the most timely shot in Louisville history. He hit a buzzer-beating game-winner vs Kansas State in the 1980 NCAA Tourney. Though he was scarce on stats, he provided the energy needed time and time again for Denny Crum’s squads. Branch was maybe the most go-to situational bench player we’ve ever had.
81: Chuck Noble
Chuck averaged over 17 ppg. in both his junior and senior seasons. Standing at 6’4” (tall for a guard in the 1950’s), he compiled a 5.8 rpg. average in his time at Louisville. He was overwhelmingly Louisville’s leading scorer for two straight seasons.