Best NCAA basketball players ever from every state

Connecticut: Mike Gminski

Or is it Magic or Bird? Either way, before you read the next 203 words or so about how Mike Gminski surpasses Marcus Camby as the greatest college player to come out of Connecticut, let me dedicate 65 words on how great of a scorer Calvin Murphy was. Murphy’s career average was 33 points per game, and he averaged 38 points in his first year.

His scoring prowess must be recognized, as should the 28 shots he launched on average per game in which he connected on 44 percent. Murphy is easily the greatest college scorer to come out of The Constitution State, but scoring is not enough to make you the best.

Camby and Gminski both made NCAA All-Tournament, both won their conference Player of Year, both were even named All-Americans (Gminski twice). For their careers, Gminski averaged three more points, four more rebounds, shot three percent better from the field, and 13percent better from the free-throw line. Come tournament time the stats favor Gminski slightly more than they did in the regular season. The area where Camby stands out is after the 1995-96 regular season he won all six of the U.S. men’s college basketball national player of the year awards.

Being the unanimous Player of the Year is impressive, but as you already know, Gminski had no chance, every year besides his senior year Gminski was competing with either Magic Johnson or Larry Bird, one year with both.

Some may also say that the season that Camby won National Player of the Year, his year was not as good as a junior from Purdue named Tim Duncan, who would sweep the awards himself the following year. The narrative is, Camby had an easier route to the Player of the Year than Mike Gminski ever did, thus supporting the notion that Gminski is the greatest college player to come out of Connecticut.