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These are the best 70s NCAA centers, ranked by user votes. From Bill Walton to Bob Lanier, there are a lot of players on this list of the best 70s college centers that went on to NBA superstardom. College centers from the 70s were some of the toughest players to ever play the game... and this was all before the 3 point line took over the game. So take a look at this list of the greatest NCAA centers from the 70s.&nbsp;From Bob McAdoo to Tree Rollins, and many more, this list of 1970s centers brings the goods. The best 1970s NCAA centers were exactly the type of people who could lead a team to victory. The 1970s NCAA centers were the players that really took their respective teams from good to great. Back in the 70s you weren't going to be successful without a force in the paint.So take a look at this list and vote up your favorites!

Best 70s NCAA Centers | Greatest  1970s College Centers

The Best NCAA Centers of the 70s

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Bill Walton

William Theodore Walton III (born November 5, 1952) is an American retired basketball player and television sportscaster. Walton played for John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins in the early 1970s, winning three successive College Player of the Year Awards. He led the UCLA  Bruins to two NCAA Championships in 1972 and 1973. He had a prominent career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning an NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and two NBA championships. His professional career was significantly hampered by multiple foot injuries, requiring numerous surgeries. Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993

Artis Gilmore

Artis Gilmore (born September 21, 1949) is an American retired basketball player who played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). Gilmore was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on August 12, 2011.
A star center during his two collegiate years at Jacksonville University, Gilmore led the Dolphins to the NCAA Division I championship game in 1970, where his team was beaten 80–69 by the UCLA Bruins. Gilmore remains the top player in rebounds per game in the history of NCAA Division I basketball.
Gilmore followed five All-Star seasons with the Kentucky Colonels of the ABA by becoming the first overall pick in the 1976 ABA Dispersal draft, which dispersed the players in the ABA clubs, such as the Colonels, that did not join the NBA. During his career, Gilmore was an 11-time All-Star, the ABA Rookie of the Year, and an ABA MVP. Nicknamed "The A-Train", the 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) Gilmore once played in 670 consecutive games.

Bob McAdoo

Robert Allen McAdoo (born September 25, 1951) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played 14 seasons in the  National Basketball Association (NBA), where he was a five-time NBA All-Star and named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1975. He won two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers during their Showtime era in the 1980s. In 2000, McAdoo was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
McAdoo played at the center and power forward positions. In his 21-season playing career, he spent 14 seasons in the NBA and his final seven in the Lega Basket Serie A in Italy. McAdoo is one of the few players who have won both NBA and the FIBA European Champions Cup (EuroLeague) titles as a player. He later won three more NBA titles in 2006, 2012 and 2013 as an assistant coach with the Miami Heat.

Sidney Wicks

Sidney Wicks (born September 19, 1949) is an American retired professional basketball player. A native of California, he played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins and played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1971 to 1981. In the NBA he played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics, and San Diego Clippers, earning NBA Rookie of the Year in 1972 as well as four all-star selections. He played for the Trail Blazers from (1971-1976), and had a total of 4 selections as an All-Star From 1972 to 1975.

Dan Issel

Daniel Paul Issel (born October 25, 1948) is an American retired Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame professional basketball player and coach. An outstanding collegian at the University of Kentucky, he was twice named an All-American en route to a still school record 25.7 points per game. The American Basketball Association Rookie of the Year in 1971, he was a six-time ABA All-Star and one-time NBA All-Star. 
A prolific scorer, Issel remains the all-time leading scorer at the University of Kentucky and second all-time for the NBA's Denver Nuggets and the American Basketball Association itself. Upon his retirement from the NBA in 1985, only Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Julius Erving had scored more professional points.

Ralph Sampson

Ralph Lee Sampson Jr. (born July 7, 1960) is an American retired basketball player. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A 7-foot-4 phenom, three-time College Player of the Year, and first selection in the 1983 NBA draft, Sampson brought heavy expectations with him to the National Basketball Association (NBA). The NBA Rookie of the Year, Sampson averaged 20.7 points and 10.9 rebounds for his first three seasons with the Houston Rockets before injuries began to take their toll. Three knee surgeries later he retired as a four-time All-Star, an NBA Rookie of the Year, and an NBA All-Star Game MVP (1985). One of his many career highlights was a buzzer-beating shot to dethrone the Los Angeles Lakers as Western Conference champions in 1986, derailing their hopes for coveted back-to-back NBA titles, and sending the Rockets to their second NBA Finals in the team's history.

Bill Cartwright

James William Cartwright (born July 30, 1957) is an American retired NBA basketball player and a former head coach with the Chicago Bulls. A 7'1" (2.16 m) center, he played 16 seasons for the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls and Seattle SuperSonics, helping the Bulls capture consecutive championships in 1991, 1992 and 1993. He attended Elk Grove High School in Elk Grove, California, and played college basketball at the University of San Francisco.

Bob Lanier

Robert Jerry Lanier, Jr. (born September 10, 1948) is an American retired professional basketball player who played for the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Lanier was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992.
In his 14 NBA seasons, Lanier averaged 20.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals while shooting 51.4 percent from the field. He played in eight NBA All-Star Games, and was named Most Valuable Player of the 1974 game. He has had his #16 jersey retired by both the Pistons and the Bucks and his #31 jersey retired by St. Bonaventure University. Lanier is an NBA ambassador.

Tree Rollins

Wayne Monte "Tree" Rollins (born June 16, 1955) is an American retired professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic.

Dennis Awtrey

Dennis Wade Awtrey (born February 22, 1948) is a retired American professional basketball player.  A 6'10" center from Santa Clara University, Awtrey was drafted by the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers in 1970.  He played in the league for twelve seasons, spending time with the 76ers, Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, and Portland Trail Blazers.  Awtrey had his finest season in 1974-1975, when he averaged 9.9 points and 8.6 rebounds as a member of the Suns. Awtrey was also known for once having punched Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the jaw. In 2012, Awtrey moved to Manzanita, Oregon, where he now operates a bed-and-breakfast.

Bill Laimbeer

William Laimbeer Jr. (born May 19, 1957) is an American former basketball player and current coach of the Las Vegas Aces in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).During his National Basketball Association (NBA) career, he was known for his 11-year tenure with the Detroit Pistons. Laimbeer played at center with Hall of Fame backcourt guards Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars and small forward Dennis Rodman. He won back to back NBA Championships in 1989 and 1990 with the Pistons, and was named an NBA All-Star four times. Prior to the NBA, he played for the University of Notre Dame and Palos Verdes High School in Southern California.
After his playing career, Laimbeer served as the head coach and general manager of the Detroit Shock in the WNBA from 2002 to 2009, coaching the team to three league championships in 2003, 2006, and 2008. He was the head coach of the New York Liberty from 2013 to 2017, and has been the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces since 2018. He has twice been named the WNBA's Coach of the Year.

Mike Maloy

Michael Alvin Maloy (May 10, 1949 – February 3, 2009) was an American professional basketball player who played in the United States (in the ABA) and in Austria (in the OBB).

Dave Robisch

David George Robisch (born December 22, 1949) is a retired American professional basketball player in the ABA and NBA.  Robisch played at the University of Kansas, where he was initiated into the Sigma Nu fraternity.  He was positioned at center and forward for the Denver Rockets/Denver Nuggets (1971–75 and 1980–83), Indiana Pacers (1975–76 and 1976–77), San Diego Sails (1976), Los Angeles Lakers (1977–79), Cleveland Cavaliers (1979–80), San Antonio Spurs (1983) and Kansas City Kings (1984).
He helped the Nuggets win the 1974–75 ABA Western Division.
On October 8, 1975 Robisch was part of one of the more infamous trades in ABA history.  The Baltimore Claws, despite financial problems, had obtained the rights to star Dan Issel from the Kentucky Colonels.  The Claws were unable to come through with the $500,000 they owed the Colonels for Issel.  Under pressure from the league, the Claws traded Issel to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Robisch and $500,000 (which was used to pay the Kentucky Colonels the money owed for Issel).

George McGinnis

George F. McGinnis (born August 12, 1950) is an American retired professional basketball player who played 11 seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted into the ABA from Indiana University in 1971.

Jim Brewer

James Turner Brewer (born December 3, 1951) is a retired American National Basketball Association (NBA) player.
Brewer was the first notable player to come out of Proviso East High School, which has one of the most successful high school basketball programs in Illinois. In 1969, Brewer, playing center, led his team to the first of four state championships. Brewer was followed at Proviso East by other future NBA players, notably Doc Rivers, Michael Finley, Dee Brown, Shannon Brown, Sterling Brown, and JeVon Carter.
The 6'9" 210 pound forward then attended the University of Minnesota, where he was a teammate of future Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield. Brewer played in the 1972 Summer Olympics, including the United States' controversial loss to the Soviet Union in the gold medal game, before being drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round (2nd pick) of the 1973 NBA draft.
Whenever Brewer scored a basket at a Cavaliers home game, the public address announcer would declare, "Two for the Brew!"  Brewer played nine seasons in the NBA from 1973 to 1982.  Then he played with Pallacanestro Cantù in Italian Serie A along with players as Pierluigi Marzorati and Antonello Riva with coach Giancarlo Primo. He won a Euroleague and was an Intercontinental Cup finalist.
Brewer is the uncle of former NBA player and current Los Angeles Clippers head coach Glenn "Doc" Rivers and the great uncle of Doc's son, Houston Rockets point guard, Austin Rivers.In 2007, the Illinois High School Association named Brewer one of the 100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament.

Jim Chones

James Bernett “Bunny” Chones (born  November 30, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player, and current radio analyst for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
A 6'11" forward/center, Chones starred at Marquette University, where he earned All-America honors as a junior in 1972 after averaging 20.5 points and 11.9 rebounds per game.  When he left Marquette to pursue an ABA career, he was only the second player in NCAA history to leave school for professional basketball before his graduating year.  The New York Nets offered him a sizeable contract, and stipulated that he must accept within days and leave college.  As a result, he left Marquette in February 1972 with his college team undefeated and ranked second in the nation.  After Chones' departure Marquette finished the season at 25-4.
Professionally, he first played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) with the New York Nets, with whom he was an ABA All-Rookie First Team selection. He also spent a season with the Carolina Cougars. In 1975, he moved to the National Basketball Association, where he played five seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and later won an NBA Championship as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1980. He retired from basketball in 1982 with combined ABA/NBA totals of 9,821 points and 6,427 rebounds.After retiring from the NBA, Chones spent eleven seasons as the television color analyst for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and in 2007, returned as a radio postgame analyst.
During the 2010–2011 season, usual Cavs radio voice Joe Tait missed much of the season as he recovered from surgery/illness. During that time,  Chones and WTAM morning co-host/sports director and Cavs pregame/postgame host Mike Snyder formed the interim radio play by play team.  Chones became a full-time member of the radio team in the 2011–2012 season, working with new play by play announcer John Michael.

Jim McDaniels

James Ronald McDaniels (April 2, 1948 – September 6, 2017) was an American professional basketball player. McDaniels played collegiately for Western Kentucky University and was the No. one overall pick in the 1971 American Basketball Association Draft. McDaniels was an NBA All-Star.

Kermit Washington

Kermit Alan Washington (born September 17, 1951) is an American former professional basketball player. Washington is best remembered for punching opposing player Rudy Tomjanovich during an on-court fight in 1977. His punch nearly killed Tomjanovich, and resulted in severe medical problems that ultimately ended Tomjanovich's playing career.
Washington was not a highly coveted player coming out of high school and barely got into college on an athletic scholarship. He averaged a mere four points per game (ppg) during his senior season of high school. He improved rapidly once at American University, and became one of only seven players in NCAA history to average 20 points and 20 rebounds throughout the course of their career.
A big defensive forward, Washington was known for his ability to gather rebounds. He averaged 9.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in ten National Basketball Association (NBA) seasons and played in the All-Star Game once. Washington was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the fifth overall pick in the 1973 NBA draft. He played sparingly his first three seasons, and sought the help of retired basketball coach Pete Newell before his fourth season. Under Newell's tutelage, Washington's game rapidly improved and he became a starter for several teams. He played for the Lakers, Boston Celtics, San Diego Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors.

Rich Kelley

Richard Ryland Kelley (born March 23, 1953) is a retired American basketball player. Kelley played college basketball at Stanford University and was the 1st round pick (#7 overall) of the New Orleans Jazz in the 1975 NBA draft. Kelley played ten NBA seasons.

Rick Robey

Frederick Robert "Rick" Robey (born January 30, 1956) is a retired American professional basketball player. At 6'11", he played the center and forward positions.

After playing high school basketball at Brother Martin High School in New Orleans, Louisiana, Robey starred at the University of Kentucky.  At Kentucky Robey was a member of the team that won the 1978 NCAA Championship and the team that was the 1975 NCAA Runner Up. Though Kentucky's 1978 championship win is most often remembered for Jack Givens' 41-point outburst, Robey's performance (20 points, 8 of 11 from the floor, 11 rebounds) was equally critical to the Wildcats' 94-88 victory.
Robey was the third overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft, selected by the Indiana Pacers.
Robey then played eight seasons (1978–86) in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics before being traded to the Phoenix Suns before the 1983-84 season in exchange for Dennis Johnson.  He scored 3,723 points in his career and was a member of the 1981 Celtics championship team.
At Kentucky, Robey was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity, along with fellow UK star Mike Phillips.

TRENT13

Tommy Burleson

Tom Loren Burleson (born February 24, 1952) is an American former professional basketball player.  A 7′2″ center, Burleson played for North Carolina State University's 1974 NCAA national championship team.
As a collegian, Burleson teamed with All-American David Thompson, guard Monte Towe and forward Tim Stoddard (who would go on to have success as a Major League Baseball pitcher) to dethrone UCLA and win the 1974 NCAA Championship.  Burleson was the MVP of the 1973 and 1974 ACC Tournaments and was All-Final Four in 1974.  Burleson's defense of UCLA superstar Bill Walton was key to the Wolfpack's semifinal win. He was a member of the 1973 World University Games Gold Medal basketball team.
When Burleson was recruited he was officially measured at 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) tall, but the coaching staff at North Carolina State decided to list him at 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m).  Burleson wanted to be listed at his actual height but the coaching staff said he would officially be the tallest player in American basketball and it would bring a lot of good exposure to him and the school.Burleson was also a member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team that lost a controversial gold medal game to the Soviet Union. The entire 1972 Olympic Basketball team believed they had been cheated and voted unanimously to not accept the silver.
Drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics as the third overall player in the 1974 NBA Draft, Burleson entered the league tied with Artis Gilmore and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the tallest active NBA player at 7 feet 2 inches. Named to the 1974–75 NBA All-Rookie Team. Playing under coach Bill Russell, Burleson recorded strong playoff performances in both 1975 and 1976 for Seattle. For his playoff career, Burleson averaged 20.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game in 15 career playoff games. His second season as a professional proved to be his best, as he averaged 15.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. Just as he began to come into his own in the NBA, he was injured breaking up a fight between his teammate and an opposing team member. The injury was instrumental in his steady decline over the next several years.
Burleson was known throughout his amateur and pro career as a good shot blocker. He played seven seasons in the NBA with Seattle, the Kansas City Kings and the Atlanta Hawks. He currently lives in Avery County, North Carolina with his wife Denise. They have three sons: Robert, David, and Quentin. He is an avid supporter of North Carolina State University.
In 2002, Burleson was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team honoring the fifty greatest players in Atlantic Coast Conference history.

Tom Riker

Thomas E. Riker (born February 28, 1950) is an American former professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a 6'10", 225 lb. center.
Riker was selected 8th overall in the 1972 NBA draft by the New York Knicks out of the University of South Carolina, and played three seasons for the Knicks from 1972 to 1975.
Riker was also selected in the 1972 ABA Draft by the Carolina Cougars.

Tom Payne

Thomas Robert Payne (born November 19, 1950) is a former professional basketball player, professional boxer and a convicted serial rapist.
A 7-foot, 1-inch center, Payne played with the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA during the 1971-1972 season. He was also the first African American ever to play basketball for the University of Kentucky..



Howard Porter

Howard Porter (August 31, 1948 – May 26, 2007) was an American professional basketball player.  At 6'8" and 220 pounds, he played as a forward and a center.

Mike Phillips

Michael Charles Phillips is a retired American basketball player. He played eleven years in Spain, including six years with Liga ACB.
Mike Phillips, a 6'10 center from Manchester High School in New Franklin, Ohio, played collegiately at the University of Kentucky for coach Joe B. Hall. Phillips played four years for the Wildcats, earning All-Southeastern Conference honors in his sophomore, junior and senior years. In his senior season, Phillips played on the Wildcats' 1978 national championship team. For his career, Phillips scored 1,367 points and grabbed 755 rebounds.
Following graduation, Phillips was drafted by the New Jersey Nets in the 1978 NBA Draft, but never played in the NBA. In 1979, he found his way to Spain where he had a fruitful career. Phillips played six years in Spain's top league, winning a league championship in 1981 with FC Barcelona Bàsquet. For his ACB career, Phillips scored 4,423 points and grabbed 1,765 rebounds in his six seasons.

These are the best 70s NCAA centers, ranked by user votes. From Bill Walton to Bob Lanier, there are a lot of players on this list of the best 70s college ...

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