Sports

The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time 

Ranker NCAA Basketball
Updated January 24, 2020 4.3k votes 520 voters 10.6k views 79 items

List Rules Upvote the best basketball players in Golden Gophers history based only on the player's college career.

Minnesota basketball fans, we’re ranking the best Minnesota Golden Gophers of all-time. This list of Minnesota basketball players includes current and former players, along with the seasons played with the college. Featuring All-Americans, players in the NBA, and school legends who had their jerseys retired, the top players from University of Minnesota men's basketball team history include Kevin McHale, Mychal Thompson, Kris Humphries, and Flip Saunders. Who is the best Minnesota Golden Gopher ever?

Vote up the ones you think are the greatest Minnesota basketball players in Golden Gophers history. Feel free to add any Golden Gopher freshmen, NBA rookies, or Minnesota alumni missing from the list.

list ordered by
1
Kevin McHale is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time
Power forward and Center from Hibbing, Minnesota, United States of America

Age: 62

Teams: Boston Celtics

Golden Gophers career: 1976–1980

More Kevin McHale ❯

#40 of 872 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #1,894 of 2,166 The Best Athletes Of All Time #8 of 242 The Best White Players in NBA History

2
Mychal Thompson is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time
Mychal Thompson Power forward and Center from Nassau, Bahamas

Age: 64

Teams: Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers

Golden Gophers career: 1974–1978

More Mychal Thompson ❯

#483 of 872 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #88 of 168 The Greatest NBA Centers of All Time #25 of 107 The Greatest Lakers of All Time

3
Bobby Jackson is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time
Point guard from Salisbury, North Carolina

Age: 46

Teams: Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Minnesota Timberwolves, + more

Golden Gophers career: 1995–1997
4
Lou Hudson is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time
Shooting guard and Small forward from Greensboro, North Carolina

Age: Dec. at 70 (1944-2014)

Teams: Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers, St. Louis Hawks

Golden Gophers career: 1963–1966

More Lou Hudson ❯

#639 of 872 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #835 of 2,166 The Best Athletes Of All Time #144 of 151 The Best NBA Players with No Championship Rings

5
Trent Tucker is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time

Age: 60

Teams: New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls

Golden Gophers career: 1978–1982

More Trent Tucker ❯

#89 of 118 The Best NBA Players from North Carolina #76 of 90 The Best New York Knicks of All Time #278 of 405 The Best San Antonio Spurs of All Time

6
Willie Burton is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time
Point guard from Detroit, Michigan

Age: 51

Teams: Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat

Golden Gophers career: 1986–1990
7
Jim Brewer is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time
Power forward from Proviso Township, Maywood, Illinois

Age: 68

Teams: Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons

Golden Gophers career: 1970–1973
8
Voshon Lenard is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time
Shooting guard from Detroit, Michigan

Age: 46

Teams: Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets

Golden Gophers career: 1991–1995
9
Randy Breuer is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time
Center from Lake City, Minnesota, United States of America

Age: 59

Teams: Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, Milwaukee Bucks

Golden Gophers career: 1979–1983
10
Ray Williams is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time

Age: Dec. at 59 (1954-2013)

Teams: Kansas City Kings, Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks

Golden Gophers career: 1975–1977
11
Archie Clark is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time

Age: 78

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers, Baltimore Bullets, Los Angeles Lakers, Seattle Supersonics, Detroit Pistons

Golden Gophers career: 1963–1966
12
Sam Jacobson is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time
Sam Jacobson

Age: 44

Teams: Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors

Golden Gophers career: 1994–1998
13
Mark Olberding is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time

Age: 63

Teams: Kansas City Kings, Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls

Golden Gophers career: 1974–1975
14
Kevin Lynch is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time
Kevin Lynch

Age: 51

Teams: Charlotte Hornets

Golden Gophers career: 1987–1991
15
Quincy Lewis is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time
Shooting guard and Small forward from Little Rock, Arkansas, United States of America

Age: 42

Teams: Utah Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves

Golden Gophers career: 1995–1999
16
Kris Humphries is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time
Power forward from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America

Age: 34

Number: 43

Teams: Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors

Golden Gophers career: 2003–2004

More Kris Humphries ❯

#122 of 133 The Best Boston Celtics of All Time #20 of 20 The Best Athletes Who Retired in 2019 #3 of 30 Athletes Famous Only for Off-Court Behavior

17
Flip Saunders is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time

Age: 64

Golden Gophers career: 1973–1977

More Flip Saunders ❯

#26 of 71 The All Time Greatest NBA Coaches #5 of 31 The Best Pistons Coaches of All Time, Ranked #51 of 93 The Best Detroit Pistons of All Time

18
Dave Winfield is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time

Age: 68

Golden Gophers career: 1993–1994

 

More Dave Winfield ❯

#107 of 708 The Best Hitters in Baseball History #24 of 158 The Greatest New York Yankees Of All Timelisted on Athletes You Didn't Know Were Conservative

19
Richard Coffey is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time
Richard Coffey

Age: 54

Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves

Golden Gophers career: 1990-1991
20
Larry Mikan is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time
Larry Mikan

Age: 71

Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers

Golden Gophers career: 1967–1970
21
John Thomas is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time
John Thomas Center from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America

Age: 44

Teams: Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, + more

Golden Gophers career: 1993–1997
22
Joel Przybilla is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time
Center from Monticello, Minnesota, United States of America

Age: 40

Number: 10

Teams: Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers, Milwaukee Bucks

Golden Gophers career: 1998–2000

More Joel Przybilla ❯

#40 of 95 The Best Portland Trail Blazers of All Time #11 of 49 The Best NBA Players from Minnesota #33 of 34 The Best Atlanta Hawks Centers of All Time

23
Jim Petersen is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time
Jim Petersen Power forward and Center from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America

Age: 57

Teams: Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors

Golden Gophers career: 1980–1984
24
Melvin Newbern is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time
Melvin Newbern Shooting guard from Toledo, Ohio

Age: 52

Teams: Detroit Pistons

Golden Gophers career: 1987–1990
25
Trevor Mbakwe is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Greatest Minnesota Basketball Players of All Time
Trevor Mbakwe Power forward from Saint Paul, Minnesota

Age: 30

Golden Gophers career: 2010–2013