Sports

The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time 

Ranker NCAA Basketball
Updated November 14, 2019 4.7k votes 700 voters 13.2k views 39 items

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

Syracuse basketball fans, we’re ranking the best Syracuse Orange of all-time. This list of Syracuse 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 Syracuse University men's basketball team history include Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Coleman, Sherman Douglas, and Louis Orr. Who is the best Syracuse Orange ever?

In the 2017-18 NCAA Division I men’s basketball season, the Syracuse Orange roster has the starting five: Frank Howard, Tyus Battle, Marek Dolezaj, OShae Brissett, and Paschal Chukwu.

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

list ordered by
1
Carmelo Anthony is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Small forward and Forward from Red Hook, New York City, New York, United States of America

Age: 35

Number: 7

Teams: Portland Trail Blazers

2002 - 2003

More Carmelo Anthony ❯

#2,122 of 2,166 The Best Athletes Of All Time #26 of 151 The Best NBA Players with No Championship Rings #16 of 135 The Best Small Forwards of All Time

2
Derrick Coleman is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Small forward and Power forward from Mobile, Alabama, United States of America

Age: 52

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons

1986 - 1990

More Derrick Coleman ❯

#737 of 869 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #79 of 168 The Greatest NBA Centers of All Time #38 of 55 The Best No. 1 Overall NBA Draft Picks of All Time, Ranked

3
Pearl Washington is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Pearl Washington

1983 - 1986
4
Dave Bing is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Point guard from Washington, D.C., United States of America

Age: 76

Teams: Washington Wizards, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons

1963 - 1966

More Dave Bing ❯

#1,346 of 2,166 The Best Athletes Of All Time #466 of 869 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #83 of 151 The Best NBA Players with No Championship Rings

5
Sherman Douglas is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Sherman Douglas Point guard from Washington, D.C.

Age: 53

Teams: Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers

1985 - 1989

More Sherman Douglas ❯

#104 of 133 The Best Boston Celtics of All Time #20 of 24 The Best NCAA Point Guards of the '80s #7 of 67 The Best NBA Players from Washington, D.C.

6
Gerry McNamara is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Gerry McNamara

Age: 36

2002 - 2006
7
John Wallace is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Small forward from Rochester, New York, United States of America

Age: 45

Teams: Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks

1992 - 1996
8
Lawrence Moten is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time

Age: 47

Teams: Washington Wizards, Vancouver Grizzlies

1991 - 1995
9
Billy Owens is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Shooting guard and Small forward from Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Age: 50

Teams: Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers, Seattle Supersonics, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, + more

1988 - 1991
10
Rony Seikaly is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Center from Beirut, Lebanon

Age: 54

Teams: Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat

1984 - 1988

More Rony Seikaly ❯

#106 of 242 The Best White Players in NBA History #86 of 168 The Greatest NBA Centers of All Time #60 of 149 The Best European NBA Players of All Time

11
Hakim Warrick is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Power forward from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Age: 37

Teams: Memphis Grizzlies

2001 - 2005
12
Dion Waiters is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Point guard and Shooting guard from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Age: 28

Number: 11

Teams: Miami Heat

2010 - 2012
13
Roosevelt Bouie is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Roosevelt Bouie

Age: 61

1976 - 1980
14
Louis Orr is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
reindeerfive added

Age: 61

Teams: Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks

1976 - 1980
15
Jonny Flynn is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Coleton_j added Point guard from Niagara Falls, New York

Age: 30

2007 - 2009
16
Michael Carter-Williams ... is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Guard from Hamilton, Massachusetts, United States of America

Age: 28

Number: 7

Teams: Orlando Magic

2011 - 2013

More Michael Carter-Williams ❯

#712 of 869 The Top NBA Players Of All Time #235 of 320 The Top 100+ NBA Players Today #144 of 160 The Greatest Point Guards in NBA History

17
Wesley Johnson is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Shooting guard and Small forward from Corsicana, Texas

Age: 32

Number: 2

Teams: Panathinaikos

2009 - 2010

More Wesley Johnson ❯

#30 of 161 The Best NBA Players from Texas #87 of 102 The Best Minnesota Timberwolves of All Time #61 of 70 The Best Los Angeles Clippers of All Time

18
Stephen Thompson is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Stephen Thompson

Age: 51

Teams: Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic

1986 - 1990
19
Etan Thomas is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Power forward and Center from Harlem, New York City, New York

Age: 41

Teams: Washington Wizards

1996 - 2000
20
Rafael Addison is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
reindeerfive added Shooting guard and Small forward from Jersey City, New Jersey, United States of America

Age: 55

Teams: Phoenix Suns, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons

1982 - 1986
21
Jason Hart is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Point guard from Los Angeles, California

Age: 41

Teams: Charlotte Bobcats, Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers

1996 - 2000
22
Leo Rautins is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
reindeerfive added

Age: 59

Teams: Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers

1980 - 1983
23
Preston Shumpert is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Preston Shumpert

1998 - 2002
24
Adrian Autry is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Adrian Autry

1990 - 1994
25
Andy Rautins is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Greatest Syracuse Basketball Players of All Time
Shooting guard from Syracuse, New York

Age: 33

2005 - 2010