College basketball tournaments will create their own stars over the next four weeks. For some, it will be the greatest moment of their athletic lives and we’ll never see them on an NBA court. For others, it will be a springboard to a great pro career. Even though some will spend years at the next level, what they accomplished in college may overshadow what they do for a paycheck.
The professional opportunities weren’t as great four or five decades ago and the NCAA Tournament was a lot smaller, too.
If you’re a college basketball junkie and a card collector, we’ve put together a March Madness starting five…a quintet of 1970s NBA rookie cards of players who were huge names in college basketball at a time when it was a bigger deal than the NBA.
One of the guys on the list never played in the Big Dance, though. Can you guess who it is?
1972-73 Topps Austin Carr
Simply put, Carr put Notre Dame basketball on the map. What was once just a diversion between football and spring football became a hot ticket when Carr stepped on the court. Playing in an era when freshmen were ineligible, Carr scored 2560 points, averaging 34.5 points per game over three seasons. Carr’s greatest game is still talked about today. His 61-point outburst against Ohio University in 1970 remains an NCAA Tournament single-game record.
His Cavs’ rookie card can be had for a song.
1976-77 Topps David Thompson
Believe it or not, there was a time when dunking wasn’t allowed in college basketball…a pity for those who knew of the athletic ability of David Thompson. A dazzling performer, Thompson was Michael Jordan’s idol when he played at North Carolina State in the early 70s. Thompson led NC State to a perfect record in 1973 and an NCAA championship in ’74 when they beat UCLA. Coach Norm Sloan let him dunk in game just for fun, then pulled him out to a standing ovation after the ‘Pack was hit with a technical foul. Thompson’s #44 is the only one ever retired by the school.
For true hoop fans, Thompson’s giant 1976-77 Topps card is a must have…and it’s cheap.
1974-75 Topps Bill Walton:
Some consider him the greatest college basketball player in history. A pure center with outstanding fundamentals, Walton was NCAA Player of the Year three times. With Walton manning the middle, UCLA won 88 straight games during his career. His 44-point effort in the 1973 championship game is the single-greatest offensive performance in college basketball history, a nearly flawless 21 of 22 shooting exhibition.
His rookie card has picked up in value over the last few years, but it’s still comparatively undervalued with pretty solid raw examples available for under $50.
1970-71 Topps Pete Maravich
There have been thousands of college basketball players over the past four decades. And then there is Maravich. He actually had a stellar NBA career but Maravich will forever be identified with floppy socks and the gold and purple colors of LSU. The numbers seem impossible, even if the Tigers’ offense was built for him to do virtually everything. His 44.2 ppg scoring average is to college hoops what Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak is to baseball. Maravich scored 3667 total points…in three varsity seasons. Keep in mind that he never played with a three-point line either. If he had that luxury, a study showed he would have averaged 57.
Sadly, Pete passed away at age 40 and he’s also the answer to the trivia question posed earlier. He never played in an NCAA Tournament game.
There is tremendous demand for a high-grade Maravich rookie cards but fortunately it’s not rare overall and you can still own a very respectable example for under $500. It’s probably not a stretch to say it’s among the most important basketball cards of all-time.
1971-72 Topps Dan Issel
If Pistol Pete had played in another conference, Dan Issel might have been a three-time SEC Player of the Year. Issel led Kentucky to three conference championships and set 23 individual records.
As a senior, Issel averaged 33.9 points per game (36 in the tournament). He was a two-time All-American who had two games in which he scored over 50 points.
Coach Adolph Rupp, once frustrated with his other players’ inability to get the ball to their star during one game is said to have told them, “This guy is going to be Kentucky’s all-time leading scorer by the time he’s through here. I thought you might like to meet him.”
Issel chose the ABA’s Kentucky Colonels over the NBA’s Detroit Pistons and didn’t miss a beat in the transition to the pros, winning both the league’s Rookie of the Year and a scoring titles in 1971.
His rookie card is one of the keys to the ’71-72 set and tough to find in high grade. Expect to pay at least $40 for a nicer raw example.
Related Stories:
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Best Vintage Hoops Bargain? 1972-73 Has Doc, HOF Horde
Ten 1970s Basketball Cards for the Hoop History Lover
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[…] and Don Zimmer among the cards listed. One of my all-time favorite cards in this grouping is the 2006 Topps Heritage Jerry Snyder card where he wrote on each card: “This isn’t me”. I think that may be my favorite error card […]