Reputations, good and bad, are molded in NCAA Final Fours. Lew Alcindor and Chris Webber immediately come to mind.
So before another college basketball championship is decided Monday night, here’s one observer’s top-10 list of memorable individual performances in national title games. Remember, these are finals, so Bill Bradley’s 58-point game on 22-of-29 shooting against Wichita State in the 1965 third-place game is reserved for another listing:
Bill Walton, 1973
Arguably the greatest performance in NCAA history. The UCLA center made 21 of 22 shots, scored 44 points and added 13 rebounds in an 87-66 win over Memphis State. “That was the best performance I’ve seen,” Memphis coach Gene Bartow said afterward. “Ever.”
Lew Alcindor, 1969
The man later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar completed his third consecutive Most Outstanding Player performance with 37 points and 20 rebounds in UCLA’s 92-72 domination of Rick Mount and Purdue. In two games, Alcindor scored 62 points and grabbed 41 rebounds.
Bill Russell, 1956
Before he started winning NBA titles on a yearly basis, Russell led San Francisco to two NCAA titles in a row. His final college game was an 83-71 victory over Iowa in which the Dons’ center contributed 26 points, 27 rebounds and a giant defensive presence.
Danny Manning, 1988
“Danny and the Miracles,” as the Kansas Jayhawks were known, beat conference rival Oklahoma, 83-79, in the championship game. Manning scored 31 points and added 18 rebounds, five steals, two blocks and converted four clutch free throws in the final seconds.
Gail Goodrich, 1965
UCLA had more than dominating big men. Goodrich, a lefty-shooting guard, scored 42 points in a 91-80 victory over Michigan in which he shot 12-of-22 from the field — many of which would have been three-pointers today — and 18-of-20 from the line.
Jack Givens, 1978
Duke played a zone against Kentucky in the championship game. Big mistake. Givens, a lefty-shooting, 6-foot-4 forward, came through with 41 points on 18-of-27 shooting in the 94-88 victory. He scored Kentucky’s last 16 points of the first half.
Pervis Ellison, 1986
“Never Nervous Pervis” was a cool customer in leading Louisville to a 72-69 win over Duke. With top scorers Billy Thompson and Milt Wagner not shooting well, the freshman forward took up the void with 25 points and 11 rebounds.
Keith Smart, 1987
Indiana’s point guard scored all the important points in the Hoosiers’ 74-73 comeback win over Syracuse, including a 16-foot jumper with five seconds left for the winning basket. Smart scored 12 of Indiana’s final 15 points to deny a Syracuse freshman named Derrick Coleman a national title.
Clyde Lovellette, 1952
St. John’s run to the championship game was spoiled by Kansas and its imposing 6-foot-9 future pro. The New Yorkers were defenseless as Lovellette scored 33 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in an 80-63 win. Lovellette also scored 33 points in the Jayhawks’ semifinal win over Santa Clara.