ESPN Report: LSU Legend Pete Maravich Named Greatest College Men’s Basketball Player of All Time
May 19, 2025 — Baton Rouge, LA
In a stunning but long-overdue recognition, ESPN has named LSU’s Pete Maravich as the greatest college men’s basketball player of all time. The announcement came as part of ESPN’s latest “College Basketball GOAT” series, in which the network ranked the top legends to ever play at the NCAA level. Maravich, who starred for the LSU Tigers from 1968 to 1970, topped a list that included other titans of the college game such as Austin Carr (Notre Dame), Christian Laettner (Duke), Dan Issel (Kentucky), and Jerry Lucas (Ohio State).
Known as “Pistol Pete” for his dazzling style and incredible scoring ability, Maravich’s college career is unmatched in NCAA history. In just three varsity seasons at LSU — before freshmen were allowed to play varsity basketball — Maravich amassed 3,667 points, still the NCAA’s all-time scoring record. Remarkably, he achieved this without the benefit of the three-point line or shot clock.
“Pete Maravich changed the way the college game was played,” said ESPN analyst Jay Bilas. “His creativity, his scoring, and his vision were generations ahead of his time. Even in today’s fast-paced, highlight-driven game, no one has done what he did.”
Maravich averaged an unprecedented 44.2 points per game during his college career under the coaching of his father, Press Maravich. His performances were not only statistically astounding but also electrifying to watch. Packed arenas followed the Tigers wherever they played, with fans drawn to Pete’s gravity-defying passes and long-range shooting.
The ESPN panel cited not just statistics, but also cultural and historical impact in making its decision. While players like Christian Laettner were celebrated for championships and clutch moments — Laettner remains the only player to start in four straight Final Fours — Maravich’s individual brilliance and impact on the style of the game won out.
“Pete made people fall in love with college basketball in a new way,” said ESPN senior writer Myron Medcalf. “There’s no flash without substance in his case. He was the prototype of the modern scoring guard.”
Maravich beat out stiff competition. Austin Carr once scored 61 points in a single NCAA tournament game. Dan Issel remains Kentucky’s all-time leading scorer. Jerry Lucas won a national title and was a three-time consensus All-American. But none could match Maravich’s blend of artistry, innovation, and pure production.
Despite never reaching the NCAA Tournament during his LSU tenure — a reflection of the team around him rather than his individual performance — Maravich’s legacy only grew after college. He went on to a productive NBA career and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. Tragically, Maravich died in 1988 at just 40 years old, but his legend has endured.
The ESPN recognition cements what many basketball historians and longtime fans have long believed — that Pete Maravich was not just ahead of his time, but truly without peer in the college game.
For LSU and the broader basketball community, the honor is both a celebration and a remembrance of one of the game’s true geniuses.
“Pistol Pete was magic before Magic,” said former coach Dale Brown. “And now the world has rightfully crowned him the greatest.”
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