Best NBA Player from every Power 5 School

Best NBA player who played for Miami Hurricanes — Rick Barry

• NBA Champion
• 12X All-Star
• 1966 Rookie of the Year

Known for his underhand free throws, Rick Barry was much more than a gimmick. In fact, he made eight All-Star appearances, was All-NBA first team on five occasions, and won a championship with Golden State in 1975.

Drafted to the San Francisco Warriors in 1965, it didn’t take long for Barry to make a statement. He won Rookie of the Year averaging 25.7 points and 10.6 rebounds, then in his second year, led the NBA with 35.6 points per game. A smart, agile wing, Barry’s combination of skill stats and hustle stats is impressive even today. He was the scoring leader in ‘67, then the steals leader in ‘75.

At Miami, Barry was a three-time All-American who thrived in Miami’s explosive offense. He averaged 37.4 points per game as a senior and would have had the opportunity to do serious damage in the NCAA Tournament had Miami not been on probation.

Runner-up: John Salmons — He never made the All-Star game, but Salmons was a productive two-way wing through much of the 2000s, spending most of his time in Philadelphia and Sacramento. 

Best NBA player who played for Michigan State Spartans — Magic Johnson

• 5X NBA Champion
• 3X MVP
• 12X All-Star

The ultimate blend of old-school and new-school, Magic Johnson was a revelation out of Michigan State. He helped lead the Lakers to a championship as a rookie when the 6-foot-9 point guard filled in at center for the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in LA’s series-clinching Game 6 win over Philadelphia. He dropped 42 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists — one of the iconic individual performances in NBA history.

Johnson became the only rookie to win Finals MVP in 1980, then went on to win four more championships and two more Finals MVPs with LA. He was a 12-time All-Star, a 10-time All-NBA recipient, and a four-time NBA assists leader. He combined his preternatural playmaking instincts with electric scoring flourishes and a versatile defensive presence.

To no one’s surprise, Johnson was quite good in college, too. He won the NCAA championship in 1979 and earned Finals Four MVP, putting up similarly bonkers stat lines. Across two seasons at Michigan State, he averaged 17.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.9 assists.

Runner-up: Draymond Green — A three-time champion and the competitive soul of arguably the greatest team in NBA history, Green was a central figure in the NBA’s small-ball revolution.