Best NBA Player from every Power 5 School
Bailey Howell. 52. player. 530. . PF. Bulldogs
Best NBA player who played for Mississippi State Bulldogs — Bailey Howell
- 2X NBA Champion
- 6X All-Star
- All-NBA Second Team
Bailey Howell was drafted No. 2 in 1959 by Detroit, where he spent the first five years of his career. Howell was a featured option for the Pistons, making four All-Star appearances and earning All-NBA honors in 1963. Traded in 1964, he then spent a brief two-year stint in Baltimore before getting traded again in 1966, this time to the Boston Celtics.
In Boston, Howell won two championships as part of a loaded frontcourt that included Bill Russell, Don Nelson, and Wayne Embry. His numbers dipped slightly in Boston, but it was a necessary sacrifice on such a talented team.
In three seasons on Mississippi State’s varsity team, Howell put together consecutive SEC MVP campaigns and accumulated impressive averages of 27.1 points and 17.0 rebounds. He unfortunately never played in the NCAA Tournament due to Mississippi State’s self-imposed segregation.
Runner-up: Jeff Malone — Malone was a talented perimeter scorer who averaged over 20 points per game in five consecutive seasons at the height of his career. He made two All-Star appearances.
Steve Stipanovich. 40. player. 531. . C. Tigers
- All-Rookie First Team
Steve Stipanovich — nicknamed “Stipo” — spent five years with the Indiana Pacers after getting drafted second overall in 1983. While he never made an All-Star Game, Stipo earned respect as one of the best centers in basketball, even if the Pacers endured multiple last-place finishes during his tenure.
A sturdy two-way presence who consistently averaged around 13 points and eight rebounds per game, Stipo’s career was cut unfortunately short due to a degenerative knee injury that ails him even to this day.
Stipo spent four years at Missouri, and he was heavily involved from the beginning. The 6-foot-11 center won conference Newcomer of the Year as a freshman and led Missouri to four consecutive Big Eight titles. He got as far as the Sweet 16.
Runner-up: Jordan Clarkson — Clarkson has found his footing as a lightning-rod scorer in the second unit, using quick-twitch athleticism and a deadly pull-up game to keep defenses in limbo.