Best NBA Player from every Power 5 School

Best NBA player who played for Oregon State Beavers — Gary Payton

• NBA Champion
• 9X All-Star
• 1996 Defensive Player of the Year

‘The Glove’ was the fans’ nickname of choice for Gary Payton, who stands today as arguably the top defensive point guard in NBA history. Payton was lauded for his intensity and instincts, winning Defensive Player of the Year in 1996 and earning All-Defense honors nine times.

Payton spent the first 12 years of his career in Seattle before being traded midway through his 13th. He made nine All-Star appearances over that span, and he also earned nine consecutive All-NBA nods. Payton had no shortage of offensive talent either, averaging 24.2 points and 8.9 assists at his peak in 1999-00.

Payton spent a very productive four years at Oregon State, winning Freshman of the Year in 1987 and ending his collegiate career with Pac-10 Player of the Years honors in 1990. Payton still holds the school records for points, field goals, steals, and assists.

Runner-up: Brent Barry — One of the great 3-point shooters of the 90s and 2000s, Barry won two championships with San Antonio in 2005 and 2007. 

Best NBA player who played for Penn State Nittany Lions — Frank Brickowski

Frank Brickowski played three years overseas after getting drafted, not making his NBA debut with Seattle until 1984. It took Brickowski a while to find his stride in the NBA, but the 6-foot-9, 240-pound center found comfortable homes with San Antonio and Milwaukee in the late 80s and early 90s.

Brickowski’s career-best season came with Milwaukee in 1992-93, when he averaged 16.9 points and 6.1 rebounds. He spent three years in the Bucks’ starting center slot, where he used his wide frame to score efficiently inside. A sudden uptick in 3-point attempts helped Brickowski extend his career later on. In his penultimate NBA season with (once again) Seattle, he shot 40.5 percent from 3, and provided similar value in his final season with Boston.

Four seasons at Penn State — highlighted by a strong senior campaign, in which he averaged 13.0 points and 6.8 rebounds — got Brickowski drafted in the third round of the 1981 NBA Draft. He was selected by the Knicks, who stashed him overseas before eventually forfeiting his draft rights.

Runner-up: Bob Weiss — Weiss was on the rotational fringe when Philadelphia won its championship in 1967, but he would later develop into a solid contributor with the Bulls.