Best NBA Player from every Power 5 School

Best NBA player who played for Pittsburgh Panthers — Billy Knight

• 2X All-Star
• All-ABA First Team
• All-Rookie First Team

Billy Knight began his NBA career in the ABA with Indiana, then transitioned to the NBA with the franchise two years later in 1976. He would then make brief stops in Buffalo and Boston before returning to the Pacers for the bulk of his playing career. Knight’s last season in the ABA and his first season in the NBA marked his two All-Star appearances.

A fluid 6-foot-6 wing, Knight had many facets to his game. He could beat defenses from different spots, be it a mid-range barrage or drives to the rim. As a second-year player, he averaged 28.1 points per game — the highest of his career — but he managed to sustain impactful production throughout most of his 11 years in the league.

Before the NBA, Knight spent three productive years on Pittsburgh’s varsity team. He averaged 22.2 points and 12.0 rebounds in 78 total games, and he led Pitt to an Elite Eight appearance in 1974.

Runner-up: Steven Adams — Adams’ strength lies in his, well, strength. He’s a big, bruising center who needed little time to establish relevance in OKC. 

Best NBA player who played for Purdue Boilermakers — Glenn Robinson

• NBA Champion
• 2X All-Star
• All-Rookie First Team

Glenn Robinson spent the first eight years of his 11-year career with the Milwaukee Bucks. He made two All-Star appearances and averaged 21.1 points and 6.2 rebounds over that span. Robinson, who was the No. 1 pick in 1994, still holds the record for the richest rookie contract ever signed at 10 years, $68 million.

A hard-working 6-foot-9 forward, Robinson shared the court with a bountiful array of talent over the years in Milwaukee — most notably Ray Allen and Sam Cassell, who helped to form one of the most flexible and explosive offenses in basketball. Robinson helped the Bucks to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2001, but he never got further in Milwaukee. He did, however, win the 2005 championship with San Antonio after joining the team mid-season. He retired soon after.

Robinson redshirted his freshman year at Purdue before helping the Boilermakers to the NCAA Tournament as a sophomore and junior. In his final year, Robinson averaged 30.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He led the NCAA in scoring that season and was named consensus national player of the year. He’s one of the best players in Big 10 history.

Runner-up: Joe Barry Carroll — Carroll spent the first six years of his NBA career with Golden State, providing a nifty interior scorer and making one All-Star appearance.