Best NBA Player from every Power 5 School
Best NBA player who played for Rutgers Scarlet Knights — Roy Hinson
Roy Hinson spent eight years in the NBA from 1983 to 1991. He split time between Cleveland, Philadelphia, and New Jersey. He started his career strong for the Cavaliers, peaking at 19.6 points per game in his third NBA season. He was traded to Philadelphia the next year — for the No. 1 overall pick — but struggled to maintain his upward trajectory.
Hinson appeared in the 1986 dunk contest and was known for his physical gifts at the forward spots. He was 6-foot-9 with good burst and physicality, averaging over two blocks per game in multiple seasons.
Steady improvement was the main theme of Hinson’s four years at Rutgers. His scoring average increased each season, culminating with 16.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game as a senior. A New Jersey native, he stayed close to home for school and would finish his NBA career in his home state.
Runner-up: John Battle — Battle split his career between Cleveland and Atlanta, mostly as a backup two-guard. He averaged 13.6 points per game at his peak in 1990-91.
player. 533. . SF. Gamecocks . Alex English. 22
Best NBA player who played for South Carolina Gamecocks — Alex English
- 8X All-Star
- 3X All-NBA
- 1983 NBA Scoring Champ
One of the most natural scorers in NBA history, Alex English needed only a few seasons to find his footing. After two seasons with Milwaukee and a brief pitstop in Indiana, English was traded to the Denver Nuggets in 1980. He would go on the spend 10 more years there.
With Denver, English appeared in eight All-Star games and was named to an All-NBA team thrice. He became one of the NBA’s most lethal perimeter weapons and was scoring champ in 1983. The Nuggets never won the title, but English did lead them to a conference finals appearance in 1985. He’s in the Hall of Fame.
From 1972 to 1976, English spent four years at South Carolina. He averaged 17.8 points and 9.6 rebounds in that span, and is still the No. 2 scorer in program history. English’s efficiency and hustle earned him the 23rd overall pick in 1976.
Runner-up: Brian Winters — Winters spent eight of his nine NBA seasons in Milwaukee, where he made two All-Star appearances and averaged as much as 19.9 points per game. A skilled scorer and playmaker at the two, Winters was among the most successful early 3-point shooters.