Best NBA Player from every Power 5 School
23. player. 526. . SG. Gators . Bradley Beal
Best NBA player who played for Florida Gators — Bradley Beal
- 2X All-Star
- All-Rookie First Team
Bradley Beal has emerged as one of the NBA’s premier scoring guards. Entering his ninth season in Washington, the Florida product already has two All-Star appearances under his belt, and he averaged a whopping 30.5 points per game in 2019-20, second to only James Harden.
Defense is not his strong suit, but Beal has rapidly developed his skill set since entering the league. Once almost one-dimensional in his perimeter scoring, Beal has since developed into a well-rounded contributor, blending high-volume 3-point shooting with genuine point guard skills.
At Florida, Beal was one of the best freshmen in the SEC. He earned All-Freshman honors and led the Gators to an Elite 8 appearance. As expected, he turned pro after one season and was picked third overall by Washington in 2012.
Runner-up: Al Horford — One of the smartest, more fundamentally-sound basketball players of his generation, Horford led the Hawks to a decade of playoff appearances before asserting his star status in Boston.
435. . C. Seminoles . Dave Cowens. 13. player
Best NBA player who played for Florida State Seminoles — Dave Cowens
- 2X NBA Champion
- 1973 MVP
- 8X All-Star
Dave Cowens spent 10 of his 11 NBA seasons in Boston, where he won two championships and put together a Hall of Fame career. Celtics lore has an oversupply of legends, and as a result, Cowens doesn’t often get his due. He was the 1973 MVP, and his No. 18 hangs in the TD Garden rafters.
Slightly undersized for the center position, Cowens played much bigger than his frame at 6-foot-9. He dominated the glass, averaging over 13 rebounds per game in each of his first eight seasons. He made eight All-Star appearances, earned All-Defense honors thrice, and was the 1971 Rookie of the Year after earning Bill Russell’s endorsement.
Like in the NBA, Cowens spent his time at Florida State dominating the glass. He is still the program’s all-time rebounding leader, and he’s one of the best scorers in program history, too. Cowens was, to some degree, Bill Russell’s successor in Boston, and he adequately filled those very big shoes.
Runner-up: Sam Cassell — Part of an electrifying Bucks backcourt at the turn of the century, Cassell also won three NBA championships between Houston in the mid-90s and Boston in 2008.