Mario Chalmers's case for the greatest basketball college player ever

By Brad Taningco December 30, 2022 01:31

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Who is the G.O.A.T. greatest of all time in men’s college basketball? There are plenty of worthy candidates. UCLA greats Kareem Abdul-Jabbar formerly Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton come to mind, as well as another absolute collegiate colossus in Wilt Chamberlain.

Then there are the awesome guards in Oscar Robertson, Pete Maravich, and Jerry West, not to mention the great Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, who will likely be on top of most lists.

But someone who might not get the same consideration as those other greats - but definitely should - is Mario Chalmers.

Mario Chalmers played three seasons at Kansas from 2005 to 2008, averaging 12.2 points, 3.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 steals over those three years. Those statistics obviously don't scream "All-American" much less G.O.A.T., but Mario Chalmers' value tp those Jayhawks teams goes beyond much more than mere numbers.

After starting out behind Jeff Hawkins during his freshman year, Mario Chalmers quickly made the team his. By the end of his first year, he made history by becoming just the second freshman in Big 12 history to win Conference Player of the Week honors. He also set the KU and Big 12 Conference record for most steals in a season by a freshman with 89.

But Mario Chalmers wasn't done. He also showed out in the Big 12 Tournament as he was named MVP en route to leading Kansas to the conference title.

It was pretty much more of the same for the next two seasons as he and Kansas continued their domination over the Big 12. But that 2007-08 team was special, and with Chalmers leading the way, they made it all the way to the national championship game.

And late in that title game, Mario Chalmers hit one of the most iconic shots in NCAA history. After Derrick Rose split two free throws to put Memphis up three with 11 seconds left, Chalmers knocked down a cold-blooded 3-pointer to tie the game with 2 seconds left.

The game went into overtime, and Kansas would come away victorious. For his heroics, Mario Chalmers was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament over the electric Rose, whom he outdueled in that famous title game.

That outstanding championship-winning performance Mario Chalmers' makes the majority of his case for being the G.O.A.T. of men's college basketball. It was one of the most clutch performances of all-time,

Whether or not you agree that that makes him the G.O.A.T., no one can deny that Mario Chalmers has cemented his spot in NCAA history and his memory will live on for years to come.

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And if you true believer of Mario Chalmers’ G.O.A.T. status in college hoops and would like to represent the former Kansas Jayhawks star, then head on over to Fan Arch, where you can get all of his official merch.

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Fan Arch aims to transcend the narrative by making it easier to bridge the gap between athletes, influencers, and their fans. Check out our creative and personalized collection through Fanarch.com.