List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career assists leaders
Encyclopedia
In basketball
, an assist
is a pass to a teammate that directly leads to a score by field goal
. The top 25 highest assists totals in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division I men's basketball history are listed below. The NCAA did not split into its current divisions format until August 1973. From 1906 to 1955, there were no classifications to the NCAA nor its predecessor, the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS). Then, from 1956 to spring 1973, colleges were classified as either "NCAA University Division (Major College)" or "NCAA College Division (Small College)". Assists are a relatively new statistic in college basketball
, having only become an official statistic beginning with the 1983–84 season. According to the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball media guide, however, there were two seasons in the early 1950s in which assists were recorded: 1950–51 and 1951–52
.
The all-time leader in career assists is Bobby Hurley
of Duke
. He recorded 1,076 assists in 140 games (7.68 per game average) between 1989–90 and 1992–93. He also led the Blue Devils to consecutive national championships in 1991
and 1992
. Second on the list is Chris Corchiani
of NC State
, another Atlantic Coast Conference
school. In his four seasons, Corchiani compiled 1,038 assists. Only one other player besides Hurley and Corchiani has recorded 1,000 career assists at the Division I level: Ed Cota
of North Carolina
(1,030). Sherman Douglas
of Syracuse
is the only player on this list who also recorded 20 or more assists in a single game at both the Division I and National Basketball Association levels. For his college career, he played in 138 games while recording 960 assists.
Three schools in the top 25 all-time career assist leaders list are represented by more than one player; Bradley
, Duke and Notre Dame
each have two players. For Bradley, the players are Jim Les
and Anthony Manuel; for Duke, they are Hurley and Chris Duhon
; and for Notre Dame, they are Doug Gottlieb
and Chris Thomas
. However, Gottlieb split his career between Notre Dame and Oklahoma State, so his career total is not exclusive to the Fighting Irish.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, an assist
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
is a pass to a teammate that directly leads to a score by field goal
Field goal (basketball)
In basketball, the term field goal refers to a basket scored on any shot or tap other than a free throw, worth two or three points depending on the distance of the attempt from the basket. "Field Goal" is the official terminology used by the National Basketball Association in their rule book,...
. The top 25 highest assists totals in National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division I men's basketball history are listed below. The NCAA did not split into its current divisions format until August 1973. From 1906 to 1955, there were no classifications to the NCAA nor its predecessor, the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS). Then, from 1956 to spring 1973, colleges were classified as either "NCAA University Division (Major College)" or "NCAA College Division (Small College)". Assists are a relatively new statistic in college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
, having only become an official statistic beginning with the 1983–84 season. According to the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball media guide, however, there were two seasons in the early 1950s in which assists were recorded: 1950–51 and 1951–52
1951–52 NCAA men's basketball season
-Harlem Globetrotters vs. Seattle University:On January 21, 1952, the Harlem Globetrotters played Seattle in a game designed to raise funds for the United States Olympic efforts. Five days before the game was held, Royal Brougham received a call from Howard Hobson, who was the Yale basketball coach...
.
The all-time leader in career assists is Bobby Hurley
Bobby Hurley
Robert Matthew 'Bobby' Hurley is an American former basketball player and currently an assistant coach at Wagner College.-Biography:...
of Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
. He recorded 1,076 assists in 140 games (7.68 per game average) between 1989–90 and 1992–93. He also led the Blue Devils to consecutive national championships in 1991
1991 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1991 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 14, 1991, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
and 1992
1992 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1992 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 19, 1992, and ended with the championship game on April 6 in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
. Second on the list is Chris Corchiani
Chris Corchiani
Christopher Corchiani is a retired American professional basketball player. Corchiani's college career lasted from 1988 to 1991 at North Carolina State University....
of NC State
NC State Wolfpack men's basketball
The NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Wolfpack currently competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference, of which it was a founding member....
, another Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
school. In his four seasons, Corchiani compiled 1,038 assists. Only one other player besides Hurley and Corchiani has recorded 1,000 career assists at the Division I level: Ed Cota
Ed Cota
Eduardo Enrique Cota is an American professional basketball player. The 6' 0", 195-lb. point guard played for Atlas Stal Ostrów Wielkopolski in Poland. He is currently living in Chapel Hill, North Carolina....
of North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
(1,030). Sherman Douglas
Sherman Douglas
Sherman Douglas is a retired American professional basketball player from Syracuse University who played for the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers from 1989 to 2001...
of Syracuse
Syracuse Orange men's basketball
The Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Syracuse University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
is the only player on this list who also recorded 20 or more assists in a single game at both the Division I and National Basketball Association levels. For his college career, he played in 138 games while recording 960 assists.
Three schools in the top 25 all-time career assist leaders list are represented by more than one player; Bradley
Bradley Braves men's basketball
The Bradley Braves men's basketball team represents Bradley University, located in Peoria, Illinois, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2006, reaching the...
, Duke and Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The program competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. The school holds two national championships in...
each have two players. For Bradley, the players are Jim Les
Jim Les
-External links:**...
and Anthony Manuel; for Duke, they are Hurley and Chris Duhon
Chris Duhon
Chris Nicholas Duhon is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic. Duhon was a point guard for the Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team from 2000 to 2004, the Chicago Bulls from 2004 to 2008, and the New York Knicks from 2008 to 2010, and presently plays for the Orlando...
; and for Notre Dame, they are Doug Gottlieb
Doug Gottlieb
Douglas Michael Gottlieb is a former NCAA collegiate basketball player for the University of Notre Dame and Oklahoma State University, and the Russian Basketball Super League...
and Chris Thomas
Chris Thomas (basketball)
Chris Thomas is a Polish-American professional basketball player who is an alumnus of Pike High School and the University of Notre Dame.-Personal:...
. However, Gottlieb split his career between Notre Dame and Oklahoma State, so his career total is not exclusive to the Fighting Irish.
Key
| Pos. | G | F | C | Ref. |
| Position Basketball position The three basketball positions normally employed by organized basketball teams are guard, forward, and center. More specifically, they can be classified into the five positions: point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center. The rules of basketball do not mandate them, and... |
Guard Basketball position The three basketball positions normally employed by organized basketball teams are guard, forward, and center. More specifically, they can be classified into the five positions: point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center. The rules of basketball do not mandate them, and... |
Forward Basketball position The three basketball positions normally employed by organized basketball teams are guard, forward, and center. More specifically, they can be classified into the five positions: point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center. The rules of basketball do not mandate them, and... |
Center Basketball position The three basketball positions normally employed by organized basketball teams are guard, forward, and center. More specifically, they can be classified into the five positions: point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center. The rules of basketball do not mandate them, and... |
References |
| * | Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
| Team (X) | |
Assists leaders
| Player | Pos. | Team | Career start | Career end | Games played |
Assists Assist (basketball) In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist... |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Duke Duke Blue Devils men's basketball The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I... |
1989 | 1993 | 140 | 1,076 | ||
| G | NC State NC State Wolfpack men's basketball The NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Wolfpack currently competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference, of which it was a founding member.... |
1987 | 1991 | 124 | 1,038 | ||
| G | North Carolina North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history... |
1996 | 2000 | 138 | 1,030 | ||
| G | ETSU | 1987 | 1991 | 127 | 983 | ||
| G | Maryland Maryland Terrapins men's basketball The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition... |
1999 | 2003 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2002, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 7, 2003 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans,... |
138 | 972 | ||
| G | Syracuse Syracuse Orange men's basketball The Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Syracuse University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference... |
1985 | 1989 | 138 | 960 | ||
| G | Marquette Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball The Marquette Golden Eagles Basketball team is the basketball team that represents Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school's 1977 team, coached by Al McGuire, won the NCAA championship. Currently the team competes in the Big East Conference. It last played in the NCAA Division I... |
1991 | 1995 | 123 | 956 | ||
| G | Kansas | 2001 2001–02 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2001–02 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 9, 2001, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 1, 2002 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia... |
2005 2004–05 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2004–05 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2004, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 2, 2005 at the Edward Jones Dome in Saint Louis,... |
138 | 954 | ||
| G | Portland Portland Pilots men's basketball The Portland Pilots men's basketball team represents the University of Portland, located in Portland, Oregon, United States, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They play their home games at the Chiles Center and are members of the West Coast Conference. Their current head coach is Eric... / UNLV UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball The UNLV Runnin' Rebels are a NCAA Division I men's basketball team who play at the Thomas & Mack Center in Paradise, Nevada. Their most recent appearance in the NCAA Tournament was in 2011 when they received an at–large bid to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, earning an 8-seed in... |
1987 | 1991 | 138 | 950 | ||
| G | Notre Dame Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The program competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. The school holds two national championships in... / Oklahoma State |
1996 | 2000 | 124 | 947 | ||
| G | Oregon State Oregon State Beavers men's basketball The Oregon State Beavers men's basketball program, established in 1901, is the intercollegiate men's basketball program of the Oregon State University Beavers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference. The team is coached by Craig... |
1986 | 1990 | 120 | 939 | ||
| G | San Francisco San Francisco Dons men's basketball The San Francisco Dons basketball team represents the University of San Francisco in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's college basketball. The Dons compete in the West Coast Conference, in which they have won sixteen regular season and one conference tournament... |
1990 | 1994 | 116 | 902 | ||
| G | Northeastern | 1983 | 1987 | 128 | 894 | ||
| G | Arkansas State | 1996 | 2000 | 114 | 893 | ||
| G | Bradley Bradley Braves men's basketball The Bradley Braves men's basketball team represents Bradley University, located in Peoria, Illinois, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2006, reaching the... |
1982 | 1986 | 118 | 884 | ||
| G | Old Dominion Old Dominion Monarchs basketball The Old Dominion Monarchs Basketball team represents Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia in NCAA Division I men's competition. The school's team currently competes in the Colonial Athletic Association... |
1984 | 1988 | 120 | 883 | ||
| G | Delaware | 1984 | 1988 | 110 | 877 | ||
| G | Clemson Clemson Tigers men's basketball The Clemson Tigers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the NCAA Division I. The current head coach is Brad Brownell.-Team history:... |
1984 | 1988 | 122 | 857 | ||
| G | Bradley Bradley Braves men's basketball The Bradley Braves men's basketball team represents Bradley University, located in Peoria, Illinois, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2006, reaching the... (2) |
1985 | 1989 | 108 | 855 | ||
| G | UCLA UCLA Bruins men's basketball The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,... |
1985 | 1989 | 122 | 833 | ||
| G | Notre Dame Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The program competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. The school holds two national championships in... (2) |
2001 2001–02 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2001–02 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 9, 2001, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 1, 2002 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia... |
2005 2004–05 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2004–05 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2004, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 2, 2005 at the Edward Jones Dome in Saint Louis,... |
128 | 833 | ||
| G | Southern Methodist | 1982 | 1986 | 125 | 828 | ||
| G | Siena Siena Saints men's basketball The Siena Saints men's basketball team represents Siena College in Loudonville, New York, United States. The Division I program competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Saints are coached by Mitch Buonaguro who just completed his first season as head coach at Siena after serving as... |
2006 | 2010 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 9, 2009, and ended with the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 5, 2010 on the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The opening round occurred on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, followed by first... |
135 | 823 | ||
| G | Duke Duke Blue Devils men's basketball The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I... (2) |
2000 2000–01 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2000–01 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 8, 2000, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 2, 2001 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in... |
2004 2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2003, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 5, 2004 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas... |
144 | 819 | ||
| G | Oakland Oakland Golden Grizzlies men's basketball The Oakland Golden Grizzlies are the men's basketball team that represent Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, USA. The school's team competes in The Summit League and plays their home games at the Athletics Center O'Rena. The Golden Grizzlies are coached by Greg Kampe... |
2006 | 2010 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 9, 2009, and ended with the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 5, 2010 on the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The opening round occurred on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, followed by first... |
135 | 819 | ||