Top Five NBA Players from Creighton University

The Bluejays men's basketball team of Creighton University have one of the most successful programs in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bluejays have been invited to 16 NCAA Tournaments, reaching the Sweet Sixteen four times. The best NBA players from Creighton University include former All-Star center Paul Silas and active sharpshooting forward Kyle Korver.

Paul Silas:

Paul Silas was a terrific defensive power forward and the all-time greatest NBA player from Creighton University. Creighton averaged more than 20 points and 20 rebounds in his three seasons with the Bluejays before entering the NBA in 1964. He became a two-time All-Star, five-time All-Defensive player, and a three-time NBA Champion. His most successful stint came in Boston where he averaged 11.5 points and 12.3 rebounds while winning two NBA titles. Silas averaged a double-double eight times in his career and totaled 11,782 points and 12,357 rebounds in his 16 seasons. He ranks 18th on the NBA's all-time rebounding list. After his playing career, Silas spent ten seasons as a head coach in the NBA.

Benoit Benjamin:

Longtime center Benoit Benjamin was one of the top NBA players from Creighton University. Benjamin became the highest ever draft pick out of Creighton when the Clippers drafted him third overall in 1985. He spent the next 15 seasons in the NBA with totals of 9,223 points, 6,063 rebounds, and 1,581 blocks. Benjamin's best years were the six he spent with the Clippers as he compiled averages of 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks including a double-double season in his last campaign with the team. For his career as a whole, Benjamin averaged 2.0 blocks per game, the 25th highest career rate in NBA history.

Kyle Korver:

Kyle Korver is a lethal three-point shooting threat and one of the best NBA players from Creighton University. Korver helped take the Bluejays to four straight NCAA Tournaments and earned All-America honors as a senior. In his second NBA season, Korver led the NBA with 226 threes and in 2009-10 was the leader in three-point shooting percentage with a .536 clip. His .410 career three-point percentage is the sixth best among active players and the 13th highest in NBA history. Through seven years with the Sixers and Jazz, Korver has career averages of 9.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.7 threes per game.

Rodney Buford:

Former Creighton swingman Rodney Buford spent five seasons in the NBA from 1999 to 2005. Buford scored 2,116 points for the Bluejays to become Creighton's all-time leading scorer. He was a second round pick in 1999 and he spent individual seasons with the Heat, Sixers, Grizzlies, Kings, and Nets. His best season came in Memphis in 2001-02 when he averaged 9.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.

Anthony Tolliver:

In 2008, forward Anthony Tolliver became the most recent Creighton player to enter the NBA. Tolliver was a member of the last two Bluejays teams to reach the NCAA Tournament in 2005 and 2007. Though he went undrafted, Tolliver was picked up by the Spurs in 2008-09 and he played 19 games with the team. After signing a 10-day contract with Golden State, he found a system in which he could thrive. As a member of the Warriors in 2010, Tolliver played 44 games with averages of 12.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 three-pointers per game. Going into the 2010-11 season, Tolliver has a new two-year deal with the Timberwolves.

References:

NBA & ABA Players Who Attended Creighton University. Basketball-Reference.com