Top Five NBA Players from the University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish athletics teams have had legendary NCAA success. Since the beginning of NCAA Tournament play, the Irish have played in 30 of them, reaching the Final Four once. Seven players from the 1978 Final Four team went on to play in the NBA including three of the five best NBA players from Notre Dame: Bill Laimbeer, Kelly Tripucka, and Orlando Woolridge.

Adrian Dantley:

Hall of Fame swingman Adrian Dantley was a great NBA player from Notre Dame. After taking the Fighting Irish to the Sweet Sixteen three times, Dantley embarked on a 15-year NBA career, during which he won the 1977 Rookie of the Year Award, played in six All-Star Games, and won two scoring titles. He played his best basketball with the Utah Jazz, averaging 29.6 points per game in seven seasons with the organization. Dantley scored more than 23,000 points in his career as one of the greatest scorers to ever play.

Bill Laimbeer:

Hard-nosed center Bill Laimbeer was one of the best NBA players from the University of Notre Dame. Laimbeer was drafted by the Cavs, but spent 13 of his 14 years in a Detroit Pistons' uniform. He averaged a double-double for the Pistons in every season from 1982 to 1988, earning spots on four All-Star teams in that stretch. In 1989 and 1990, Laimbeer helped the Pistons take home back-to-back NBA titles.

Kelly Tripucka:

A great scorer and two-time All-Star, Kelly Tripucka ranks among the best NBA players from Notre Dame. Tripucka was a terrific and efficient scorer for the Fighting Irish and he transitioned into NBA play with ease, averaging 21.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game as a rookie. He averaged better than 20 points in five of his ten NBA seasons, playing his best basketball with the Pistons from 1981 to 1986. He played his last three years with the expansion Charlotte Hornets from 1988 to 1991, averaging 22.6 points in his best season with the team.

Troy Murphy:

A versatile double-double threat now with the Indiana Pacers, power forward Troy Murphy is the top active NBA player from the University of Notre Dame. Through his first nine professional campaigns, Murphy has averaged at least ten points and ten boards per game five times. He is an active rebounder inside and a lethal shooting threat from outside. In the last four seasons with the Pacers, Murphy has shot 41.3 percent from three-point range as he has become one of the most reliable perimeter shooters in the NBA.

Orlando Woolridge:

Small forward Orlando Woolridge had several great scoring seasons and was a top NBA player from Notre Dame. Woolridge played his first five seasons with the Bulls from 1981 to 1986, adding shorter stints with the Nets, Lakers, Nuggets, Pistons, Bucks, and Sixers. Woolridge averaged 16 points per game on 51.3 percent shooting for his career, posting four seasons with a scoring average better than 20 per game.

References:

NBA & ABA Players Who Attended University of Notre Dame. Basketball-Reference.com