Louisville has a long history in basketball. For better or worse, legendary coaches Denny Crum, “Peck” Hickman, and Rick Pitino. Not to mention some of the best players college basketball has ever produced, these were memorable teams.
These are our rankings of the top 20 players in Louisville Cardinals men’s basketball history. Presented in the order they happened.
A Louisville native and city legend, Tyra was the program’s first All-American (1956, ’57) — and first star, for that matter. Tyra is still the school’s all-time leader with 1,617 rebounds (which also ranks among the top 15 in NCAA history), and ranks within Louisville’s top 10 in career rebounding average (17.0), made field goals (640), points (1,728) and scoring average (18.2). He helped the Cardinals win their first NIT title in 1956, when he averaged school records of 23.8 points and 22.2 rebounds. Tyra’s No. 8 jersey is one of five retired by the school.
It was Turner’s chance to shine at Louisville, a few years after Charlie Tyra’s reign of terror ended. By averaging 14.0 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in 1958–59, he contributed to the Cardinals’ historic run to the Final Four. Two seasons later, Turner averaged 11.4 rebounds and 23.1 points, which is still second-highest in school history. He was named an All-American for the 1960–61 season. With 919 career rebounds, Taylor is ninth in school history. He also scored over 1,400 points at Louisville, where he is among the top 10 scorers with 16.9 points per game.
There’s an argument to be made that Unseld is the greatest basketball player ever to suit up at Louisville. He joins Charlie Tyra to have his No. 31 retired by the school. Unseld, a member of both the College Basketball and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fames, is the Cardinals’ all-time average scoring leader at 20.6 points, and the two-time consensus All-American ranks 11th with 1,686 points. His 23.0 points per game in 1967-68 is the third-highest in school history for a season. The Louisville native’s 18.9 career rebounds per game are also the most for a career by any Louisville player, and his 1,551 boards sit second.
Beard, who shared a room with Wes Unseld while attending Louisville, amassed nearly 1,600 points in his three seasons as a Cardinal. His career average of 19.0 points per game is second only to Unseld’s. In his career debut, Beard scored the most points of any Louisville player against Georgetown College with 27. In his first collegiate season (1966–67), Beard averaged 20.5 points; two years later, in his last season with the Cardinals, he scored 20.6. During that 1968–69 season, Beard was named an All-American. Furthermore, Beard received two selections as an All-Missouri Valley Conference performer.
Price fell just shy of 1,500 points for his collegiate career. However, he did average 21.0 points on 49.5-percent shooting during the 1971-72 season, while helping the Cardinals reach the Final Four for the second time in school history. The Indianapolis product also earned All-American honors that season, and his 244 made field goals from that campaign are the fifth-most by a Cardinal. Price’s 17.1 career scoring average also ranks sixth at Louisville. In addition. For his career, Price shot 46.4 percent, and also recorded 378 assists.
The pride of East Chicago, Ind., Bridgeman enjoyed success at every level of basketball he played. At Louisville, Bridgeman averaged 15.5 points, on an impressive 51.7-percent shooting, 7.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists for his three seasons. He was named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year in both 1974 and ’75. The latter while helping Louisville reach the Final Four, and earn All-American recognition. Bridgeman went on to enjoy a stellar NBA career, where he scored more than 11,000 points and had his No. 2 retired by the Milwaukee Bucks.
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