that is in the eye of the beholder, but I take it you are younger. Which is fine. But selecting Chris Kingsbury, James Moses and Gerry Wright ahead of guys like Fred Brown, John Johnson and Stokes cannot be done.
My father, who has seen Iowa basketball back the 1950s, says John Johnson was the best player he has ever seen play for Iowa. The numbers would back that up.
Johnson averaged 27.9 points a game in 1970. He also scored 699 points that season (still the Iowa season record, despite playing only 25 games that year). He also averaged 10.1 and 10.7 rebounds a game in his two seasons. Career averages of 23.9 points per game, 10.5 rebounds a game. Shot 54% from the field and 71% from the line.
Brown averaged 17.9 and 27.6 points a game his two years at Iowa, shot 50% from the field and 82% from the line. Would have had numerous more points had the 3-point line been in effect. They were the leaders of the last Iowa team to win the conference title outright (1970), 40 years ago.
Both of these guys had long, successful NBA careers. Brown played 13 years in the league, was the captain of the Sonics' 1979 championship team. His best year he finished fifth in the NBA in scoring and led the league in 3-point shooting in 1979, the first year the NBA had the line. Had the college had the 3-point line, he would have averaged over 30 points a game, easily. I'm old enough to remember his time in the NBA. He was a very good NBA player, the likes we haven't really seen here since.
Johnson played 12 years in the NBA, also in the Sonics title team with Brown. Played in 2 all-star games, averaged 13 points a game in his NBA career.
Stokes was the best low-post scorer at Iowa in my lifetime. Devastatingly effective with the left-hand moves in the paint.
