Pete Maravich is the NCAA’s All-Time leading scorer. He played for LSU for three years and absolutely dominated college basketball in those years. He played three years because, during his era, the NCAA didn’t allow freshmen to play basketball.
One of the youngest players ever inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Maravich was considered to be one of the greatest creative offensive talents and ball handlers of all time.
Would Maravich dominate modern basketball the way he did during his time?
Maravich averaged an astounding 44.2 points per game for his career, finishing with an NCAA record 3,667. This record stood for over 50 years until Caitlin Clark surpassed it with Iowa. Clark played for four years, though, compared to Maravich’s three.
When Maravich played, there was no three-point line, and researchers who watched the game film say if there had been a three-point line, Maravich would’ve averaged 57 points and 12 threes per game. Astonishing!
LSU’s “Pistol” Pete Maravich is NCAA’s all-time leading scorer w/3,667 career pts (44.2 ppg) in 3 years (freshmen ineligible) without a 3pt line.
Researchers who watched game film say w/3pt Maravich would’ve averaged 57 pts & 12 threes per game
How is this even possible? pic.twitter.com/udvsHiynyX
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) May 24, 2025
Maravich’s three seasons are the three highest-scoring seasons in NCAA history. He averaged 43.8 points per game as a sophomore, 44.2 in his junior year, and 44.5 in his senior year.
He was a three-time SEC player of the year and a three-time NCAA scoring champion, and LSU retired his jersey No. 23. The Atlanta Hawks selected him third overall in the 1970 NBA draft.
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Maravich spent 10 years in the NBA with three teams: the Atlanta Hawks, Jazz (he was in New Orleans then), and the Boston Celtics. He averaged 24.2 points over 10 NBA seasons and was a five-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA first-team performer. The Atlanta Hawks retired his jersey number 44, while the New Orleans Pelicans retired his number 7.
Maravich was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. He died suddenly at the age of 40 as a result of an undetected heart defect while playing a pick-up basketball game in Pasadena, California.
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