Here are the top five individual performances in NCAA championship games: 5. Ed O’Bannon, UCLA, 1995 » The Bruins had endured a 20-year stretch without a title before O’Bannon led them to another one with a 30-point, 17-rebound performance to beat Arkansas 89-78. The Bruins made sure the Razorbacks’ 40 Minutes of Hell system, good enough to win a title the previous year, didn’t stop them in the final.
4. Jack Givens, Kentucky, 1978 » Kentucky was the top-ranked team almost the entire season, and Givens was a big reason for its success. But his performance in a 94-88 win over Duke in the final went above and beyond. In that game, Givens scored 41 points on 18-for-27 shooting.
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3. Bill Russell, San Francisco, 1956 » Before he won seemingly every year in the NBA, Russell did it in college, too. In the 1956 final, an 83-71 win over Iowa, Russell scored 26 points and grabbed 27 rebounds. Various newspaper reports also had him blocking 12 shots. Russell set a Final Four record with 50 rebounds.
2. Danny Manning, Kansas, 1988 » Danny and the Miracles stunned Oklahoma 83-79 in the championship game. Manning did everything for the Jayhawks, scoring 31 points, grabbing 18 rebounds and stealing five passes against a front line that included Harvey Grant and Stacey King.
1. Bill Walton, UCLA, 1973 » The Bruins dominated college basketball; Walton was their best player. That combination led to a historic night in the championship game when Walton made 21 of 22 field goals in a 44-point night to beat Memphis 87-66 for the Bruins’ seventh straight title.
– John Keim
