TOP 10 LEGENDS CLASSIC PERFORMANCES
Here’s a look back at some of the best individual performances in Legends Classic history.
1. Shamorie Ponds (St. John’s)
November 9-20, 2018
11/6 – 20 pts, 4 asts, 3 stls (vs. Loyola Maryland)
11/9 – 21 pts, 3 asts, 2 stls (vs. Bowling Green)
11/19 – 32 pts, 5 asts, 1 stl (vs. California)
11/20 – 35 pts, 7 asts, 7 stls (Champ. vs. VCU)
Most Valuable Player
He declared for the NBA Draft but decided to return for his junior season and St. John’s was grateful. The Big East preseason Player of the Year led the Red Storm to the 2018 GotPrint.com Legends Classic presented by Old Trapper title by scoring a record 67 points in the Championship Rounds, including 35 in the title game against VCU. In all, he set or tied six tournament records, including 108 points for all four games.
2. Henry Ellenson (Marquette)
November 13-24, 2015
11/13 – 21 pts, 16 rebs (vs. Belmont)
11/16 – 18 pts, 3 rebs (vs. IUPUI)
11/23 – 16 pts, 11 rebs (vs. #22 LSU)
11/24 – 18 pts, 11 rebs (Champ. vs. Arizona State)
Most Valuable Player
He may have been overshadowed by fellow freshman Ben Simmons of LSU before the tournament, but when it was over, Marquette was the 2015 Legends Classic champion and Ellenson was the tournament’s MVP. He scored 14 of his 18 points after the second half in Marquette’s 78-73 overtime win against Arizona State to win the title.
3. Ben Simmons (LSU)
November 16-24, 2015
11/16 – 22 pts, 9 rebs, 6 asts, 4 stls (vs. Kennesaw State)
11/19 – 23 pts, 16 rebs, 3 asts, 4 stls (vs. South Alabama)
11/23 – 21 pts, 20 rebs, 7 asts, 2 stls (vs. Marquette)
11/24 – 4 pts, 14 rebs, 10 asts, 3 stls (Cons. vs. NC State)
All-Tournament Team
He came in touted as the best freshman in the country and he did not disappoint. Despite LSU going 0-2 in the Championship Rounds, Simmons stood out, establishing a tournament record for rebounds (52). His match-up in the semifinals with another highly-regarded freshman, Henry Ellenson of Marquette, was a classic. Simmons would go on to become the top pick of the 2016 NBA Draft.
4. A.J. Abrams (Texas)
November 21-29, 2007
11/16 – 21 pts (vs. UC Davis)
11/18 – 30 pts, 5 rebs, 4 asts (vs. Arkansas-Monticello)
11/23 – 31 pts, 4 asts (vs. New Mexico State)
11/24 – 21 pts, 6 rebs (Champ. vs. #7 Tennessee)
All-Tournament Team
His performance in the 2008 was so dominating that he held eight Legends Classic records 11 years later, including overall points (103) and Championship Round points (52). His 21 points and six rebounds against No. 7 Tennessee gave the Longhorns the inaugural Legends Classic title.
5. Lamar Patterson (Pittsburgh)
November 25-26, 2013
11/25 – 23 pts, 4 asts, 5 stls (vs. Texas Tech)
11/26 – 24 pts, 6 asts (Champ. vs. Stanford)
Most Valuable Player
His 24 points in the championship game led five Panthers in double figures and Pitt to the largest margin of victory ever in a Legends Classic title match, an 88-67 win over Stanford. He shot 14-of-23 from the field and 12-of-14 from the line for the two Championship Round games.
6. Rick Jackson (Syracuse)
November 16-27, 2010
11/16 – 10 pts, 22 rebs (vs. Detroit)
11/21 – 11 pts, 10 asts (vs. William & Mary)
11/26 – 10 pts, 12 rebs (vs. Michigan)
11/27 – 10 pts, 14 rebs (Champ. vs. Georgia Tech)
Most Valuable Player
Dominated may be too soft a word to describe Jackson’s performance. He averaged a double-double of 10.3 points and 14.5 rebounds in leading Syracuse to the Legends crown. His 22 rebounds against Detroit are still the most in tournament history.
7. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Georgia)
November 12-20, 2012
11/12 – 27 pts, 6 rebs, 4 stls (vs. Youngstown State)
11/15 – 17 pts, 6 rebs, 5 asts (vs. Southern Mississippi)
11/19 – 14 pts, 6 rebs (vs. #1 Indiana)
11/20 – 16 pts, 8 rebs (Cons. vs. #13 UCLA)
All-Tournament Team
Georgia went 0-4 in the 2012 Legends Classic, but don’t blame Caldwell-Pope. He averaged 18.0 points and 6.5 rebounds over the four games.
8. Cody Zeller (Indiana)
November 12-20, 2012
11/12 – 22 pts, 9 rebs (vs. North Dakota State)
11/15 – 13 pts, 7 rebs (vs. Sam Houston)
11/19 – 6 pts, 4 rebs (vs. Georgia)
11/20 – 17 pts, 8 rebs (Champ. vs. Georgetown)
All-Tournament Team
Zeller rebounded from an off night against Georgia, surpassing his semifinal totals by halftime to lead Indiana to an 82-72 overtime win against Georgetown to capture the tournament championship.
9. Markel Starks (Georgetown)
November 19-20, 2012
11/19 – 23 pts (vs. #13 UCLA)
11/20 – 20 pts (Champ. vs. # 1 Indiana)
All-Tournament Team
His 23 points against UCLA in the semifinals were a career high, as were his nine field goals and 14 attempts. Starks shot 16-of-28 (.571) from the field in the Championship Rounds.
10. Caris LeVert (Michigan)
November 24-15, 2014
11/24 – 18 pts, 5 rebs (vs. Oregon)
11/25 – 16 pts, 6 rebs (Champ. vs. #12 Villanova)
All-Tournament Team
LeVert led #19 Michigan to the championship game against #12 Villanova. LeVert netted 18 points in a 70-63 win over Oregon in the semifinals, primarily on an 11-of-13 effort from the foul line. The next night against the Wildcats, he did his damage from the field, shooting 7-of-12 in a 60-55 loss.