List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 20 or more assists in a game
Encyclopedia
In basketball
, an assist
is a pass to a teammate that directly leads to a score by field goal
. All of the players on this list have recorded at least 20 assists in a National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division I game. Assists were first recognized in the 1950–51 season, but only lasted through 1951–52 before the NCAA stopped recording them until the 1983–84 season. All players on this list have accumulated at least 20 assists in a game while playing for a Division I university. Through the 2009–10 season
, this has occurred only 20 times.
The single game record is 22 assists, which is shared by three players: Sherman Douglas
of Syracuse
, Tony Fairley of Charleston Southern and Avery Johnson
of Southern University. On four other occasions there have been 21-assist performances, while the 13 remaining instances have been 20 assists.
No school has had more than one player reach the 20-assist mark, but Southern University
is on this list four times via Johnson's four 20-assist games during his career. Johnson, who spent his first two college seasons at New Mexico Junior College
and then Cameron University
, only played NCAA Division I basketball for two seasons (1987, 1988). He led Division I in assists per game both years and the set the still–standing record of 13.30 assists per game in 1987–88. He is also the only player in Division I history to reach 20 assists more than once.
The most recent player to accomplish this feat is Alabama State's Brandon Brooks, who had 20 assists on March 8, 2008.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, an assist
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
is a pass to a teammate that directly leads to a score by field goal
Field goal (basketball)
In basketball, the term field goal refers to a basket scored on any shot or tap other than a free throw, worth two or three points depending on the distance of the attempt from the basket. "Field Goal" is the official terminology used by the National Basketball Association in their rule book,...
. All of the players on this list have recorded at least 20 assists in a National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division I game. Assists were first recognized in the 1950–51 season, but only lasted through 1951–52 before the NCAA stopped recording them until the 1983–84 season. All players on this list have accumulated at least 20 assists in a game while playing for a Division I university. Through the 2009–10 season
2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 9, 2009, and ended with the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 5, 2010 on the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The opening round occurred on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, followed by first...
, this has occurred only 20 times.
The single game record is 22 assists, which is shared by three players: Sherman Douglas
Sherman Douglas
Sherman Douglas is a retired American professional basketball player from Syracuse University who played for the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers from 1989 to 2001...
of Syracuse
Syracuse Orange men's basketball
The Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Syracuse University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
, Tony Fairley of Charleston Southern and Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson is a former American professional basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association team New Jersey Nets. He has also coached the Dallas Mavericks, leading them to their first NBA Finals appearance and four consecutive 50+ win seasons...
of Southern University. On four other occasions there have been 21-assist performances, while the 13 remaining instances have been 20 assists.
No school has had more than one player reach the 20-assist mark, but Southern University
Southern University
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
is on this list four times via Johnson's four 20-assist games during his career. Johnson, who spent his first two college seasons at New Mexico Junior College
New Mexico Junior College
New Mexico Junior College is a public junior college located less than outside of Hobbs, New Mexico, in the southeastern corner of the state.-History:New Mexico Junior College first opened its doors to students in the fall of 1966...
and then Cameron University
Cameron University
Cameron University is a four-year, state-funded university located in Lawton, Oklahoma, that offers more than 50 degrees through two-year, four-year and graduate programs. The degree programs emphasize the liberal arts, science and technology and graduate and professional studies...
, only played NCAA Division I basketball for two seasons (1987, 1988). He led Division I in assists per game both years and the set the still–standing record of 13.30 assists per game in 1987–88. He is also the only player in Division I history to reach 20 assists more than once.
The most recent player to accomplish this feat is Alabama State's Brandon Brooks, who had 20 assists on March 8, 2008.
Key
| Pos. | G | F | C | Ref. |
| Position Basketball position The three basketball positions normally employed by organized basketball teams are guard, forward, and center. More specifically, they can be classified into the five positions: point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center. The rules of basketball do not mandate them, and... |
Guard | Forward | Center | Reference(s) |
| Class (Cl.) key | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fr | Freshman Freshman A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a... |
So | Sophomore Sophomore Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a... |
Jr | Junior Junior (education) "Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman... |
Sr | Senior Senior (education) Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:... |
| * | Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
| Player (X) | Denotes the number of times the player appears on the list |
Dates of 20+ assists
| Assists Assist (basketball) In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist... |
Player | Pos. | Cl. | Team | Opponent | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | G | Syracuse Syracuse Orange men's basketball The Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Syracuse University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference... |
Providence Providence Friars men's basketball The Providence Friars men's basketball team represents Providence College in NCAA Division I competition, in which they are a founding member of the Big East Conference. They play their home games at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island... |
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| 22 | G | Charleston Southern | Armstrong Atlantic Armstrong Atlantic State University Armstrong Atlantic State University, also referred to as Armstrong Atlantic, Armstrong, or simply AASU, is a four-year public university part of the University System of Georgia. It is located on a campus in suburban Savannah, Georgia, United States... |
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| 22 | G | Southern U. | Texas Southern | ||||
| 21 | (2) | G | Southern U. | Alabama State | |||
| 21 | G | Bradley Bradley Braves men's basketball The Bradley Braves men's basketball team represents Bradley University, located in Peoria, Illinois, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2006, reaching the... |
UC Irvine | ||||
| 21 | G | New Mexico | Hawaii Hawaii Rainbow Warriors basketball The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors basketball team represents the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in NCAA men's competition. The school's team currently competes in the Western Athletic Conference. The team's most recent appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament was in 2002... |
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| 21 | G | UNLV 1986–87 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team The 1986–87 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada Las Vegas in NCAA Division I men's competition in the 1986–87 season under head coach Jerry Tarkanian... |
Navy | ||||
| 20 | G | Alabama State | Jackson State Jackson State Tigers men's basketball The Jackson State Tigers Basketball team is the basketball team that represent Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. The school's team currently competes in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2007... |
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| 20 | G | Michigan State 1999–2000 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team The 1999–2000 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 1999–2000 NCAA Division I men's basketball season.-Regular season:... |
Michigan Michigan Wolverines men's basketball The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Wolverines play home basketball games at the... |
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| 20 | G | NC State NC State Wolfpack men's basketball The NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Wolfpack currently competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference, of which it was a founding member.... |
Maryland Maryland Terrapins men's basketball The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition... |
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| 20 | G | New Mexico State New Mexico State Aggies men's basketball The New Mexico State Aggies Basketball team is the basketball team that represents New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1904, the Aggies currently compete in the Western Athletic Conference and last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2010... |
Sam Houston State | ||||
| 20 | G | Temple Temple Owls men's basketball The Temple Owls men's basketball team represents Temple University in the Atlantic 10 Conference at the Division I level. The program is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The head men's basketball coach is Fran Dunphy.-History:... |
Villanova Villanova Wildcats men's basketball This is the article about the men's basketball team from Villanova University. The team has competed since the 1920–21 season. Nicknamed the "Wildcats", Villanova is a member of the Big East Conference and the Philadelphia Big Five. The Villanova Wildcats have appeared in the NCAA... |
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| 20 | G | UMBC UMBC Retrievers men's basketball The UMBC Retrievers men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition as a member of the America East Conference. UMBC has made one postseason appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2008, in which it... |
St. Mary's (MD) St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Mary's College of Maryland, established in 1840, is a public, secular liberal arts college located in St. Mary's City, Maryland. It is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges and designated as a Public Honors College . St. Mary's College is a small college, with about 2,000... |
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| 20 | G | Fairfield Fairfield Stags men's basketball The Fairfield Stags men's basketball team represents Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut and competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I. The Stags play their home games in the 9,500 seat, state of the art Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut and plays... |
Loyola (MD) Loyola Greyhounds men's basketball Loyola College in Maryland, located in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, competes in NCAA Division I basketball. They received a bid to the NCAA Tournament in 1994 under Skip Prosser... |
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| 20 | (3) | G | Southern U. | Texas Southern | |||
| 20 | (4) | G | Southern U. | Mississippi Valley State | |||
| 20 | G | Middle Tennessee | Freed–Hardeman | ||||
| 20 | G | Clemson Clemson Tigers men's basketball The Clemson Tigers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the NCAA Division I. The current head coach is Brad Brownell.-Team history:... |
Maryland–Eastern Shore | ||||
| 20 | G | Saint Peter's | Holy Cross Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball The Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball team represents the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, in NCAA Division I competition. The team competes in the Patriot League and plays their home games in the Hart Center... |
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| 20 | G | Nicholls State | McNeese State | ||||