Notre Dame Basketball: Top 10 Players Of The Mike Brey Era

1. Troy Murphy 1999-2001

Was there ever any doubt who was number one?

Two time Big East Player of the Year and 1998-99 Big East Rookie of the Year, Troy Murphy finishes this list in the top spot.

At 6’11, 245 pounds, you could say that Murphy was a player before his time. A three level scorer, he averaged 21.4 point per game. He led the Irish in both scoring and rebounding each season he spent in South Bend. He as a two time national All-American first team member and recorded over 2000 points and 900 rebounds in just 94 games played.

As a freshman, Murphy posted the second-highest scoring average in conference history at 19.2 points per game — second only to Georgetown legend Allen Iverson. He also tied the Big East record of 30 points in his first conference basketball game.

Murphy’s sophomore and junior campaigns were incredible to watch. He was a player like I had not really seen before. He could effectively play and score from anywhere on the court, and while his athleticism would never “wow” you, his end of game numbers — and his hair — certainly would.

Murphy received a ton of love from the media as a junior and even drew some comparisons to Larry Bird during his final season in South Bend. He eventually decided to forego his senior season and enter the NBA draft.

Troy was taken in the first round, 14th overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 2001 NBA Draft. He played with the Warriors for six seasons. His best season being 2004-05 when he averaged a double double, 15.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. He played his final game in 2012 for the Dallas Mavericks.

Next: Top 4 Players of the McGraw Era

Murphy returned to college after his playing days concluded, earning a degree in Sociology from Columbia.