The 3,000-Point Club: Meet the Top 25 Scorers in Division I Basketball History
College basketball scoring got as much attention as it ever had this past season thanks to Iowa legend Caitlin Clark's historic run to the top of the all-time scoring list (men's and women's). In researching the top scorers of both genders in Division 1 basketball history, we see that 25 players have scored more than 3,000 points in their career (at least during the time of reliable scorekeeping, which for men dates to the 1947-48 season and for women to 1987-88). You may recognize some of these names from some other recent CBB content on here!
So what better way to brush up on these prolific scorers than introducing all of them, in order.
All stats via Sports Reference.
1. Caitlin Clark, Iowa, 2020-2024
Getty Images
3,951 points
The woman who changed the game. There have been incredible women's players who came before her, but she came at the perfect inflection point in the sport and took the nation by storm. But it's more than just right place, right time—she averaged a jaw-dropping 28.4 points per game over a four-year career at Iowa playing top-notch competition, so she very much earned her spot at the top. Next up, the WNBA.
2. Pete Maravich, LSU, 1967-1970
Getty Images
3,667 points
The explosion of Caitlin Clark coverage as she approached this illustrious scoring record indirectly led to a nice bump in awareness of Pistol Pete, a peerless scorer who played in an era with no three-pointers and no freshmen eligibility, so he got these 3,667 points in only 83 career games. We'll save you the effort of finding a calculator and get to the exclamation point: that's a per-game average of 44.2 points!!
3. Antoine Davis, Detroit Mercy, 2018-2023
3,664 points
We have to respect Davis' longevity, as he used his extra "COVID year" to basically play five full seasons of Division 1 ball, accumulating an obviously impressive 3,664 points in the process. That said, given all the games he played (144 in his career) and the air of desperation at the end of his career as he chased Pistol Pete, we're kind of glad he did not reach the top of this list.
4. Kelsey Plum, Washington, 2013-2017
Getty Images
3,527 points
Before she became a fun-to-watch W Champion with the Las Vegas Aces, this hard-nosed lefty was making it rain in college, averaging 25.4 ppg during a memorable career at the University of Washington in Seattle that left her as the all-time women's top scorer until Clark topped her this year.
5. Dyaisha Fair, Buffalo/Syracuse, 2019-2024
Getty Images
3,403 points
Far from the glare of Caitlin Clark, Fair quietly racked up her own gaudy point totals in the "COVID-era," scoring more than 2,000 in three seasons at Buffalo before transferring to Syracuse for two more years of eligibility. The WNBA is intrigued—Fair was a second-round pick of the Aces and could be a great addition to the W's best team.
6. Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State, 2014-2018
3,402 points
A legendary Buckeye, this remarkably consistent 5' 8" guard started all 139 games in her four seasons at Ohio State, averaging anywhere from 22.6 ppg to 26.1 ppg each season.
7. Jackie Stiles, Southwest Missouri State, 1997-2001
Getty Images
3,393 points
An explosive scorer who was ahead of her time, Stiles made little-known SMS a school to be reckoned with during her four-year career, which ended with her being the highest-scoring woman in DI history.
8. Brittney Griner, Baylor, 2009-2013
Getty Images
3,283 points
The highest-scoring center in CBB history (and the only one on this list, technically), Griner was a force of nature at Baylor, using her 6' 8" frame to dominate the paint at both ends of the floor.
9. Freeman Williams, Portland State, 1974-1978
3,249 points
Only the hardest of hard-core fans were aware of Williams when he was lighting up scoreboards for a little known school in Oregon that was never on TV, but scouts knew: the Celtics drafted Williams in the first round of the 1978 draft and after a trade to the Clippers, Williams went on to play 323 games over six NBA seasons. Pretty good for a guy out of Portland State!
10. Chris Clemons, Campbell, 2015-2019
3,225 points
The highest-scorer in Big South Conference history, Clemons just went to work on a daily basis during his four seasons as a Fighting Camel, averaging 24.8 ppg as an impact player every step of the way.
11. Lionel Simmons, LaSalle, 1986-1990
Getty Images
3,217 points
Simmons didn't do a ton as an NBA player but he remains an absolute legend of mid-major hoops after an awesome four-year career at LaSalle, a fun and scrappy program in Philadelphia's Big 5.
12. Alphonso Ford, Mississippi Valley State, 1989-1993
3,165 points
If sports fans in the 80s knew about Mississippi Valley State sports it was likely because of legendary wide receiver Jerry Rice, but Alphonso Ford made a bit for attention in the early 90's thanks to his explosive scoring from the guard spot.
13. Doug McDermott, Creighton, 2010-2014
Getty Images
3,150 points
The son of head coach Greg McDermott, Doug was a straight bucket during his four-year career as a Blue Jay, impressively improving his per-game average from 14.9 as a freshman to 22.9 as a sophomore to 23.2 as a junior to 26.7 as a senior. That's how you get a spot on this list!
14. Max Abmas, Oral Roberts/Texas, 2019-2024
3,131 points
If we're keeping it a buck, we need to admit we were not terribly familiar with Abmas before working on this list. That's what four years at Oral Roberts will do, huh? Abmas was a four-year starter at mid-major Oral Roberts before transferring to high-major Texas for this past season. And even though Abmas' 19.1-ppg average was less than he averaged each season at Oral Roberts, 19+ ppg in the Big 12 is nothing to sneeze at.
15. Jerica Coley, Florida International, 2010-2014
3,107 points
"Holy Coley," this young woman could score. A 5' 8" guard who did her thing for Florida International, Coley led the nation in scoring in her final two seasons.
16. Rachel Banham, Minnesota, 2011-2016
3,093 points
You probably know Banham as an eight-year WNBA vet, the last four of which were spent with the Minnesota Lynx, which is so appropriate for a woman who was a five-year (four plus a shortened redshirt season) star for the hometown Minnesota Golden Gophers.
17. Mike Daum, South Dakota State, 2015-2019
3,067 points
A 6' 9" forward who could shoot, Daum only started three games as a freshman at SDSU, but his career took off from there as he started every game his last three seasons and never averaged less than 23.9 ppg in any of them.
18. Harry Kelly, Texas Southern, 1979-1983
3,066 points
Kelly played just 110 games during his four-year career at TSU, a smallish school in the SWAC, but he made the most of them, averaging 27.9 ppg for his career (including a best-in-the-nation 28.8 as a senior).
19. Ashley Joens, Iowa State, 2018-2023
3,060 points
The best college player in Iowa this side of Caitlin Clark the past few years, Joens was a superstar at Iowa State for five seasons (COVID year) and spent last year bouncing around the WNBA, contributing to the Aces, Wings and Phoenix Mercury, for whom she figures to play this season.
20. Keydren Clark, St. Peter's, 2002-2006
3,058 points
A 5' 9" guard with swagger for days, "Kee-Kee" was a star at NYC's Rice High School before going across the river to star for the Peacocks. SPC didn't have any legendary NCAA Tourney runs during Clark's day, but they did have one heck of a scorer.
21. Elena Delle Donne, Delaware, 2009-2013
Getty Images
3,039 points
Originally attending—and easily good enough to star for—UConn, Delle Donne ended up spending her four-year career close to home in and at Delaware, where she became the greatest basketball player the state has ever produced.
22. Maya Moore, UConn, 2007-2011
Getty Images
3,036 points
More recently famous for being Caitlin Clark's favorite player or her inspiring off-court activism, Moore came to fame as a four-year star at UConn, the most successful women's program in America. It speaks to both the depth of UConn teams but also the singular excellence of Moore that she is the only former Husky on this list.
23. Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee, 1995-1999
SLAMonline.com
3,025 points
Famously the first woman to appear on the cover of SLAM Magazine, Holdsclaw was a legend three times over: As a high school star at Christ the King in her native Queens, as a two-time national champion at storied University of Tennessee and finally as one of the best players in the WNBA, particularly during her six seasons with the Washington Mystics.
24. Hersey Hawkins, Bradley, 1984-1988
Getty Images
3,008 points
Hersey Hawkins was the first time many sports fans ever heard of Bradley University, such was the impact of this electric scorer who led the nation in points per game as a senior with an eye-popping 36.3.
25. Cindy Blodgett, Maine, 1994-1998
3,005 points
You don't generally think of hoops when you think of Maine (at least you didn't before Cooper Flagg), but Cindy Blodgett was an exception to the rule, bringing early year WNBA scouts all the way to Orono to watch her elite scoring skills.
Couple of fun facts as this wraps up: no one other than the 25 players on this list has scored more than 3,000 Division I points, and this list was very neatly divided between the sexes with 13 women and 12 men.
Thanks for reading!
