#KU50: 9 Paul Pierce

One of the best Jayhawks in NBA history, Paul Pierce was also an incredible college player, whose 1,768 points rank 10th all time in Kansas history. A 6-6 forward who started all but 5 games in his college career, Pierce was an All-American as a junior. He also averaged 6.3 rebounds per game for his career.

Pierce led the Big 12 in win shares in 1998 and his career mark ranks 11th all time in Big 12 history.

Pierce was a good, though not great, 3-point shooter who shot 35 percent for his career, but he was efficient inside, making over half his twos.

Known mostly as a scorer, Pierce was also a capable defender who had 2 seasons in the top 10 in the Big 12 in steals and 2 seasons in the top 10 in the Big 12 in blocks.

Pierce was named co-Big 8 freshman of the year and 2nd team Freshman All-American in his first year on campus. He also won back-to-back Big 12 tournament MVPs as a sophomore and junior, helping Kansas win the first ever Big 12 Tournament title. As a junior, he was named first team All-Big 12 and an All-American when he averaged 20 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game.

Obviously Pierce is most known for his contributions to the Boston Celtics, but his college career stacks up against the best Kansas has to offer. He ranked 5th all time in scoring when he ended his career, and 11th in rebounding. Add in his underrated defense, and he’s a cinch for one of the top 10 Jayhawks ever.