List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season rebounding leaders

__NOTOC__ In basketball, a rebound is the act of gaining possession of the ball after a missed field goal or free throw. The National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I rebounding title is awarded to the player with the highest rebounds per game (rpg) average in a given season. From 1956 through 1962, the NCAA rebounding leader was determined by the highest individual recoveries out of the total by both teams in all games (meaning the highest percentage of the total possible rebounds determined the winner, not the per game average). The NCAA did not split into its current divisions format until August 1973. From 1906 to 1955, there were no classifications to the NCAA nor its predecessor, the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS). Then, from 1956 to 1973, colleges were classified as either "NCAA University Division (Major College)" or "NCAA College Division (Small College)". The NCAA's official men's basketball media guide recognizes rebounding champions beginning with the 1950–51 season.

Charlie Slack of Marshall owns the Division I record for a single-season rebounding average (25.6), which he accomplished in 1954–55. The all-time career rebounds record holder—Tom Gola of La Salle—never won an NCAA Division I rebounding title despite grabbing 2,201 rebounds. In the official NCAA men's basketball record books, a distinction is drawn between the pre-1973 era and the post-1973 era. One reason is that because of the split into the three Divisions in use today (Divisions I, II and III), many of the rebounds accumulated in the pre-1973 era were against less–talented opponents that would be considered Division II, III or even NAIA in today's hierarchy. Although the 1972–73 season was before the divisional split, the NCAA officially considers that season to be "post-1973" because of the adoption of freshman eligibility for varsity play in all NCAA sports effective in August 1972. Therefore, Kermit Washington of American is the post-1973 Division I single-season rpg record holder. He averaged 20.4 rebounds in 1972–73.

Nine players have earned multiple rebounding titles: Leroy Wright, Jerry Lucas, Artis Gilmore, Kermit Washington, Xavier McDaniel, Paul Millsap, O. D. Anosike, Alan Williams, and Oscar Tshiebwe. Of these, only Millsap earned three NCAA Division I rebounding titles, which he accomplished from 2004 to 2006. He also skipped his senior season to enter the National Basketball Association (NBA) early, so had he stayed at Louisiana Tech he may have won the rebounding title a fourth time. Eight players who won Division I rebounding titles have been enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: Elgin Baylor, Artis Gilmore, Jerry Lucas, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Spencer Haywood, Shaquille O'Neal, and Tim Duncan.

Three players who have led the NCAA in rebounds also led the association in scoring as well. Xavier McDaniel was the first to accomplish the feat in the 1984–85 season. That season he averaged 27.2 points and 14.8 rebounds per game for Wichita State University. In 1988–89, Loyola Marymount's Hank Gathers lead the nation with 32.7 points and 13.7 rebounds per game. The last player to lead the country in both categories was Kurt Thomas of Texas Christian University. His 28.9 points and 14.6 rebounds per game topped the NCAA in the 1994–95 season. Gathers was a junior; the other two were seniors.

Key

Pos.GFCRPGRef. Position Guard Forward Center Rebounds per game References Class (Cl.) key Fr Freshman So Sophomore Jr Junior Sr Senior Gr Graduate

^ Player still competing in NCAA Division I* Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Player (X) Denotes the number of times the player had been therebounding leader up to and including that season Italics Unofficial season-leading total not recognized due to NCAA sanctions

Rebounding leaders

All schools are listed under their current athletic brand names, which do not always match those used by a program in a given season. Season Player Pos. Cl. Team Gamesplayed Rebounds RPGRef.1950–51GPenn2755620.61951–52CArmy1735520.91952–53G/FFordham2661223.51953–54CUConn2658822.61954–55FMarshall2153825.61955–56F/CGeorge Washington26604.2561956–57 *FSeattle25508.2351957–58FNiagara25536.2621958–59F/CPacific26652.2381959–60 (2)F/CPacific17380.2341960–61 *F/COhio State27470.1981961–62 * (2)F/COhio State28499.2111962–63FCreighton2755720.61963–64CXavier2656721.81964–65FUConn2348321.01965–66FOklahoma City2960720.91966–67CMurray State2247921.81967–68CFlorida2549419.81968–69 *F/CDetroit Mercy2247221.51969–70 *CJacksonville2862122.21970–71 * (2)CJacksonville2660323.21971–72FAmerican2345519.81972–73 (2)FAmerican2551120.41973–74F/CProvidence3259718.71974–75 * C Centenary 29 447 15.41974–75F/CHofstra2132315.3 1975–76 * (2) C Centenary 27 485 18.01975–76F/CBuffalo2642016.21976–77FSeton Hall2947316.31977–78FNorth Texas2841114.71978–79FTennessee State2642116.21979–80C/FAlcorn State2639215.11980–81FMississippi Valley State2737914.01981–82C/FTexas2736513.51982–83FWichita State2840314.41983–84 *CHouston3750013.51984–85 (2)FWichita State3146014.81985–86 *CNavy3545513.01986–87FPittsburgh3344413.51987–88CLoyola Chicago2939513.61988–89FLoyola Marymount3142613.71989–90F/CSaint Louis3345613.81990–91 *CLSU2841114.71991–92FMurray State3043114.41992–93FMiddle Tennessee2638614.81993–94FBaylor2435514.81994–95CTCU2739314.61995–96FMississippi Valley State2939413.61996–97 *CWake Forest3145714.71997–98FDayton3341212.51998–99FDartmouth2631712.21999–00FFairfield2940514.02000–01CWestern Kentucky3137412.12001–02FQuinnipiac2934712.02002–03C/FOhio3037812.62003–04FLouisiana Tech3037412.52004–05 (2)FLouisiana Tech2936012.42005–06 (3)FLouisiana Tech3343813.32006–07F/CLittle Rock3039213.12007–08FKansas State3340812.42008–09FOklahoma3550414.42009–10CRadford3141413.42010–11F/CMorehead State3550814.52011–12FSiena3138812.52012–13 (2)FSiena3236411.42013–14CUC Santa Barbara2832211.52014–15 (2)CUC Santa Barbara2630811.82015–16CEvansville3447413.92016–17CSeton Hall3343113.12017–18FUNC Wilmington3243113.52018–19F/CColorado State3241212.92019–20FQuinnipiac3039913.32020–21CUtah Valley2233015.0 2021–22 F/C Kentucky 34 515 15.1 2022–23 (2) F/C Kentucky 32 437 13.7 2023–24 F Akron 35 453 12.9 2024–25 F Northern Arizona 34 423 12.4 2025–26 F Washington 30 353 11.8

Multiple-time leaders RankPlayerTeamTimes leaderYears1Paul MillsapLouisiana Tech32003–04, 2004–05, 2005–062O. D. AnosikeSiena22011–12, 2012–13Artis GilmoreJacksonville1969–70, 1970–71Jerry LucasOhio State1960–61, 1961–62Xavier McDanielWichita State1982–83, 1984–85Robert ParishCentenary1974–75, 1975–76Oscar TshiebweKentucky2021–22, 2022–23Kermit WashingtonAmerican1971–72, 1972–73Alan WilliamsUC Santa Barbara2013–14, 2014–15Leroy WrightPacific1958–59, 1959–60

Footnotes

References General

Specific