__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's top 25 highest rebounders in men's basketball history are listed below. 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 spring 1973, colleges were classified as either "NCAA University Division (Major College)" or "NCAA College Division (Small College)".

College basketball's all-time leading rebounder is Tom Gola of La Salle. He recorded 2,201 rebounds (while also amassing 2,462 points) between 1951–52 and 1954–55. Gola is also one of seven players in the top 25 who have been enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The others are Bill Russell, Elvin Hayes, Elgin Baylor, Dave DeBusschere, Wes Unseld and Ralph Sampson. Robert Parish of Centenary, also a Hall of Famer, grabbed 1,820 rebounds which would have placed him fifth all-time. However, due to sanctions related to Parish's recruitment, the NCAA omitted all Centenary games and statistics from its official records starting with his freshman year of 1972–73 and continuing through the 1977–78 season, two years after Parish's graduation.

Three teams (Louisville, Wake Forest and Morehead State) each have two players in the top 25 all-time rebounding list. For Louisville, they are Charlie Tyra and Wes Unseld; for Wake Forest they are Dickie Hemric and Tim Duncan; and for Morehead State, they are Steve Hamilton and Kenneth Faried. Only one player, Elgin Baylor, split his college career at two different schools. He spent one season at Albertson College before transferring to Seattle University where he spent the next two years.

Key

Pos.GFCRef.PositionGuardForwardCenterReferences

^ Player still competing in NCAA Division I* Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Denotes the number of times a player from that team appears on the list Italics Unofficial career total not recognized due to NCAA sanctions C

Rebounding leaders Top 25 all-time

Player Pos. Team Career start Career end Gamesplayed ReboundsRef. * F La Salle 1951 1955 118 2,201 F George Washington 1952 1956 104 2,030 C Marshall 1952 1956 88 1,916 F Fordham 1951 1955 102 1,884 * C Centenary 1972 1976 108 1,820 F/C Wake Forest 1951 1955 104 1,802 C Creighton 1961 1964 81 1,751 C UConn 1951 1955 80 1,716 C C/F North Carolina 2019 2024 169 1,715 C F Arkansas State /Miami (Florida) /Baylor 2020 2025 155 1,694 F/C Alabama 1952 1956 93 1,688 F/C William & Mary 1957 1961 103 1,679 F/C Morehead State 1954 1958 102 1,675 F/C Morehead State (2) 2007 2011 136 1,673 F Louisville 1953 1957 95 1,617 * C San Francisco 1953 1956 79 1,606 * C Houston 1965 1968 93 1,602 C F/C Morehead State (3) /Auburn 2020 2025 168 1,594 F Providence 1971 1974 89 1,592* C Wake Forest (2) 1993 1997 128 1,570 F/C NC State 1953 1956 93 1,567 * F Albertson /Seattle 1954 1958 80 1,559 F Penn 1950 1953 82 1,557 * C Detroit Mercy 1959 1962 80 1,552 * F/C Louisville (2) 1965 1968 82 1,551 F/C Syracuse 1986 1990 143 1,537

Post-1973 era In the official NCAA men's basketball record book, 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 lesser-talented opponents that would be considered Division II, III or even NAIA in today's classification scheme. 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. Listed below are the top 10 rebounders in NCAA Division I basketball since 1973.

Player Pos. Team Career start Career end Gamesplayed ReboundsRef. C C/F North Carolina 2019 2024 169 1,715 C F Arkansas State /Miami (Florida) /Baylor 2020 2025 155 1,694 F/C Morehead State 2007 2011 136 1,673 C F/C Morehead State (2) /Auburn 2020 2025 168 1,594 * C Wake Forest 1993 1997 128 1,570 F/C Syracuse 1986 1990 143 1,537 F Drexel 1992 1996 120 1,514 * C Virginia 1979 1983 132 1,511 ^C C Michigan /Kansas 2020 2025 161 1,488 F Nevada 1972 1976 104 1,464

References General

Specific