16. David Thompson, North Carolina State
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David Thompson was named the Associated Press Player of the Year in 1974 and 1975, and he scored 30 points a game in his final year at North Carolina State. But his place in history will always be tied to his tournament run in 1974 not because of something Thompson did but because of who he beat.
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The UCLA Bruins had a seven year dynasty, winning a national championship seven straight times from 1967 through 1973, before Thompson’s Wolfpack stunned them in the Final Four in 1974. North Carolina State went on to win its first ever national championship, and Thompson was named Most Outstanding Player for his role in ending (or at least pausing) the dynasty.
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