- Bill Russell won two NCAA Tournament titles with San Francisco in 1955 and 1956.
- K.C. Jones and Russell helped pioneer the alley-oop shot.
- Phil Smith’s No. 20 was retired by the Dons.
Betting on the San Francisco Dons’ college basketball odds most recent efforts to make the NCAA Tournament had a long gap of success. Through the 2024 season, their last two appearances came in 1998 and 2022.
The Dons won back-to-back national championships in 1955 and 1956.
Right now, you can bet on their basketball odds at the BetMGM online sportsbook.
Many historic players have sported the Dons’ uniforms, including Bill Russell. Below is my list of the top five Dons of all time.
5 Best San Francisco Dons Basketball Players, Ranked
| Rank | Player | Position | San Francisco Years |
| 1 | Bill Russell | C | 1953-1956 |
| 2 | Bill Cartwright | C | 1975-1979 |
| 3 | Quintin Dailey | G | 1979-1982 |
| 4 | Phil Smith | G | 1971-1974 |
| 5 | K.C. Jones | G | 1951-1956 |
San Francisco Dons All-Time Greatest Basketball Players
1. Bill Russell
Russell played for the Dons from 1953 to 1956. During that span, he won two national championships while averaging 20.7 points and 20.3 rebounds per game.
In addition to the title wins, he was the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, UPI College Player of the Year, two-time Helms Player of the Year, two-time consensus first-team All-American, WCC Player of the Year, and three-time first-team All-WCC. The Dons retired his No. 6.
His No. 6 would go on to be retired by the entirety of the NBA.
Russell finished his time with the Dons with 1,636 points (10th in program history) and 1,606 rebounds (first).
He also holds the single-season rebounds record with 609 during the 1955-56 season.
2. Bill Cartwright
Cartwright played for the Dons from 1975 to 1979 and accumulated 2,116 points, the most in Dons history.
He was a two-time consensus second-team All-American, three-time WCAC Player of the Year, three-time first-team All-WCAC, and second-team All-WCAC, and the program retired his No. 24.
He averaged 19.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game.
In addition to leading the program in points, he recorded 1,137 rebounds (third) and 176 blocks (second).
3. Quintin Dailey
Dailey played for the Dons from 1979 to 1982 and was a consensus first-team All-American, two-time WCAC Player of the Year, two-time first-team All-WCAC, and second-team All-WCAC.
Over his collegiate career, he scored 1,814 points (second) and collected 131 steals (eighth).
Dailey holds the single-season scoring record with 755 during the 1981-82 season.
He averaged 20.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
4. Phil Smith
After Jones and Russell, there was Smith, who played for the team from 1971 to 1974 and led the Dons to back-to-back Elite Eight appearances in 1973 and 1974.
Then-head coach Bob Gaillard discovered Smith after he saw him playing pickup games on campus.
He averaged 18.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.
Smith’s No. 20 was retired by the program.
5. K.C. Jones
Jones played for the Dons from 1951 to 1956, winning two titles alongside Russell.
He was a consensus second-team All-American and a two-time All-CBA honoree, and the school retired his No. 4.
He averaged 8.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
Jones and Russell were one of the first duos to pioneer the alley-oop.
Jones was especially valuable on defence, and I’d consider him the Robin to Russell’s Batman.
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