The Ultimate Virginia Basketball Players
A roundup of the best to ever take the floor for the Cavaliers
The Men
Top Gun: Bryant Stith (Col ’92)
Bryant Stith began his career as the ACC’s Rookie of the Year and finished it in 1992 as Virginia’s all-time leading scorer (2,516 points). Owner of the fourth-highest career point total in league history, Stith scored in double figures in each of his final 51 games.
The Dominator: Ralph Sampson (Col ’83)
A three-time national and ACC Player of the Year, the 7-4 Sampson towered over the competition and led UVA to wins in 112 of the 135 games during his career. He holds UVA career records for rebounding (1,511), blocked shots (462) and dunks (253). He was the NBA’s No. 1 draft choice by the Houston Rockets and was named NBA Rookie of the Year.
Clutch Performer: Jeff Lamp (Col ’85)
An All-ACC selection in each of his four seasons at Virginia, Lamp could be counted on to deliver when it mattered most. On his way to a then school record 2,317 points, he tied or won 14 games for the Cavaliers in the final minute of play. The Portland Trail Blazers picked Lamp in the first round of the 1981 NBA draft.
Scoring Machine: Buzzy Wilkinson (Col ’55, Law ’62)
An outstanding pure shooter, Wilkinson still holds UVA and ACC records for his career scoring average of 28.6 points per game. He also holds conference and school records for season scoring average—32.1 ppg in 1954-55.
Tournament Tough: Wally Walker (Col ’76)
The only Cavalier to receive the Everett Case Award as the ACC Tournament’s MVP, “Wonderful” Wally led Virginia to its only ACC Tournament title and first NCAA berth in 1976. In the ACC championship game against North Carolina, he scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
Long-Range Shooter: Curtis Staples (Col ’98)
The sweet-shooting Curtis Staples led the ACC in three-point shooting in three of his four seasons at Virginia. By the time he was done, Staples established a new NCAA career record with 413 three-pointers. The record lasted until 2006.
Dishing Them Out: John Crotty (Col ’91)
Finishing his career with 683 career assists, Crotty surpassed Jeff Jones’ record of 598 assists while Jones cheered him on from the bench in his first season as head coach. Though Crotty was undrafted, he went on to play 11 seasons in the NBA.
Groundbreaker: Barry Parkhill (Educ ’73)
Named Virginia’s first ACC Player of the Year after the 1971-72 season, Parkhill led the league in scoring and helped the Cavaliers to their first-ever top-10 ranking. The two-time All-American holds UVA’s single-game scoring record (51 points). In honor of his many contributions to the University, including his current position as associate athletics director for development, the practice courts at the John Paul Jones Arena are named for Parkhill.
The Women
Standard Bearer: Dawn Staley (Col ’92)
Regarded as one the greatest women’s players, Staley is the only ACC player—male or female—to record more than 2,000 points, 700 rebounds, 700 assists and 400 steals. She holds UVA career records for points (2,135), scoring average (16.3 ppg), free throws (505) and assists (729). The winner of three Olympic gold medals, Staley is currently the head women’s basketball coach at Temple University.
Running Mate: Tammi Reiss (Educ ’92)
A four-time All-ACC selection, Reiss shared the backcourt throughout her career with Dawn Staley as the Cavaliers went to three straight Final Fours and won two ACC Tournament titles. She finished her career ranked first in three-pointers (139) and still holds the UVA three-point field goal percentage record (.416).
Defensive Stopper: Donna Holt (Educ ’88)
A three-time All-ACC selection, the 1998 ACC Player of the Year and Virginia’s first All-American, Holt is the all-time school and conference leader in steals (529). Says Coach Debbie Ryan: “We took a whole other step when Donna came to Virginia. We went from being on the verge to going there.”
Double Threat: Wendy Palmer (Col ’96)
The first women’s player in UVA history to record more than 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds, Palmer was the ACC Player of the Year in consecutive seasons and finished her career as UVA’s leader in career rebounds. Palmer recently completed her 11th season in the WNBA.
Well-Rounded: Cathy Grimes (Col ’85, Law ’88)
A two-time Academic All-American, Grimes held the career rebounding record for nearly a decade and ranks sixth in scoring (1,754 points) and second in scoring average (15.3). After graduating in 1985, Grimes went on to earn a UVA law degree and currently works as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Education.
Shot Blocker: DeMya Walker (Col ’99)
It was unwise for opponents to attempt a shot with Walker nearby—her 332 career blocks nearly doubled the previous record set by Heather Burge. Walker was also efficient on the opposite end of the court, establishing a school record for field goal percentage (.557).
Frontcourt Force: Heather Burge (Col ’93)
Along with twin sister Heidi, Burge gave the Cavaliers a formidable frontcourt in the early ’90s. She is the Cavaliers’ second all-time leading scorer (2,058), rebounder (955) and shot blocker (152). Burge also holds the record for most games played at Virginia (135), edging her sister out by just one game.
Three-Point Sharpshooter: Tora Suber (Col ’97)
Coach Debbie Ryan always gave Suber the green light to shoot from anywhere, and with good reason. Ranked fifth in career scoring, she is UVA’s leader in three-pointers made (220).