South Carolina Basketball: Ranking the top-12 centers in Gamecock history
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina Basketball’s No. 3 Greatest Center of All-Time:
Lee Collins
Lee Collins (1952-1956) is the top rebounder in the history of Gamecock basketball. The 6’6″ center was undersized for the position but was strong and active in the paint, allowing him to rebound the basketball better than players who were significantly taller than he was. For his career, Collins averaged 12.5 rebounds per game despite playing a reserve role as a freshman. In his three years as a starter, that number jumped up to 14.6 boards per game.
Collins was not much of a scorer early in his career as the majority of his points came from the free throw line and on putbacks after offensive rebounds. However, his game developed, and he became an 18-point scorer as a senior. His best game came in a 29-point, 33-rebound explosion against The Citadel.
Collins’ dominance on the glass allowed the Gamecocks to stay in many games despite the team’s dearth of useful guards. Collins played a season alongside All-American forward Gary Gregor and three years next to good rebounder Joe Smith, but he still stands out as a rebounding machine. The Gamecocks didn’t win much during this era, but it wasn’t because of Collins and the frontcourt.