"No lies; no damn lies; just statistics"
Surpassing record-holders and getting to the top have different guidelines for different times and that goes for the leading scorers in college basketball
If you can’t figure it out, Pete Maravich is the basketball player on the left and Caitlin Clark is the basketball player on the right. (Photo courtesy of NBCsports.com)
Caitlin Clark gets to the mountain top
Congratulation to Caitlin Clark, the Iowa basketball player who has surpassed Pete Maravich as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division 1 college basketball, men and women.
She needed just 18 points in her final regular season game last Sunday against second-ranked Ohio State, but, in true Clark fashion, she scored 35 points in the Hawkeyes’ 93-83 win. She finished the regular season with 3,685 points; Maravich, in his collegiate career at LSU, had 3,677 points.
Before we dissect the two careers of Clark and Maravich, let’s side-track to baseball and home runs and then football rushing yardage.
Comparing Ruth, Maris, and Judge
Let’s compare Babe Ruth and Roger Maris and their single season homerun record setting seasons:
In 1927, Ruth played in 151 of 154 possible regular season games; had 540 at-bats; struck out 89 times; walked 137 times; was intentionally walked three times; and hit a record setting 60 home runs, surpassing his previous record of 59 home runs in 1921.
In 1961, Maris played in 161 of 162 possible regular season games; had 590 at-bats; struck out 67 times; walked 94 times; was never intentionally walked; and hit a record setting 61 home runs.
Even though Maris is not at the top of the single season home run record where he was after the 1961 season, there are baseball lovers who want to place an asterisk next to the 60 home runs hit by Maris because of the 10 extra games played by Maris.
On the other hand…
Aaron Judge, in 2022, played in 157 of 162 possible regular season games; had 570 at-bats; struck out 175 times; walked 111 times (some intentionally unintentional); was intentionally walked 19 times; hit a record setting 62 home runs for the American League.
The two commonalities among the three: Ruth, Maris, and Judge played in the American League and, of course, each are and always will be New York Yankees, even Maris who completed his baseball career with two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Speaking of the National League…
Three other names appear ahead of Judge, Maris, and Ruth on the single season major league homerun record list: Barry Bonds with 73 in 2001; Mark McGwire with 70 in 1998 and 65 in 1999; and Sammy Sosa with 66 in 1998, 64 in 2001, and 63 in 1999. But as far as I and many other baseball aficionados are concerned, those should not be listed because of the era of steroids. Give them a double asterisk (**) for playing on drugs.
The purpose of the Ruth to Maris to Judge comparison is to distinguish the record based on possible regular season games played and actual games played. Many baseball fans continue to hold Ruth in the highest of esteem when it comes to that ability and record. To those, Judge surpasses Ruth but Maris is a question-mark, or maybe a one asterisk (*) entry.
Rushing for football records
Then there are those of us who understand that, in sports, everything changes and records are broken for various reasons, the first is the ability to accomplish the record setting feat and the second actually doing it even when the playing field is not level. Take rushing in football.
To gush about a single season 1,000 yard rusher in college or professional football, professional being easier, is somewhat a task not worthy.
When colleges played 10 games a year, a player had to average 100 yards a game for 1,000 yards (duh), and post-season stats were not included.
With 12 games, the average is just over 83 yards a game and bowl games and playoffs are included which brings down the required average.
In the NFL with 18 games, that’s just under 56 yards a game, no big deal.
However, in a sport such as football longevity offers chances to be career leading rushers. From Wikipedia, in part:
The NCAA recognizes San Diego State's Donnel Pumphrey as the career leading in rushing yards with 6,405 total yards. However, Wisconsin's Ron Dayne rushed for 7,125 in his career, but all four of Dayne's seasons came before the NCAA recognized bowl statistics in 2002 (but not retroactively) as part of season and career totals. Dayne officially is listed as having eight yards less than of Pumphrey despite only one player having their bowl statistics included. This has been seen as controversial by many fans and writers, who feel that the NCAA should count all pre-2002 bowl statistics as official if post-2002 ones are. Additionally, Pittsburgh's Tony Dorsett would be ahead of Pumphrey if his bowl statistics were counted.
Closer to home, there’s NC State’s Ted Brown, who officially had 4,602 yards rushing in regular seasons 1975-78. That doesn’t include rushing yardage in three bowl games. He had 399 yards in those games so his total would be 5,005 yards, and he would be the leader in the ACC, a longtime record.
In 2017-2020 seasons, Clemson’s Travis Etienne rushed for 4,952 yards, including post-season games sending him to the top of the ACC’s career rushing record of 4,602 held by Brown since 1978. Wolfpack fans continue to praise Brown for his effort and consider him the league leader, though the record book has him second.
So, what about Maravich and Clark?
Compare the career stats of each and you’ll not find apples to apples except for the word “career.”
Caitlin Clark
played four college seasons at Iowa: 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24.
played in 130 games for the Hawkeyes
made 1,207 of 2,593 field goals (46.5 percent), 2-point and 3-point attempts together
made 509 of 1,332 three-point attempts (38.2 percent)
made 762 of 890 free throws attempts
scored a career total and record setting 3,685 points through the 2023-24 regular season
NOTE: Her current season is not over. She still has the Big Ten tournament and the NCAA Tournament to play. More points are on the way.)
NOTE 2: There is and has been a 3-point line and a 30-second clock in both men’s and women’s basketball during Clark’s play at Iowa.
Pete Maravich:
played three college seasons at LSU: 1967-68, 1968-69, 1969-70.
played in 83 games for the Tigers
made 1,387 of 3,166 two-point field goal attempts (43.8 percent)
drained 893 of 1,152 free throw attempts (77.5 percent)
scored a career total of 3,667 points
NOTE: There was no three-point shot when Maravich played, and there was no 30-second clock or any length-of-time clock for the offense.
So, who’s the better of the two, Caitlin or Pete?
Of all of Clark’s field goals, 42 percent were for three points. If 42 percent of Maravich’s field goals made had been for three points, he would add 585 points to his total for 4,252 points, and we would not be having this discussion.
On the other hand, if Clark, who has ignited a nationwide appreciation of women’s basketball with her overall play and long-range shooting, didn’t have three-point goals, she would delete 509 points for a total of 3,176 points, and we would not be having this discussion.
Not apples to apples? Correct. Different rules for different times. In this discussion, there are no lies and no damn lies. But there are statistics:
Clark, the official statistics say, is the leader in total points scored in NCAA men’s and women’s basketball. Congratulations!
Maravich is no doubt the most prolific scorer in college basketball, men’s or women, when all things are equal. What great memories of Pistol Pete!
NOTE: Iowa’s next game—Caitlin Clark’s next assault on the career scoring total—is Friday, March 8 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time and can be viewed on the Big Ten Network.