List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career rebounding leaders


In basketball, a rebound is the act of gaining possession of the ball after a missed field goal or free throw. The National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I's top 25 highest rebounders in men's basketball history are listed below. The NCAA did not split into its current divisions format until August 1973. From 1906 to 1955, there were no classifications to the NCAA nor its predecessor, the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States. Then, from 1956 to spring 1973, colleges were classified as either "NCAA University Division " or "NCAA College Division ".
College basketball's all-time leading rebounder is Tom Gola of La Salle. He recorded 2,201 rebounds between 1951–52 and 1954–55. Gola is also one of seven players in the top 25 who have been enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The others are Bill Russell, Elvin Hayes, Elgin Baylor, Dave DeBusschere, Wes Unseld and Ralph Sampson. Robert Parish of Centenary, also a Hall of Famer, grabbed 1,820 rebounds which would have placed him fifth all-time. However, due to sanctions related to Parish's recruitment, the NCAA omitted all Centenary games and statistics from its official records starting with his freshman year of 1972–73 and continuing through the 1977–78 season, two years after Parish's graduation.
Three teams each have two players in the top 25 all-time rebounding list. For Louisville, they are Charlie Tyra and Wes Unseld; for Wake Forest they are Dickie Hemric and Tim Duncan; and for Morehead State, they are Steve Hamilton and Kenneth Faried. Only one player, Elgin Baylor, split his college career at two different schools. He spent one season at Albertson College before transferring to Seattle University where he spent the next two years.

Key

Pos.GFCRef.
PositionGuardForwardCenterReferences

*Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Team
ItalicsUnofficial career total not recognized due to NCAA sanctions

Rebounding leaders

Top 25 all-time

PlayerPos.TeamCareer startCareer endGames
played		ReboundsRef.
*FLa Salle195119551182,201
FGeorge Washington195219561042,030
CMarshall19521956881,916
FFordham195119551021,884
*CCentenary197219761081,820
F/CWake Forest195119551041,802
CCreighton19611964811,751
CConnecticut19511955801,716
F/CAlabama19521956931,688
F/CWilliam & Mary195719611031,679
F/CMorehead State195419581021,675
F/CMorehead State 200720111361,673
FLouisville19531957951,617
*CSan Francisco19531956791,606
*CHouston19651968931,602
FProvidence19711974891,592
*CWake Forest 199319971281,570
F/CNC State19531956931,567
*FAlbertson / Seattle19551958801,559
FPenn19501953821,557
*CDetroit19591962801,552
*F/CLouisville 19651968821,551
F/CSyracuse198619901431,537
FDrexel199219961201,514
*CVirginia197919831321,511
CVirginia Tech19571961881,508

Post-1973 era

In the official NCAA men's basketball record book, a distinction is drawn between the pre-1973 era and the post-1973 era. One reason is that because of the split into the three Divisions in use today, many of the rebounds accumulated in the pre-1973 era were against lesser-talented opponents that would be considered Division II, III or even NAIA in today's classification scheme. Although the 1972–73 season was before the divisional split, the NCAA officially considers that season to be "post-1973" because of the adoption of freshman eligibility for varsity play in all NCAA sports effective in August 1972. Listed below are the top 10 rebounders in NCAA Division I basketball since 1973.
is the all-time leading rebounder in the post-1973 era.
PlayerPos.TeamCareer startCareer endGames
played		ReboundsRef.
F/CMorehead State200720111361,673
*CWake Forest199319971281,570
F/CSyracuse198619901431,537
FDrexel199219961201,514
*CVirginia197919831321,511
FNevada197219761041,464
CSeton Hall201420181321,455
CLouisiana–Lafayette201220161351,447
FLa Salle198619901311,429
F/CSaint Louis198619901331,424