OK, since he hasn't been mentioned yet, I'll go with Devin Durrant. He's probably #2 overall, next to Ainge.

Terry Nashif... Sorry, I couldn't keep a straight face.

Here are my favorites - admittedly slanted towards guys who played while I was attending BYU and actually got to see them play in person.

5. Shane Knight - Best warm-up dunker ever at BYU.
4. Randy Reid - If for no other reason than turning scholarship offers to North Carolina and UCLA only to have BYU fans claim he was only starting because he was the coaches son.
3. Travis Hansen - Awesome player, and inspired one Cougar Blue poster to rip on him just because he "looked like Eminem".
2. Trent Whiting - Lots of reasons. First, he went to high school in Kuna, Idaho, which is like 10 minutes from my home town. Second, he had wicked hops for a white kid, and third and most importantly, he jumped ship from the evil empire to the north to come play for the Y.
1. Ron Selleaze - You totally had to be at the Y from 95 through 98 to appreciate the Selleaze era. Just one year removed from the nightmare of watching the team not only lose 25 games, but also run an offense that basically consisted of Lance Archibald dribbling the ball near half-court for 30 seconds and then heave up a bad 3 pointer; a team that was so bad that they had to recruit two football players, a team where the best guy on the team (Jeff Campbell) looked like he belonged on the Pro Bowling Tour - and suddenly out of nowhere we had a 6'7 guy who could handle the ball, shoot from outside and dunk on anyone. It was like being married to a fat dumpy girl from Pocatello who always has a "headache", and then waking up one day to find out she had disappeared and been replaced by a Julia Roberts lookalike who was constantly "frisky". Games were suddenly fun again - we didn't win that much more (9-21) but it always felt like we had a chance and even if we lost, Selleaze might do something special. While I was disappointed to find out that he was kicked out of school for smoking the hippie lettuce, I was always grateful that we got one year of him.

Honorable mention to Campbell. To this day you can't convince me that that guy wasn't at LEAST 34 years old, yet he averaged 15.3 points a game during the 96 debacle.

My two favorite BYU players were ones I knew personally as a youth. They both served as Bishops in the same ward, played together on the same team, and were on one of the NIT winning teams. I'll spare their names but just wanted to recognize that they were great men, faithful in the Church long after their playing days were over.

As for well known players, Kresmir Cosic was fun and had loads of personality and he was a winner. I only wish I had seen him play more than I did.

Thanks for starting this thread. It's fun to reminisce.

My favorite player is my cousin, Gary Furniss.

I did get to see Cosic play and I pick him next. Too bad he didn't have some of his countrymen come to the Y.

I have to go with Ainge Sr. next. I think (hope someone can confirm or set to right this.) it's the highest the Y has ever gotten in the NCAA.

I think it was the "66" team that won the NIT. They had great guards, Nemelka, Conden(sp) and 2 6' 11" players up front. I'll pick Jim Eikens because I met him once and he not only played in the old ABA but finished up in the NBA.

Thanks again.

buzzard

You guys simply are not old enough. Kresimir Cosic-hands down. Austin's dad comes in second. His accomplishments were greater, but nobody got you more excited about coming down to the then newly minted Marriot Center than the "Mad Stork"

I'll second that motion. I can't begin to count the number of times we saw Cosic make opposing centers look like that had lead weights on their feet. I've only ever seen one other player his size that could pass the ball and dribble the way he did while leading the fast break. Cosic was Magic before Magic was even in high school. He was one of those rare players that got the crowd excited in anticipation every time he touched the ball. Cosic was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers but chose to return to Yugoslavia where he played on and then coached the national team. Sure wish I could find a highlight reel of some of his moves.

If memory serves Cosic was also selected to the All-America team twice.

Cosic converted to the Church while at BYU and introduced the Gospel to his native land.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kre%C5%A1imir_%C4%86osi%C4%87
http://www.byucougars.com/Filing.jsp?ID=7555

Danny Ainge is #2 purely for his clutch play ability, intensity, and consistency. Too bad those traits aren't hereditary... Who can forget Ainge's famous length of the court drive and finger-roll layup against Notre Dame's Orlando Woolridge? Many people forget or never knew about BYU's first round game when Ainge outscored the entire UCLA team in the first half. Of course Ainge won the John Wooden Player of the Year award.
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650219393,00.html