List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career games played leaders explained

In the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the statistic for total games played in Division I men's basketball helps opposing coaches to monitor the extent that a particular player is used on a team. By definition, a player has "played in a game" when he enters the contest via substitution or by starting the contest. All that is required is that he is one of the five players for a team on the court for a minimal time of one second according to the game clock.

Through the 2023–24 season, the all-time leader in games played is Jordan Bohannon, who played six seasons at Iowa and appeared in 179 games.[1] Bohannon benefited from two special provisions of NCAA rules that allowed him to play in more than the standard four seasons.

Normally, the only way for a player to play in more than four NCAA seasons is to qualify for a "medical redshirt", officially known by the NCAA as a "hardship waiver". To be eligible, a player must have participated in fewer than one third of his team's scheduled games in that season, and cannot have participated in any games in the second half of the season.[2] Bohannon received a medical redshirt in 2019–20, a season in which he played 10 games. Several other players on the career leaders list benefited from this rule. Bohannon also benefited from a special NCAA eligibility waiver for the 2020–21 season, which was so heavily disrupted by COVID-19 that the NCAA announced it would not count that season against any player's period of eligibility.[3] He chose to play a final season in 2021–22.[4]

Key

Pos. G F C Ref.
References
Team (X)Denotes the number of times a player from that school appears on the list
^Player still active in NCAA Division I

Top 25 games played leaders

Includes ties for 25th.

PlayerPos.Team(s)Games playedCareer startCareer endMedical
redshirt?
COVID
waiver?
Ref.
GIowa17920162022align=center
GLipscomb /
Morehead State /
Indiana State
17320182024align=center [5]
GIllinois /
DePaul /
Iowa State /
Kansas
17220152022align=center [6]
FCharleston /
Wofford /
USC
17220162022align=center [7]
GGeorge Mason /
Georgia /
Arizona
17020162022align=center [8]
C/FNorth Carolina16920192024align=center [9]
FSyracuse /
Oregon /
Illinois (2)
16920192024align=center [10]
FSamford /
Ole Miss /
North Texas
16820182024align=center [11]
GLiberty16820182023align=center [12]
FNorth Carolina (2) /
Mississippi State
16720172022align=center [13]
FArkansas /
Houston
16720182023align=center [14]
FKansas (2)16720162022align=center [15]
GDrake16720182023align=center [16]
GIowa (2)16620172023align=center [17]
GIowa (3) /
West Virginia /
Texas Tech
16620192024align=center [18]
FUNC Greensboro /
Eastern Washington
16520182023align=center [19]
GUNC Greensboro /
Eastern Washington
16520182024align=center [20]
FOle Miss (2) /
UAB
16520182023align=center [21]
F/CTennessee /
Winthrop /
NC State
16520182024align=center [22]
FAlabama /
Mississippi State (2) /
UAB
16520182024align=center [23]
FTennessee (2)16520162022align=center [24]
GPittsburgh /
Minnesota /
Texas
16420172023align=center [25]
GSouthern Illinois /
Gonzaga /
Georgia (2)
16420162022align=center [26]
GBoise State /
Toledo /
Baylor
16420192024align=center [27]
GUAB (2)16420182023align=center [28]
GRice /
USC (2)
16420182023align=center [29]
GNorth Carolina (3) /
Siena
16420172023align=center [30]
GUCLA16420182023align=center [31]

Leaders without COVID-19 waiver

The overall top 25 is completely occupied by players who were active in the 2020–21 season and benefited from the COVID-19 waiver. The last players eligible to take advantage of this waiver will not complete their college eligibility until 2024–25, not counting any potential medical redshirt season in 2021–22 or later. For this reason, a separate list consisting solely of players who did not benefit from the waiver is being maintained.

Includes ties for 25th.

PlayerPos.Team(s)Games playedCareer startCareer endMedical
redshirt?
Ref.
G/FOhio State15720062011align=center [32]
FMercer15420082014 (×2)[33]
F/CBYU15320112016[34]
GGonzaga15320142019align=center [35]
CGonzaga (2)15220122017align=center [36]
G/FKentucky15220082012align=center [37]
FNorth Carolina15220062010align=center [38]
GNorth Carolina (2)15120132017[39]
FNorth Carolina (3)15120132017[40]
GFlorida15120052009[41]
GKentucky (2)15119951999[42]
FMemphis15020052009align=center [43]
FWisconsin (2)15020132017[44]
FDuke15020122017[45]
C/FFlorida (2)15020102014align=center [46]
CMemphis (2)14920042008align=center [47]
G/FPittsburgh14920092014align=center [48]
FCreighton14920092014align=center [49]
F/CUC Irvine14820112016[50]
GVillanova14820142019align=center [51]
GOhio State (2)14820102014[52]
FMemphis (3)14820052009[53]
GWisconsin (2)14820102015[54]
FNorth Carolina (4)14820122016[55]
GWisconsin (3)14820132017[56]
F/CDuke (2)14819881992[57]
FDuke (3)14820072011[58]

References

General
Specific

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Jordan Bohannon . Sports-Reference CBB . Sports Reference LLC . March 18, 2022.
  2. Web site: Bylaw 12.8.4: Hardship Waiver . 2021–22 NCAA Division I Manual . 89–90 . August 1, 2021 . January 4, 2022.
  3. DI Council extends eligibility for winter sport student-athletes . NCAA . October 14, 2020 . November 24, 2020.
  4. News: Guard Jordan Bohannon cashes in extra eligibility, will stay with Iowa men's basketball for sixth season . Associated Press . ESPN.com . April 27, 2021 . April 27, 2021.
  5. Web site: Jake Wolfe . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . May 1, 2024.
  6. Web site: Jaden Coleman-Lands . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . February 15, 2022.
  7. Web site: Chevez Goodwin . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 18, 2022.
  8. Web site: Justin Kier . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . February 15, 2022.
  9. Web site: Armando Bacot . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . May 1, 2024.
  10. Web site: Quincy Guerrier . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . May 1, 2024.
  11. Web site: Robert Allen . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . May 1, 2024.
  12. Web site: Darius McGhee . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 28, 2023.
  13. Web site: Garrison Brooks . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 18, 2022.
  14. Web site: Reggie Chaney . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 28, 2023.
  15. Web site: Mitch Lightfoot . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . April 3, 2022.
  16. Web site: Garrett Sturtz . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 28, 2023.
  17. Web site: Connor McCaffery . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 28, 2023.
  18. Web site: Connor McCaffery . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 28, 2023.
  19. Web site: Angelo Allegri . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 28, 2023.
  20. Web site: Darius Brown II . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . May 1, 2024.
  21. Web site: KJ Buffen . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 28, 2023.
  22. Web site: D.J. Burns . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . May 1, 2024.
  23. Web site: Javian Davis . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . May 1, 2024.
  24. Web site: John Fulkerson . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 18, 2022.
  25. Web site: Marcus Carr . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 28, 2023.
  26. Web site: Aaron Cook . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . February 15, 2022.
  27. Web site: RayJ Dennis . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . May 1, 2024.
  28. Web site: Tavin Lovan . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 28, 2023.
  29. Web site: Drew Peterson . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 28, 2023.
  30. Web site: Andrew Platek . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 28, 2023.
  31. Web site: David Singleton . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 28, 2023.
  32. Web site: David Lighty . ESPN Internet Ventures . ESPN.com . February 14, 2011.
  33. Web site: Jake Gollon . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 24, 2014.
  34. Web site: Nate Austin . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . May 22, 2016.
  35. Web site: Josh Perkins . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 31, 2019.
  36. Web site: Przemek Karnowski . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . April 4, 2017.
  37. Web site: Monday marks Darius Miller's 152nd (wow!) career game . NBCsports.com . 2012 . April 2, 2012.
  38. Web site: Deon Thompson stats . . 2010 . May 25, 2010.
  39. Web site: Nate Britt . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . April 4, 2017.
  40. Web site: Isaiah Hicks . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . April 4, 2017.
  41. Web site: Walter Hodge stats . . 2010. May 25, 2010.
  42. Web site: Wayne Turner . Sports Reference LLC . basketball-reference.com . May 25, 2010.
  43. Web site: Antonio Anderson stats . . 2010 . May 25, 2010.
  44. Web site: Nigel Hayes . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 25, 2017.
  45. Web site: Amile Jefferson . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 21, 2017.
  46. Web site: Patric Young . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . April 6, 2014.
  47. Web site: Joey Dorsey stats . . 2010 . May 25, 2010.
  48. Web site: Lamar Patterson . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 24, 2014.
  49. Web site: Ethan Wragge . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 23, 2014.
  50. Web site: Mike Best . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . May 22, 2016.
  51. Web site: Phil Booth . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 24, 2019.
  52. Web site: Aaron Craft . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 17, 2014.
  53. Web site: Robert Dozier stats . . 2010 . May 25, 2010.
  54. Web site: Josh Gasser . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . May 22, 2016.
  55. Web site: Brice Johnson . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . May 22, 2016.
  56. Web site: Bronson Koenig . Sports Reference LLC . sports-reference.com . March 25, 2017.
  57. Web site: Christian Laettner . Sports Reference LLC . basketball-reference.com . May 25, 2010.
  58. Web site: Kyle Singler stats . ESPN Internet Ventures . ESPN.com . March 16, 2011.