By Arash Markazi

Nominees for SI.com's Greatest College Basketball Player of All Time: Jack McCallum: Lew Alcindor, UCLA Chris Mannix: Larry Bird, Indiana State Pete McEntegart: Wilt Chamberlain, Kansas Richard Deitsch: Chamique Holdsclaw, Tenn. Andrew Lawrence: Michael Jordan, UNC Grant Wahl: Christian Laettner, Duke Tim Layden: Pete Maravich, LSU Frank Deford: Bill Russell, San Francisco John Walters: Diana Taurasi, Connecticut Alexander Wolff: David Thompson, NC State Ian Thomsen: Bill Walton, UCLA Complete archive | Reader responses REACT: Who is the greatest college player of all time? Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Make your case:

Sports Illustrated asked its writers to weigh in with their picks for the greatest college basketball player of all time. Read through their selections and then tell us yours.

If the greatness of a player is measured by the heights to which he took his team and his entire sport, there should be little doubt Earvin "Magic" Johnson was the greatest college basketball player ever.

The 6-foot-9 Johnson revolutionized basketball. Never before had there been a point guard so tall, so versatile -- or so affable. He dissected the opposition with pinpoint passes and precise shots -- and his smile was so infectious that even foes couldn't help but grin as they watched him perform tricks with the ball they could only dream of doing themselves.

After leading Everett (Mich.) High School to a 27-1 record and the state title, Johnson enrolled at Michigan State in 1977. He quickly changed the perception of the school's program, leading the Spartans to a 25-5 record and their first Big Ten title in 19 years. Despite enjoying their most successful season in the school's history, the Spartans fell one game short of the Final Four. The near-miss ate at Johnson, a player who would not accept anything less than championship endings.

The following season, Johnson led the Spartans to a 26-6 record and a repeat conference title. This time, however, Johnson would not be denied his national championship. He carried Michigan State to the title game, where he vanquished his nemesis, Indiana State's Larry Bird. Johnson was named the MVP of the Final Four; he led Michigan State to double-digit victories against each of his tournament opponents.

While other players may have put up better career numbers than Johnson -- who finished with an average of 17.1 points, 7.9 assists and 7.6 rebounds per game during his two seasons at MSU -- no one did more to change the face of the college game. He popularized no-look passes, fast breaks and triple-doubles -- and made basketball fun to watch again. The 1979 NCAA Championship game -- still the most-watched college game ever -- helped raise the Final Four to the level of notoriety it currently enjoys.

Even after leaving Michigan State for the NBA, Johnson continued to raise hoops to new heights. He helped bring the NBA out of the doldrums of tape delays and empty arenas and made it one of the most popular leagues in the world. He initiated the Showtime era in Los Angeles, winning his first of five championships with the Lakers as a rookie and earning Finals MVP honors after playing all five positions in the decisive Game 6 in Philadelphia.

While those efforts don't count toward his college resume, they speak volumes about Johnson's talents and influence on his teammates -- even as a 20-year-old rookie who could have been enjoying his junior year in East Lansing. It simply reaffirms what college basketball fans already know: there was no better player in the history of the game than the Magic Man.