Welcome to part one of a five-part summer series in which you, the fans, get to pick the University of San Francisco all-time men's basketball roster! 
 
Once a week, Dons Athletics will release a new list of players from each position group: center, power forward, small forward, shooting guard, and point guard, for fans to vote on.  You will be asked to select three from each group, making up the ultimate 15-man roster. 
 
The top vote-getter from each group will be named a starter, with the second and third most votes being selected as key reserves. 
 
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In the history of Bay Area sports, few positions are so synonymous with their program as the center is for the Dons.  In USF's illustrious basketball history, there are 50 members in the Dons' Hall of Fame. In the rafters in War Memorial Gym at the Sobrato Center hang eight retired numbers, three belonging to legendary centers.
 
Five of the six players mentioned below make up the only players in USF history with at least 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. 

Wallace Bryant: Bryant was elected to the USF Hall of Fame in 2008. A four-time letter winner, he sat behind Bill Cartwright his freshman year.  Once Cartwright graduated, Bryant took over, adding his name to a long list of dominant centers.  He finished his career averaging 13.0 points per game with 9.0 rebounds per contest.  He helped guide the Dons to a combined record of 93-27, going to the NCAA Tournament three times.  In four NCAA Tournament games he averaged 11.0 points per game and 6.25 rebounds per game.  In his final game playing for the Dons he recorded a double-double in the loss to Boston College, with 10 points and 10 rebounds.  His 1,529 career points is 11^th all-time at USF, he ranks in sixth all-time in field goals made (637), and fifth in rebounds (1,062).
 
Bill Cartwright:  During his tenure, Cartwright led the Dons to the No. 1 ranking in the nation and an 80 percent winning percentage, including two conference titles and four post-season appearances. He still holds the USF all-time career scoring record and is ranked No. 1 in field goals and No. 3 in rebounding. Cartwright's size, shooting ability and strength made him college basketball's best big man and a hit in the NBA.  In 111 career games, Cartwright averaged 19.1 points per game and 10.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 58.9 percent from the field.  He was the centerpiece of the Dons' spectacular teams in the late '70's.  The three-time All-American was drafted by the New York Knicks with the third overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft. 
 
Pete Cross:  The 1960s featured three Hall of Fame centers for USF, the last of which was Cross.  Cross lettered for three years for the Dons and turned in two of the more spectacular seasons his junior and senior year.  In his junior campaign he averaged 24.6 points per game, while grabbing 16.0 rebounds per contest.  The 24.6 points per game ranks second all-time in a single season, while the 16.0 rebounds per game is sixth-most in a single season.  In his senior year, he averaged 21.3 points per game and 18.0 rebounds per contest, which rank eighth and third most in a single season, respectively.  He finished his time on the Hilltop with 1,415 points and 1,104 rebounds, which ranks 14^th and fourth all-time. He was inducted into the USF Hall of Fame in 1979.
 
Ollie Johnson:  Johnson was the first of the three truly great centers from the 1960s, and was also a first in another way: while the national championship teams of the mid-50's were made up of players from the Bay Area and surrounding cities, Johnson was one of USF's first national recruits to make a significant impact on the program.  The native of Washington D.C., led the team in scoring and rebound in his three years in the Green and Gold.  In the USF record books, he ranks second in career rebounding and is in the top five in several offensive categories, including field goal percentage, free throws made and all-time career scoring.  The two-time All-American led the Dons to three-straight WCAC Championships.  In his senior year, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament he scored 35 points in the win over Oklahoma City University.  In 84 games he averaged 19.9 points per game and 15.8 rebounds per contest. His 1,668 total points is sixth all-time, while his 1,323 rebounds ranks second all-time.
 
Erwin Mueller: In Mueller's three seasons with the varsity squad he scored 1,020 points and grabbed 717 rebounds.  The 6-8 native of Livermore, Calif., sat behind Ollie Johnson for two seasons, and still finished his career with 1,020 points and 717 rebounds.  In 84 career games, he averaged 12.1 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per contest.  When Johnson finally graduated and the team belonged to Mueller, he dominated.  In his senior campaign he scored 514 points and grabbed 332 rebounds, leading USF to a 22-6 overall record and an appearance in the NIT. A second-round pick by the Chicago Bulls in the 1966 NBA draft, Mueller averaged 12.7 points per game and was named to the NBA all-rookie team in his first season.  He was inducted in the Dons Hall of Fame in 1980.
 
Bill Russell: Many agree that Russell was the greatest collegiate and pro basketballer in history. His defense, especially his shot-blocking ability and rebounding, led the Green and Gold to two consecutive NCAA titles and set the stage for a 60-game winning streak. In 79 career games with the varsity team, he averaged 20.7 points per game and 20.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 51.6 percent from the field. Blocks were not a statistic that was counted during his time playing for the Dons, but had they been, he would have been the all-time leader. His 1,636 points still ranks eighth all-time, while his 1,606 rebounds still rank first. He went on to have a hall of fame career playing for the Boston Celtics, who acquired him from the St. Louis Hawks, the team that drafted him with the second overall pick in the 1956 NBA Draft.
 
If there is anyone we have left off the list of brief nominations, let us know by voting for them!  We will release the results on Monday.