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Our college football edition of players related to past greats was a smashing success, so we took things to the hardwood. Unfortunately, it’s a little bit tougher seeing which cagers have basketball in their blood with over 340 Division 1 programs. So we’ve broken this down into sections: Part I (Big Ten, ACC, SEC), Part II (Big East, Big 12, Pac-10) and Part III (The rest). Drop us a line or leave a comment below for anyone notable we missed:

Part II: Big East, Big 12, Pac-10

Part III: Non-BCS

Big Ten

Ralph Sampson III (Minnesota)

• Son of Ralph Sampson (Virginia)
Filling dad’s shoes will be impossible, as Ralph was a 3-time Naismith Player of the Year and the first overall pick of the 1983 NBA Draft. The younger Sampson is the Gophers’ starting center, but the sophomore has yet to make much of an impact on the offensive end.

Jeff Jordan (Illinois)

• Son of Michael Jordan (North Carolina)
Jordan’s eldest son quit the team this summer, then made a stunning comeback like his old man in October. The former walk-on and defensive specialist is averaging nearly 20 MPG off the bench this season as a junior.

Jordan Dumars (Michigan)

• Son of Joe Dumars (McNeese State)
The freshman started this year at USF before transferring to Michigan, where he will be a preferred walk-on and closer to dad Joe, the 6-time NBA All-Star for the Pistons and the team’s current GM. Jordan averaged only 1 PPG with the Bulls and was a two-star recruit.

Jeremiah Rivers (Indiana)

• Son of Doc Rivers (Marquette)
After two years at Georgetown, Rivers has really come into his own under Tom Crean as the Hoosiers’ starting PG. Dad was on hand for the Kentucky game, but saw the Hoosiers get rocked as they continue their rebuilding process.

ACC

Larry Drew II (North Carolina)
• Son of Larry Drew (Missouri)
The junior point guard has filled in admirably for 2009 ACC Player of the Year Ty Lawson and was courted by Arizona, USC, UCLA and Washington. The California native wound up near dad, the former NBA point guard who is now an assistant for the Hawks.

Glen Rice Jr. (Georgia Tech)

• Son of Glen Rice (Michigan)
The son of Michigan’s all-time leading scorer and 3-time NBA All-Star, junior can fill it up too; he averaged nearly 26 PPG at his Marietta, GA high-school. The freshman has barely seen the court this season so far.

Nolan Smith (Duke)
• Son of Derek Smith (Louisville)
Nolan has been profiled several times as the son of Derek, who tragically died of an apparent heart attack at the age of just 34. The elder Smith was a member of Denny Crum’s 1980 national championship team with Darrell Griffith – a.k.a. “Dr. Dunkenstein” – and is credited with popularizing the phrase “high five” – as crazy as that sounds.

Noel Johnson (Clemson)
• Son of Lynbert “Cheese” Johnson (Wichita State)
When you’re the son of a man named “Cheese”, you’re obligated to a great nickname. Johnson, the No. 30 recruit in the country according to ESPNU, fled his letter of intent at USC after the program erupted in turmoil last spring. By the way, his godfather is fellow WSU legend Xavier McDaniel.

Ed Davis (North Carolina)
• Son of Terry Davis (Virginia Union)
A projected top five pick in the upcoming NBA draft, Ed’s dad, Terry, spent over a decade in the league after starring at Virginia Union. As if practicing against pops wasn’t hard enough, VU alums Charles Oakley and Ben Wallace often join their runs.

Seth Curry (Duke)

• Son of Dell Curry (Virginia Tech), brother of Stephen Curry (Davidson)
Curry needs no introduction, but you might not know he’s at Duke right now after transferring from Liberty last season to seek better competition. He led the nation in freshmen scoring last season with 20.2 PPG.

Jerai Grant (Clemson)
• Son of Harvey Grant (Clemson), nephew of Horace Grant (Clemson)
Yes, he’s got not one, but two Clemson legacies to live up to after starring at basketball factory DeMatha H.S. in Washington, D.C. The Tigers’ starting center averages a solid 6.1 PPG although ironically it’s teammate Bryan Narcisse who sports Rec Specs like his uncle, Horace.

SEC

Andrew Steele (Alabama)
• Brother of Ronald Steele (Alabama)
Ronald was on his way to a legendary career at Alabama until leg injuries severely hampered his effectiveness – he currently plays in Israel. Sadly, Andrew will miss the rest of his sophomore season after a November stress fracture in his left ankle.

J.P. Prince (Tennessee)

• Cousin of Tayshaun Prince (Kentucky)
Tayshaun’s cousin originally signed on to play at Arizona but ended up at SEC-rival Tennessee when a bizarre infection almost killed him after getting his wisdom teeth pulled. The senior now averages 6.3 PPG and chipped in 8 points in UT’s win over No.1 Kansas yesterday.

Renaldo Woolridge (Tennessee)
• Son of Orlando Woolridge (Notre Dame)
The Notre Dame All-American teamed with Bill Laimbeer to make the 1978 Final Four. Orlando sports #0 like dad and poured in a huge 14 points and 8 boards in the Volunteers’ upset yesterday. Indianapolis, anyone?

Chris Bass (LSU)
• Brother of Brandon Bass (LSU)
Brandon’s stay in Baton Rouge wasn’t very long, bolting to the NBA after winning SEC Player of the Year honors as a sophomore. It looks like little brother Chris will be there all four years, averaging under three points a contest as a sophomore.

Check back Wednesday for Part II of this 3-part series.

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