The Best American Men’s Water Polo Players of the NCAA Era (Part III: No. 1 to No. 10)
By Jeff Moulton
In the third and final installment of this three-part series, water polo expert Jeff Moulton discusses the individuals he has ranked No. 1 to 10 in his unofficial list of the top-25 American men’s water polo players of the NCAA era. Parts I and II are linked below, with Part I including an explanation of the criteria used by Moulton to make his selections.
Part I
Part II
10. John Gansel – goalie, Foothill Hill High School and Stanford (2x NCAA champion, 4x 1st team All-American).
Gansel, the only 4x 1st team All-American goalie, is America’s greatest collegiate goalie and had an outstanding high school career at Foothill. As former El Toro High School coach Don Stoll told the L.A. Times, “If you talk to old-timers, they say Gansel did stuff that no one has done since.” Gansel graduated from Stanford in 1981. He played in the 1982 World Championships and on three World University Games teams, including the 1979 team that won the gold medal (the first gold medal the United States won during water polo’s modern era) and the 1981 team that won the silver medal. Gansel didn’t play in the Olympics. He started medical school in 1982 and, as he said, “my polo career ran out of time.” Dante Dettamanti, Gansel’s coach at Stanford, speaking about Gansel: “I have been a part of water polo in this country for the last 57 years at all levels, including the USA National team. Not only is John Gansel the best goalie that I have ever coached, he is the best goalkeeper that I have seen play in this country. It was too bad he never had a chance to play on the USA Olympic team. The timing just wasn’t right for him with the 1980 Olympic boycott, with almost every USA player returning for 1984 after the boycott, along with 1984 and 1988 conflicts with medical school and internship and residency training as a doctor.” Dettamanti describing Gansel’s time at Stanford: “Gansel was a virtual wall in the goal, allowing very few balls to get past him, even in practice. He was critical to Stanford’s counterattack game, making the block and then making the perfect full-court pass to breakaway players in the 30-meter course used in those days. He was a natural in the goal, at 6’3”, with great legs, long arms and uncanny quickness. He was also an excellent swimmer (21+ 50 freestyle in high school). In his senior year, 1980, Stanford held opponents to an average of 4.4 goals per game, the only time in school history that opponents have been held under a 5 goals-per-game average for the whole season. Stanford has had several 4-time All-Americans since 1969, but only 2 Stanford players have been 4-time First Team All-Americans, John Gansel and Tony Azevedo. In my opinion, the top goalie and top field player in USA water polo history.” More from Dettamanti: “In the 1979 World University Games in Mexico City, playing against the complete Yugoslavian and Russian national teams that were preparing for the 1980 Olympics, we won the gold medal with Gansel in the goal, limiting Yugoslavia and Russia to 5 and 6 goals in the semifinals and finals. Those teams placed first and second in the Moscow Olympics. In the 1981 World University Games, again with full national teams from other countries, we had to beat Russia to advance to the final game. We were leading by one goal with one second left in the game when a European referee called a penalty shot against the USA. Gansel blocked the penalty shot to preserve the victory.” Jody Campbell, a member of the Water Polo Hall of Fame, discussing what it was like to play with Gansel at Stanford: “We could take chances and ‘cheat’ to offense because we had Gansel. I’ve seen and played with some of the best goalies in the world. In my opinion, Gansel is the best. Other goalies have great reaction, anticipation, and initial leg strength. However, since Gansel, I have not seen the sustained leg strength he had to maintain a vertical position after multiple fakes or cross-court passes. Goalies these days may have a great initial thrust and good reactions, but they quickly lose their legs if they have to sustain their position. Gansel never lost his legs.” Craig Boyer, a teammate of Craig Wilson at UCSB and on the 1988 Olympic team, discussing Wilson and Gansel: “Craig Wilson and John Gansel were two of the best goalies in the world. I would give the slight edge to Wilson, who had a longer wingspan. Gansel saw the writing on the wall that Wilson was going to be the starting goalie on the national team. He made the right decision and retired from sports to go to medical school.”
9. Kevin Robertson – 5’9” LH attacker, Newport Harbor High School and Cal (1x NCAA Champion, 4x 1st team All-American, 1x NCAA Player of the Year, 3x Olympian, 2x silver medalist, Hall of Fame).
Robertson is generally considered to be the greatest American left-handed attacker of the NCAA era. Robertson and Terry Schroeder led the United States in scoring in the 1984 Olympics, each scoring 13 goals. Jody Campbell, Robertson’s teammate on the 1984 and 1988 Olympic teams: “During his era, Robertson was one of the deadliest left-handed shooters in the world. His explosiveness and anticipation created may opportunities for him to score and to record assists. His work ethic, knowledge of the game, and speed proved that ‘size’ doesn’t dictate the effectiveness of a player.” One of Robertson’s Newport Harbor High School teammates told me: “Robertson excelled in a big man’s game by taking advantage of his quickness and intelligence. I remember him swimming across my back, picking off his defender, and then shoving off me to create space for his shot. It was like the ‘pick and roll’ in basketball but spontaneous. I still have his handprint on my back. That creativity is just one of the many facets of his greatness.”
8. Wolf Wigo – attacker, Bronx Science High School in New York and Stanford (2x NCAA champion, 4x All-American, 2x 1st team All-American, 1x ACWPC Player of the Year, 3x Olympian, 1x FINA World Cup champion, Hall of Fame).
Wigo scored 31 goals in the Olympics, including 16 goals in the 2000 Olympics. He played professionally for Ethnikos Piraeus in Greece for three years. Hall of Fame coach Dante Dettamanti said that Tony Azevedo, John Gansel, Jody Campbell, and Wigo are the four greatest players he coached at Stanford. I asked Jack Bowen, Wigo’s teammate at Stanford and on the senior national team, about Wigo. He said: “If I were constructing a team and given first pick of any player in the world who’s ever played the game, I’d pick Wolf. Wolf is the most intense competitor I’ve ever known, and, really, the last guy I want to deal with as a goalie because he just finds a way to score, not to mention, will take any beating to shut down the other team’s best player.”
7. Eric Lindroth – LH center, Newport Harbor High School and UCLA (3x NCAA champion, 2x All-American, 2x Olympian and would have been a 3x Olympian if the United States had qualified for the 1976 Olympics, 1x bronze medalist, Hall of Fame).
Lindroth played for UCLA from 1969 through 1972. UCLA’s 1969 team was undefeated, winning the first NCAA water polo tournament. A member of UCLA’s 1969 coaching staff told me: “Eric was a ‘thinking’ player and always exhibited a poker face; he never showed much emotion but you knew he felt in control of any situation in the game.” Bruce Bradley, Lindroth’s teammate on the 1972 Olympic team, discussing Lindroth after his death in June 2019: “Eric was the ultimate teammate, another left hander. He came out of Newport Harbor High School as CIF Player of the year in 1968 and won several national championships at UCLA under coach Horn. He melded into our club team easily and made the ’72 Olympic team right out of college, when the best competition in the U.S. was at the club level. Eric was great at both ends of the pool, always in position on ‘D’ and a prolific scorer in the counter attack, out of the hole, or at ‘6’ in the extra man. He led by example, was unselfish, had a rocket arm and was basically a coach’s dream.”
6. Jody Campbell – center, Long Beach Wilson High School and Stanford (3x NCAA champion, 4x All-American, 3x 1st team All-American, 2x Olympian, 2x silver medalist, Hall of Fame).
Campbell was the leading scorer for the United States in the 1988 Olympics with 12 goals. Hall of Fame coach Dante Dettamanti reminiscing about Campbell when he enrolled at Stanford as a freshman: “He was a skinny kid, about 160 pounds, but he was tough. People remember him as a great shooter, but he was also a great passer. Even in difficult situations, he put the ball right in the shooter’s hand. Campbell was our starting 2-meter player as a freshman and played in the NCAA tournament with a split web between his thumb and forefinger.” Hall of Fame coach Monte Nitzkowski speaking about Campbell’s performance during the 1984 Olympics: “Whenever Jody entered the game, the tempo went up. Jody was well regarded for his toughness in the water. He was one of the reasons we never lost at the 1984 Olympics.” Greg Boyer, Campbell’s teammate on the 1988 Olympic team, told me: “Jody was an incredible center forward. He had amazing hands and great court vision. Some of his shots and passes were especially creative. While Terry Schroeder used brute force in set, Jody relied on guile and surprise. As a pair they were very formidable.”
Photo Courtesy: Stanford Athletics
5. Ben Hallock – center, Harvard-Westlake and 3 years at Stanford (2x CIF Southern Section Division 1 champion, 2x CIF Southern Section Division 1 Player of the Year, 1x NCAA champion, 3x 1st team All-American, 2x Cutino Award winner, 2x ACWPC Player of the Year, 3x Olympian, 1x bronze medalist).
Hallock played on the 2016 Olympic team before his freshman year at Stanford, and scored 194 goals in his 3 years at Stanford. He didn’t use his last year of college eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic, choosing to play professionally for Pro Recco in Italy. Hallock has had a storied international career, winning 3 LEN Champions League titles, more than any other American. If Hallock continues playing, he will be on the 2028 Olympic team and could move up higher on my list. When his playing career is over, he will almost certainly be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I asked former Harvard-Westlake and current Stanford coach Brian Flacks about Hallock. His response: “I started coaching Ben when he was just 11 years old, and right from the start, it was clear he was special. A couple of things always stood out about him—first, his deep passion for water polo—he absolutely loved the sport. I remember coaching his age group, and I’d burn DVDs of games for him. Ben would text me late at night after watching the games for the third time, excitedly sharing his favorite highlights or moments, or telling me about the players he liked and wanted to mimic. Second, Ben strikes a unique balance of being incredibly calm and thoughtful, yet also hyper-competitive. That blend gave him a maturity and composure from a young age that you rarely see, and allowed him to compete in age groups much older than himself. More importantly, what really set him apart was how that composure allowed him to play his best and be the most dependable in the biggest moments and on the biggest stages. When you combine that passion, his commitment, and the fact that he’s a freak athlete, for me it’s hard not to see him as the best American water polo player of all time, and definitely one of the most dominant players our sport has ever seen. Finally, I think he’s exactly what water polo needs as we continue to grow. He’s a great student, a Stanford graduate, humble, super thoughtful, and considerate. He should be the poster child for the type of person and player we want in our sport. I have no doubt that he’ll succeed in whatever he chooses to do next—as a husband, father, and professional. This kid is one of a kind.”
4. Terry Schroeder – center, San Marcos High School and Pepperdine (3x All-American, 3x 1st team All-American, 4x Olympian as a player, 2x Olympian as a coach, 2x silver medalist as a player, 1x silver medalist as a coach, 1x FINA World Cup champion as a player, Hall of Fame).
Schroeder, Pepperdine’s all-time leading scorer with a remarkable 444 goals, is the only American water polo player to win an Olympic medal as a head coach and a player. Schroeder and Kevin Robertson led the United States in scoring in the 1984 Olympics, each scoring 13 goals. I asked Craig Boyer, Schroeder’s teammate on the 1988 Olympic team, about Schroeder. He said: “Terry was the strongest player on the 1988 Olympic team, but his greatest strength was his emotional composure. After a bad call or overly physical foul, he would simply smile and adjust his cap. He usually drew an exclusion or scored a goal the next time he touched the ball.” Jody Campbell, Schroeder’s teammate on the 1984 and 1888 Olympic teams, reminiscing about Schroeder: “Terry served as the face of USA Water Polo for decades and continues to serve that role. Nobody could represent the U.S. with integrity, loyalty and humility like Terry. He was the top 2M in the world for decades, with the style of an unmovable beast and a level-headed demeanor. A defender could hit him with a crowbar and he would just smile. In all the years and hundreds of games Terry played nationally, collegiately and internationally, I only once saw him get mad enough to punch someone and that was me.” Craig Klass, Schroeder’s teammate on the 1988 and 1992 Olympic teams, discussing Schroeder’s reputation in Europe: “Such a force at 2M and throughout the pool! A dominant anchor for USA water polo internationally for so many years. The Europeans dubbed Schroeder “The Unsinkable Man,” which pretty much says it all.” An NCAA champion discussing Schroeder’s place in water polo history: “Terry’s statue is at the Coliseum for a reason. I put him above Humbert and Hallock. Terry had a generational impact on the sport in the U.S. I could go on but the man was a piece of granite in the water. A rock-solid foundation for his teams and for our sport.”
3. Chris Humbert – 6’7” LH center, Lodi and Tokay High Schools and Cal (3x NCAA champion, 4x All-American, 3x 1st team All-American, 2x ACWPC Player of the Year, 3x Olympian, 2x FINA World Cup champion, Hall of Fame).
Humbert, the only American male player to win two FINA World Cup championships, is Cal’s all-time leading scorer with 296 goals, scored 37 goals in the Olympics, and usually led his teams in scoring. During Humbert’s four years at Cal, Cal won three NCAA championships, finished second once, and had a won/loss record of 114 and 9. He won two Italian League championships during his two years with Posillipo; a Greek Cup championship during his two years with Ethnikos Piraeus; and a LEN Super Final, Greek Championship, and Greek Cup championship during his one year with Olympiacos. Rich Corso, Humbert’s coach on the 1996 Olympic team, describing Humbert, “He’s like a mix between a Shaq and David Robinson because he’s big and strong and also quick.” Humbert was a freakish athlete. Russ Stryker, one of Humbert’s teammates at Cal, told me: “Humbert was probably the greatest athlete to play water polo in the United States. He could have played on the Cal basketball team, would have been a starting pitcher on the baseball team, and could have been a sprinter on the swim team. He was that talented.” Hall of Fame coach Pete Cutino did not see Humbert play water polo before offering him a scholarship to Cal. Instead, he offered Humbert a scholarship after watching him play a high school basketball game. During the recruiting process, Humbert’s mother asked Cutino whether Humbert would receive much playing time if he went to Cal. Cutino answered, “Mrs. Humbert, if Jesus Christ were on my bench and the starters were playing well, he wouldn’t get into the game.” In spite of Cutino’s cautionary remarks, Humbert was a 3rd team All-American in his freshman season, a 1st team All-American in his sophomore season, and a 1st team All-American and the Player of the Year in his junior and senior seasons.
Photo Courtesy: 6-8 Sports
2. Tony Azevedo – Long Beach Wilson High School and Stanford (4x California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section Division 1 champion, 3x CIF Southern Section Division 1 Player of the Year, 2x NCAA champion, 4x 1st team All-American, 4x Cutino Award winner, 3x ACWPC Player of the Year, 5x Olympian, 1x silver medalist, Hall of Fame).
Azevedo, the son of a Hall of Fame coach and the only person to win four Cutino Awards, may be the most highly-decorated American water polo player. He scored 61 goals in the Olympics (the 4th most in Olympic history) and 332 goals at Stanford. He had a long international career, playing for Can Bissolati in Italy, JK Primorac in Montenegro, Fluminense in Brazil, VK Jug in Croatia, and Sesi in Brazil, and is better known internationally than he is in the United States. Hall of Fame coach Dante Dettamanti recruited Azevedo to Stanford and coached him in 2001 when Stanford won the NCAA championship. Dettamanti speaking about Azevedo: “He’s without a doubt the best player we’ve ever produced in this country and also the best player we ever had at Stanford. The reason Michael Jordan is a great player is the same reason Tony is a great player. He’s a natural leader. In my 32 years as a college coach, I’ve never had an athlete like this. I’ve never had a freshman selected by his teammates as team captain. He’s a lot like Jordan in that if you drop off him, he’ll shoot from outside and if you press him, he’ll drive on you. He can create things on his own. He’s impossible to guard.” Hall of Fame coach John Vargas followed Dettamanti at Stanford, coaching Azevedo for three years in college and on the 2000 Olympic team. Vargas on Azevedo: “He’s the best player the United States has had. No one’s done what Tony has done. He knows where everybody is at all times. We’ve seen other guys with the same physical ability, but his knowledge of the game separated him from all the rest. He made all his teammates better.”
1. Craig Wilson – 6’5” LH goalie, Davis High Schol and UCSB for 2 years (1x NCAA champion, 1x All-American, 3x Olympian, 2x silver medalist, 1x FINA World Cup champion, Hall of Fame).
During my discussions with coaches, players, and fans, I often asked this question: Who is the greatest player of the NCAA era? There is no consensus. Craig Wilson, Tony Azevedo, Chris Humbert, Terry Schroeder, and Ben Hallock all received some support for this distinction. In a very close call, I chose Craig Wilson because he played goalie (the most important position in water polo), was probably more responsible for the success of his teams than any other player, and would be my first choice if we were selecting players for an imaginary round-robin tournament. Wilson, voted the top goalie in the world on two occasions, is generally considered to be one of the top 4 or 5 goalies of all time. He played professionally for three years, two years for CC Ortigia in Italy and one year for CN Barcelona in Spain. Wilson recorded the most saves in the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Olympics. After winning the silver medal in the 1988 Olympics, United States coach Bill Barnett said, “Without Craig, we would have never gone as far as we did. He was our saving grace.” One of Wilson’s UCSB teammates told me, “Wilson is known far better in Europe for being the GOAT than in the United States.” Craig Boyer, another one of Wilson’s UCSB teammates, describing Wilson’s shot-blocking skills: “During shooting warmups before games at UCSB, it was not uncommon for Craig to block 100 percent of the team’s shots. The opposing teams noticed this and nobody was confident shooting against him. He also knew my shooting tendencies very well. He would guess where I was going to shoot, and not only block a good shot with two hands, but catch it with a laugh. He often blocked shots that looked like certain goals. Wilson made every good team he was on a great team.” Wilson was also an outstanding passer. Rich Corso, the goalie coach on the 1984 Olympic team, said, “Craig was incredible at getting the ball out fast during the counter-attack. He was aggressive. He was never afraid to throw the long touchdown pass.” Wilson describing one of his greatest Olympic performances: “Sometimes the water polo ball looks like a beach ball coming in slowly. Sometimes it looks like a golf ball coming in quickly. That day was a beach ball day.” An NCAA champion told me: “Wilson stuck with the sport for a very long time and is the reason several of the players on your list made it to the Olympics and competed for medals. You simply cannot win at the highest level without superb goalie play. I played with Wilson for years but never on the national team. My perception based on those years is that Wilson was a fabulous talking goalie—directing the defense in front of him especially on power plays. Wilson could determine which player(s) on an opposing team should be allowed to shoot and in what situation. He could pass 30 meters on a dime. Wilson could bait a lob and catch it having already told someone to counter off the top. When Wilson says ‘the ball is looking like a beach ball today,’ you know the other team is not scoring. I realize Tony Azevedo went to the most Olympics, won the Cutino Award four times, won two NCAA titles, and won a medal. I would still place Wilson first. No Wilson no winning and no medals for many others.”
Special Note: If I revisit this article after the 2028 Olympics, Ryder Dodd will probably deserve a spot on my list, perhaps in the top 10.
Ryder Dodd – attacker, Huntington Beach and JSerra High Schools and UCLA (1x NCAA champion, 1x All-American, 1x 1st team All-American, 1x Cutino Award winner, 1x ACWPC Player of the Year, 1x Olympian, 1x bronze medalist).
Dodd, who just completed his first year at UCLA, played in the 2024 Olympics before entering UCLA. He probably had the greatest true freshman season of any player in the NCAA era. He is expected to be a member of the 2028 Olympic team. Adam Wright, Dodd’s coach at UCLA, speaking in June 2024 after Dodd was named to the 2024 Olympic team: “When we started recruiting Ryder, we laid out an eight-year plan that would position him to be a part of the squad for the 2028 Olympic Games here in Los Angeles. We also listed a short-term goal of him becoming the best player in high school, which he’s done and his high school team winning the CIF Championship, which they did this past season while going undefeated. Over the course of the past year and a half he’s been recognized on the junior national level as one of the best players in his age group in the world and that quickly pushed him to our Senior National Team. Even though we haven’t had the chance to start working with Ryder here at UCLA, the progress that I’ve seen him make over the course of the last year is quite simply special. His attacking abilities from both sides of the pool and his speed are truly a problem for opponents. He’s only the second player in our sport to be in high school and go to the Olympic Games before he steps foot on campus here at UCLA. We look forward to helping Ryder develop into one of the best players in the world.” I asked Brett Ormsby, Dodd’s coach at JSerra, what makes Dodd such a special player. His response: “Ryder is competitive as hell, fearless, and works harder than anybody. He’s as disruptive on defense as he is dangerous on offense. He’s willing to play within a system and always prioritizes the team and winning over his own production. He’s incredibly aquatic, born to move in the water, this is probably the most innate part of his game. He continues to grow as a leader and communicator, which is ultimately where I think his biggest impact will be over the course of his career. He is at his best when his best is needed, in the biggest games and the biggest moments and making winning plays. But ultimately, if I had to pick what stands out most, it’s Ryder’s mind. He is so present at all times, always absorbing information, learning and then applying it to his game. And his game just keeps growing at every step. As a coach, I think it’s an awesome lesson for other kids to know that what makes Ryder special isn’t ultimately the talent, the talent sets a baseline for his success, but we’ve seen tons of talented failures. It’s Ryder’s hunger to learn, his desire for feedback, and his constant pursuit of improvement that set him apart in this early stage of his career, and he still has a lot of time and growth in front of him.”
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