1969–1970, Gilmore transferred to Jacksonville University. He led the Jacksonville Dolphins team to a 27–2 record under coach Joe Williams. In the 1970 NCAA tournament Gilmore led the team to the NCAA Championship game, where they lost 80–69 to coach John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins; Gilmore scored 19 points with 16 rebounds. They defeated Western Kentucky 109–96 (30/19), the University of Iowa 104–103 (30/17) and the University of Kentucky 106–100 (24/20) to reach the Final Four. The Dolphins defeated St. Bonaventure 91–83 (29/21) in the Semi-Final. For the season, Gilmore averaged 26.5 and 22.2 rebounds per game. At Jacksonville college, Gilmore became one of five college basketball players ever to average at least 20 points and 20 rebounds over his career at 24.3 and 22.7. Gilmore led the NCAA in rebounding both years at Jacksonville, and his career average of 22.7 rebounds per game is still the highest in NCAA Division I history. Professional career ABA Kentucky Colonels (1971–1976) Gilmore was drafted by the Kentucky Colonels in the 1971 American Basketball Association draft, and by the Chicago Bulls in the 1971 NBA draft. ABA teams were interested in keeping Gilmore in the ABA and wanted to ensure he was signed by a team that could afford him. Therefore, he went to Kentucky with the 7th pick and signed a 10-year, $2.5 million contract. NBA teams knew Gilmore would not sign, so the Bulls strategically used a 7th round pick to secure any possible future rights to Gilmore. He was so immediately dominant that he earned the rare distinction of being selected for both the ABA Rookie of the Year Award and the ABA Most Valuable Player Award in 1971–1972, both over Virginia Squires rookie Julius Erving. Kentucky finished 68–16 after being 44–40 the season before. The following season Gilmore's strong play continued, as he and Dan Issel led the Colonels to a 56–28 record and the 1973 ABA Playoffs. Eventually, after beating the Carolina Cougars in a seven-game division finals series, Gilmore and the Colonels made it to the ABA Finals, but lost to the Indiana Pacers in another hard-fought seven-game series, despite Gilmore averaging 22.1 points, 17.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 4 blocks per game. Over his five-year ABA career, Gilmore led the ABA four times in rebounding average, twice in both field goal percentage and blocks per game, and once in personal fouls. He was named to