​The state that played as important of a role as any in the formation of the United States — the home of the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere’s midnight ride, the Boston Massacre and the Battles of Lexington and Concord, to name a few major events — has also produced its share of exemplary college athletes.The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a bastion of American higher education, with roughly 100 colleges dotted across 7,800 square miles of landmass. And at a number of those schools, there are proud programs with a lengthy history of producing accomplished athletes.Boston College has produced a Heisman Trophy winner, and future NFL and NHL stars. UMass and Holy Cross have both enjoyed runs as national powerhouses in men’s basketball. There are few, if any, places in the country where you’ll find better men’s and women’s college hockey, whether it’s the Beanpot quartet of BC, Boston University, Northeastern and Harvard or elsewhere in the commonwealth at places like UMass, UMass Lowell or Merrimack.Who are the best athletes those schools have produced?In honor of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States, USA TODAY Sports is ranking the top 10 college athletes from each state. The athlete doesn’t have to be from the state, but is required to have attended college there to be considered. These rankings are based purely on what an athlete did at the college level, not once they left campus. Tough cuts had to be made, especially somewhere like the Bay State, with so many colleges and universities to consider.Here’s who made the cut for Massachusetts:10 greatest college athletes from MassachusettsJulius Erving, MassachusettsWhile he’s known much more for his ABA and NBA exploits, the man more commonly known as Dr. J had an extraordinary college career. In just two seasons, Erving set program records in scoring (1,370 points) and rebounds (1,049), which came out to averages of 26.3 points and an absurd 20.2 rebounds per game — a feat made all the more impressive considering the NCAA had outlawed dunking before his college career began, robbing fans of the high-flying artistry he displayed professionally. He’s one of only six players in Division I men’s basketball history to average at least 20 points and 20 rebounds per game for his career.USA 250 LISTS:Alaska | Alabama | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | MissouriDoug Flutie, Boston CollegeThe man responsible for one of the most iconic plays in college football history had an awfully nice career even beyond that one memorable night in Miami. Small in stature and big in talent, Flutie earned the starting quarterback role as a true freshman and didn’t look back, never missing a game in his college career. The Natick, Massachusetts native punctuated his time in Chestnut Hill by leading