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Story Archives: LSU basketball has history


LSU basketball has history
by Joey Martin - posted Thursday, January 24th, 2008 @ 12:53 pmE-mail Story E-mail Story | Print Story Print Story 
As part of LSU's 100 Years of Basketball Celebration, fans are invited to vote for the All-Decade teams during the 2008 SEC basketball schedule.

You can count on three gimmees on that all-time squad for sure. Go ahead and pencil in Shaquille O'Neal, Pete Maravich and Bob Pettit, and probably Chris Jackson, if people look at just his basketball skills.

The nominees for each decate will appear for the first time in the GameDay program on Jan. 16. Each home game different decades of player nominees will be spotlighted and voting will continue until the end of February. The All-Decade teams will be announced at the final home game of 2008, against Alabama on March 5.

Voting can also be done on-line at LSUsports.net.

The Centennial Committee, composed of former players and coaches from the various decades, media members and historians, will select an early years team representing the first 30 years of the program from 1909-1939.

Those players chosen on the All-Decade teams along with the early team selected by the committee will be eligible for the All-Century team which fans will have As part of LSU's 100 Years of Basketball Celebration, fans are invited to vote for the All-Decade teams during the 2008 SEC basketball schedule.

You can count on three gimmees on that all-time squad for sure. Go ahead and pencil in Shaquille O'Neal, Pete Maravich and Bob Pettit, and probably Chris Jackson, if people look at just his basketball skills.

The nominees for each decate will appear for the first time in the GameDay program on Jan. 16. Each home game different decades of player nominees will be spotlighted and voting will continue until the end of February. The All-Decade teams will be announced at the final home game of 2008, against Alabama on March 5.

Voting can also be done on-line at LSUsports.net.

The Centennial Committee, composed of former players and coaches from the various decades, media members and historians, will select an early years team representing the first 30 years of the program from 1909-1939.

Those players chosen on the All-Decade teams along with the early team selected by the committee will be eligible for the All-Century team which fans will have the chance to vote on during the summer of 2008. The All-Century team will be picked on a weighted vote of both the fans and the Centennial Committee.

I'm not sure how many players will be selected for the All-Century team but if I had to add a few more to that list it would certainly be tough.

Let's see, there's Stromile Swift, DeWayne "The Astronaut" Scales, John Williams, Derrick Taylor, Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Tyrus Thomas, Jerry Reynolds, Greg Cook, Nikita Wilson, Don Redden, Ethan "The Huck" Martin, Howard "Hi C" Carter, Ronald Dupre, Jordy Hultberg, Ronnie Henderson, Leonard Mitchell and Brandon Bass, just to mention a few.

But I got to go with three personal favorites, not just for their skills, but their charisma and heart. Ricky Blanton, Don Redden and Durand "Rudy" Macklin are three of my all-time favorites. I will never forget Blanton scoring two points against Kentucky in the New Orleans regional and twirling his hands running back up the floor.

And Redden was the epitome of class, heart and leadership..

Add Thomas and Big Baby Davis to my all-time team.

My personal favorites would be Shawn Griggs of Ferriday and Vernel Singleton of Natchez, two underrated players who became fan favorites during their time at LSU. Singleton was known for his band-aids worn on his shoulder, which was kind of a superstition he developed at LSU.

As for the all-decade teams, starting with the 1940s.

Forward Bobby Lowther has to be on that team.

Lowther is the only two-sport All-America athlete in LSU's storied history. In 1946, he made the Helms Foundation basketball All-America squad and was a two-event All-American in track and field, finishing second at the NCAA Championships in the javelin and fourth in the pole vault.

Rounding out that team are guard Bob Meador, forward Frank Brian, forward John Chaney and guard Alvin Dark.

Dark played just two years of basketball before concentrating on baseball.

"The Swamp Fox", is a former shortstop and manager in Major League Baseball who played for five National League teams from 1946 to 1960. He was named the major leagues' Rookie of the Year with the 1948 Boston Braves when he batted .322. Dark ended his career with the seventh most double plays (933) and tenth highest fielding percentage (.960) in league history. He went on to become the third manager to win pennants with both National and American League teams.

Looking at the 1950s team my first pick is former Ferriday attorney Norman Magee.

Magee, a native of Port Allen, moved to Ferriday in 1964 after graduated from the LSU law school. He died of a heart attack at his home in Ferriday in 2002.

Magee played guard from 1951-55. He averaged 13.2 ppg in 1953; 10.0 in 1954 part of NCAA Final Four team; and 11.7 points in 1955.

Of course, Pettit has to be on the decade team. Petit is fifth all-time in LSU point s(1,916), third scoring average (27.4), 1st rebound average (14.8), fourth total rebounds (1,039). He holds the all-time best single season rebound average at LSU (17.3, 1954).

Joining Magee and Pettit on my team is Mr. String Music, Joe Dean. Dean was the LSU's leading scorer in 1950 (10.8), 1951 (15.1), second behind Pettit in 1952 (18.3 ppg); 32nd at LSU in career scoring (1,072 points).

Forward Bob Meador is my fouth choice of that decade. Meador was the first player to start ever game over four years and the first player over 1,000 career points.

Completing the decade team is forward Roger Sigler, who was LSU's leading scorer in 1955 (15.0), 1956 (25.1) and 1957 (18.4).

There was not a lot to choose from in the 1960s before Press Maravich arrived and his cast graduated in the 1970s.

My 60s team consists of Maury Drummond, George Nattin, Ellis Cooper, Dick Maile and Dave Ramsden.

Boy, that ag center had to be smelling from more than the livestock that decade.

The 1970s team has Maravich, Kenny Higgs, Eddie Palubinskas, Glenn Hansen, Al Sanders and Bill Newton.

Boy, the '80s sure is tough.

Try Taylor, Blanton, Mitchell, Carter, Macklin and Martin.

My '90s team has O'Neal, Singleton, Griggs, Jackson and Henderson.

Looking at this decade, I'm going with Swift, Davis, Thomas, Bass and Dupre. Anthony Randolph certainly could bump Dupre from that spot down the road. And for John Brady's sake, there better be a few more possibilities.
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