2002 Chick-fil-A SEC Men's Basketball Legends

Tuesday, February 26, 2002
 
Leon Douglas
University of Alabama
Leon Douglas
Center
1973-1976
Leon Douglas was a four-time All-SEC selection, the first Alabama player since Jerry Harper accomplished the feat in 1953-56. Douglas was a First Team All-American selection by the USBWA in both 1975 and 1976. Crimson Tide team captain in 1975 and 1976, he was a member of Intercontinental Cup team that toured Europe in June of 1975 and a member of 1976 United States Pan American Team that played in Mexico City. Douglas was Alabama's first, first-round NBA draft pick, selected fourth overall by the Detroit Pistons in 1976. He played for the Pistons from 1976-80 and the Kansas City Kings from 1980-83.


Ron Brewer
University of Arkansas
Ron Brewer
Guard
1976-1978
A two-time first-team All-American (1977-78), Ron Brewer led the Razorbacks to the 1978 Final Four and is the school's 14th all-time leading scorer with 1,440 points and the 10th all-time leader in steals with 171. One-third of Arkansas' famed triplets, along with Sidney Moncrief and Marvin Delph, he averaged 11.9 points, 17.0 points and 18.0 points over his last three seasons with a career average of 15.8 points per game. He led the team in scoring in the 1978 Final Four year and in the regional final, Brewer hit a jumper with less than a minute to play, helping Arkansas beat Cal State-Fullerton, 61-58, to send the Hogs to the Final Four. After losing in the semifinals, Brewer hit the game-winner at the buzzer in the third-place game, giving Arkansas a 71-69 win over Notre Dame. The two-time all-conference selection helped the Razorbacks go 19-9, 26-2 and 32-4 in his three years.


Bobby Cattage
Auburn University
Bobby Cattage
Center
1978-1981
Bobby Cattage came to Auburn from Huntsville, Alabama. He was a Parade Magazine First Team All-American while attending Johnson High School. He played center his freshman year at Auburn, starting 22 games, averaging 8.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. His season high was 18 points during his freshman campaign. During his sophomore year, Bobby started 29 games and led the team in scoring with 15.9 points and 9.3 rebounds. He finished 4th in the SEC in rebounding and was Auburn's leading scorer in 11 games and leading rebounder in 22 games. A knee injury hampered him his junior year and he started in twelve games and averaged 7.7 point and 5.3 rebounds. During the spring of 1980, Bobby had emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix. Infection set in and kept him in intensive care for two months during which time he lost over 70 pounds. An extensive weight training and running program allowed him to regain his strength and stamina. Bobby was able to return to Auburn and play in 27 games his senior year.


Chip Williams
University of Florida
Chip Williams
Forward
1973-1975
Chip Williams earned All-SEC honors in 1973, '74 and '75, averaging a double-double for his career, with 16.4 ppg and 10.2 rpg. Williams finished his career as UF's career leader with 31 double-doubles, and currently ranks fourth on that list. He scored 1,246 career points and is currently ranked 20th on UF all-time scoring list. Williams scored 30 or more points six times in his career, ranking him sixth on UF's all-time 30-point game list. As a junior, Williams led the team with 20.6 ppg, the eighth best single season scoring average in UF history. As a senior, he grabbed 22 rebounds in a 92-76 home victory against LSU on Feb. 8, 1975, the ninth best single game rebound total in UF history. He played briefly in Europe after graduation and was inducted into the University of Florida Hall of Fame in April of 1995.


Dominique Wilkins
University of Georgia
Dominique Wilkins
Forward
1980-1982
Earned the nickname "Human Highlight Film" for his acrobatic exploits during his collegiate career at Georgia. He is the only player in Georgia basketball history to have his jersey number retired. Scored 1,688 points in three seasons as a Bulldog, a mark which was the school's career scoring record at the time and now ranks fourth all-time. Was named the SEC Player of the Year in his junior season of 1981 and led the SEC in scoring as a junior in 1981, averaging 23.1 points per game, and finished second in 1982. His number 21 jersey is also retired by the Atlanta Hawks, for whom he played 12 seasons and is now employed as a special assistant to the club's Executive Vice President. Had an outstanding career as a professional, playing in over 1,000 games in 15 seasons in the NBA. Wilkins won the NBA scoring title in his fourth season as a pro in 1986, averaging 30.3 points per contest. He was named to seven All-NBA teams and nine consecutive NBA All-Star teams. He also won the NBA Slam Dunk championship twice. Wilkins currently has the 8th-highest career-scoring total in NBA history, with 26,668 points.


Cotton Nash
University of Kentucky
Cotton Nash
Forward/Center
1962-1964
The 6-5, three-time All-American came to Kentucky from Lake Charles, Louisiana, and proceeded to become one of the most prolific scorers in school history. Nash led the Wildcats in scoring all three seasons and became the quickest student-athlete at UK to reach 1,000 points in his career. He still ranks seventh all-time at UK in scoring with 1, 770 points. The three-time All-SEC selection still owns the UK record for most rebounds in an SEC game with 30 against Ole Miss in February 1964. He owns a real estate and investment company in Lexington.


Ricky Blanton
Louisiana State University
Ricky Blanton
Center/Forward
1984-1986; 1987-1989
Blanton played on the 1986 NCAA Final Four Team, the lowest seeded team (11th) to ever reach the Final Four. As a sophomore, he was forced to play center for the Tigers, bulking up in the process, but neutralizing several of the big names in the game. Blanton was an All-SEC selection in 1988 and 1989 and first team all-tournament in 1988. He ranks 12th all-time at LSU in scoring with 1,501 points, averaging 18 points a game over his final two seasons, after sitting out 86-87 with a knee injury. Blanton also ranks 12th all-time at LSU in rebounds.


Joe Gibbon
University of Mississippi
Joe Gibbon
Forward
1954-1957
Joe Gibbon was named to the 1957 Helms Foundation All-America first team. The Rebels' third-ever basketball All-American also earned All-America accolades from Associated Press (honorable mention) and United Press (second team) in 1957. United Press, Associated Press, Atlanta Constitution and the league's coaches named Gibbon to the All-SEC first team in 1957. He earned All-SEC second team honors from the Coaches and Associated Press in 1956. He is currently No. 6 on the Ole Miss career-scoring chart with 1,601 points. Gibbon led the SEC and was second in the nation in scoring in the 1956-57 season with a 30.1 average. The 30.1 average currently ranks eighth for single-season scoring average in SEC history. His 14.1 rebounding average in 1957 is the best in Ole Miss basketball history. Gibbon played in the 1957 East-West Shrine All-Star Game in Kansas City and was drafted by the Boston Celtics in the 1957 NBA Draft. He was named to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1979 and was inducted into the Ole Miss Athletic Hall of Fame in 1988.


Jeff Malone
Mississippi State University
Jeff Malone
Guard
1980-1983
Mississippi State's all-time scoring leader with 2,142 career points, Jeff Malone was a three-time All-SEC guard as a four-year starter. The nation's No. 2 scorer (26.8 ppg) as a senior, Malone was chosen UPI's 1982-83 SEC Player of the Year in addition to being named first-team All-American by The Sporting News. He ranks third on the school's career scoring average chart (19.5 ppg) and is MSU's all-time leader in career minutes played (3,851), field goals made (906) and field goals attempted (1,768). He led the Bulldogs in free throw percentage during all four seasons, ranking sixth (80.9%) on the school's all-time accuracy list. Malone, a two-time NBA All-Star, enjoyed a 13-year NBA career and currently coaches for the NBDL's Columbus (Ga.) Riverdragons.


Skip Harlicka
University of South Carolina
Skip Harlicka
Guard
1966-1968
Skip Harlicka was a three-year starter (1966-67-68) and a member of Coach Frank McGuire's first recruiting class at South Carolina. A native of Trenton, New Jersey, the sharp-shooting guard was an All-America selection by Chuck Taylor's Converse Yearbook in 1968. Harlicka led the Gamecocks in scoring all three seasons of his varsity career, including a 21.8 average his senior year. His 17.5 career scoring average ranks sixth best in Gamecock history. A first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection in 1968, Harlicka was also a two-time All-ACC Tournament pick. He finished his career with 1,209 points and was a first-round draft pick by the NBA's Atlanta Hawks in 1968, where he played the 1968-69 season. Harlicka played a key role in Carolina's rise to college basketball prominence, helping lead the Gamecocks to back-to-back road wins over Duke and North Carolina in 1968. In 1997, Skip was inducted into the University of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. Skip operates his own business and lives in Raleigh, NC.


Tony White
University of Tennessee
Tony White
Guard
1984-1987
The SEC Player of the Year in 1987, Tony White is Tennessee's single game scoring king with 51 points and is currently the third all-time leading scorer in school history with 2219 points. He is the sixth leading scorer in SEC history and is one of only five UT players to score more than 2000 career points. Nicknamed "The Wizard" because of his explosive, crafty style of play, White, a native of Charlotte, N.C., who played guard for the Vols, won SEC scoring titles as a junior in 1986 (22.2 ppg) and as a senior in 1987 (24.5 ppg). He joined Bernard King as the only Vol players to win two SEC scoring crowns. White, who earned first team All-SEC honors in 1986 and 1987, was also a third team All-America in 1987. He was selected in the second round of the 1987 NBA draft (33rd pick overall) by the Chicago Bulls. He played on the CBA champion Lacrosse (Wisconsin) Catbirds in 1988-89. White then began a 10-year career overseas. He is currently enrolled at the University of Tennessee and is slated to graduate this summer with a degree in sociology.


Roy Skinner
Vanderbilt University
Roy Skinner
Coach
1961-1976
Skinner is Vanderbilt's winningest basketball head coach with 278 victories against just 135 defeats, a wining percentage of .673. Coach Skinner is remembered as one of the league's finest coaches for several reasons. He coached two SEC championship teams, the 1964-65 team and the 1973-74 team. He recruited and coached SEC Players of the Year Clyde Lee (1966) and Jan van Breda Kolff (1974). Skinner had four straight 20-win seasons in the mid-1960's and was a four-time SEC Coach of the Year selection. He was a national leader in helping college athletics break the color barrier when he successfully recruited Perry Wallace to Vanderbilt, the first African-American scholarship athlete in the Southeastern Conference.