ST. LOUIS -- In 2006-07, the Missouri Valley Conference celebrates a century of excellence as the nation’s second-oldest NCAA Division I conference begins its second centennial as a leader in college athletics. As a part of the Centennial Celebration, The Valley is naming all-centennial teams for each of the Valley’s sponsored sports.
The list of Top 50 players and Top 10 coaches was determined through an on-line fan vote (www.mvc100.org), in-arena ballots and a centennial committee. A total of 7,871 votes were cast for men’s basketball.
Included in the list are former and current NBA greats, members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and Valley Hall of Famers. A total of 100 former Valley greats (80 players and 20 coaches) were on the original ballot, but many more who made significant contributions to the game of basketball either while in the Missouri Valley Conference or in their post-collegiate careers were added as write-ins. Popular write-in votes included Illinois State’s Doug Collins, Evansville’s Jerry Sloan, and Southern Illinois’ Walt Frazier. (Each has his number retired at his respective school, but none played while their schools were members of the Missouri Valley Conference.)
THE “STARTING FIVE”
Larry Bird, Indiana State (1976-79)
Hersey Hawkins, Bradley (1984-88)
Ed Macauley, Saint Louis (1946-49)
Xavier McDaniel, Wichita State (1981-85)
Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati (1957-60)
COACH: Henry Iba, Oklahoma A&M (1934-57)
In the league’s first 99 seasons, inclusive of all MVC-sponsored sports, 32 members combined for 27 national championships, while 55 Valley student-athletes captured NCAA individual titles. In addition, Valley student-athletes and coaches earned 48 National Player or Coach of the Year honors in their respective sports. And the league had a myriad of student-athletes who collected All-America honors and earned national academic distinction in The Valley’s first century.
MEN’S BASKETBALL (sponsored 1907 to present): Thirty-one different programs have sponsored men’s basketball in the Missouri Valley Conference. Drake is the longest-tenured member of any, completing its 95th season as a Valley member in 2006-07. Charter members for basketball included Drake, Iowa State, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and Washington (Mo.) University. The Valley has 10 national championships (NCAA or NIT) in men’s basketball.
50 GREATEST PLAYERS
As Selected by Valley Fans
THE ‘STARTING FIVE’ - (TOP VOTE-GETTERS) LISTED FIRST - THE REST ALPHABETICALLY
Name, School, Years -- Notable Honors
Larry Bird, Indiana State, 1976-79 -- 2-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; 3-time All-American (1977, 1978, 1979); MVC Hall of Fame; Naismith Hall of Fame; 2-time MVC Player of the Year (1978-79); National Player of the Year (‘79); No. 3 MVC career scoring; No. 4 MVC career rebounding; No. 6 MVC career steals
Hersey Hawkins, Bradley 1984-88 3-time all-MVC; 3-time First Team; 3-time All-American (1986, 1987, 1988); MVC Hall of Fame; 2-time MVC Player of the Year (1987, 1988); National Player of the Year (1988); 1988 MVC Tournament MVP; No. 1 MVC career scoring; No. 3 MVC career steals
Ed Macauley, Saint Louis 1946-49 4-time all-MVC; 3-time First Team; 2-time All-American (1948, 1949); MVC Hall of Fame; Naismith Hall of Fame; National Player of the Year (1949)
Xavier McDaniel, Wichita State 1981-85 3-time all-MVC; 3-time First Team; All-American (1985); MVC Hall of Fame; 2-time MVC Player of the Year (1984, 1985); No. 8 MVC career scoring; No. 2 MVC career rebounding
Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati 1957-60 3-time all-MVC; 3-time First Team; 3-time All-American (1958, 1959, 1960); MVC, Naismith and NABC Hall of Famer; 3-time National Player of the Year; No. 2 MVC scoring; No. 3 MVC rebounding
Joe Allen, Bradley 1965-68 3-time all-MVC; 3-time First Team; 2-time All-American (1967, 1968)
Ashraf Amaya, Southern Illinois 1989-93 3-time first-team all-MVC; 2-time MVC Defensive Player of the Year; 1992 MVC Player of the Year
Mitchell Anderson, Bradley 1979-82 4-time all-MVC; 3-time First Team; All-American (1982); MVC Hall of Fame; No. 5 MVC scoring
Warren Armstrong, Wichita State 1965-68 3-time all-MVC; 3-time First Team
Butch Beard, Louisville 1966-69 3-time all-MVC; 3-time First Team; All-American (1969)
Benoit Benjamin, Creighton 1982-85 2-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; 2-time All-American (1983, 1984); No. 1 career blocks
Ron Bonham, Cincinnati 1961-64 3-time all-MVC; 3-time First Team; 2-time All-American (1963, 1964)
Dick Boushka, Saint Louis 1952-55 3-time all-MVC; 3-time First Team; All-American (1955); MVC Hall of Fame
Junior Bridgeman, Louisville 1972-75 3-time all-MVC; 3-time First Team; All-American (1975); 2-time MVC Player of the Year (‘74, ‘75)
Darren Brooks, Southern Illinois 2001-05 2-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; 2-time MVC Player and Defensive Player of the Year (‘04, ‘05)
Rodney Buford, Creighton 1996-99 4-time all-MVC; 3-time First Team; All-American (1999); No. 9 MVC career scoring
Antoine Carr, Wichita State 1980-83 4-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; All-American (‘83); MVC Hall of Fame; ‘83 MVC Player of the Year
Maurice Cheeks, West Texas St. 1974-78 3-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team
Paul Endacott, Kansas 1919-23 2-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; 2-time All-American (1922, 1923); Naismith Hall of Fame
Larry Finch, Memphis 1970-73 3-time first-team all-MVC; 2-time All-American (1972, 1973); MVC Hall of Fame; 1972 MVC Player of the Year
Chad Gallagher, Creighton 1987-91 3-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; 1991 MVC Player of the Year; No. 4 MVC career blocks
Mike Glenn, Southern Illinois 1974-77 2-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; 1976 MVC Player of the Year
Steve Harris, Tulsa 1981-85 3-time all-MVC; 3-time First Team; All-American (1985); No. 6 MVC scoring; No. 2 MVC steals
Bob Harstad, Creighton 1987-91 3-time all-MVC; 3-time First Team; 1990 MVC MVP; No. 10 MVC scoring; No. 8 MVC rebounding
Rico Hill, Illinois State 1995-98 2-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; 1998 MVC Player of the Year; 1997 MVC Tournament MVP
Paul Hogue, Cincinnati 1960-63 3-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; 2-time All-American (1961, 1962); No. 9 MVC career rebounding
Ben Jacobson, UNI 2002-06 2-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; 2004 MVC Tournament MVP
Lynbert Johnson, Wichita State 1975-79 3-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; All-American (1979)
Slab Jones, New Mexico State 1977-80 4-time all-MVC; 3-time First Team
Kyle Korver, Creighton 1999-03 3-time all-MVC; 2-time MVC Player of the Year (‘02, ‘03); 2-time All-American (‘02, ‘03)
Bob Kurland, Oklahoma A&M 1944-46 3-time All-American (‘44, ‘45, ‘46); MVC and Naismith Hall of Fame; National Player of the Year (‘46)
Cliff Levingston, Wichita State 1979-82 3-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team
Cleo Littleton, Wichita State 1952-55 4-time all-MVC; 4-time First Team; All-American (1955); MVC Hall of Fame; No. 7 MVC scoring
Lewis Lloyd, Drake 1979-81 2-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; 2-time MVC Player of the Year (1980, 1981)
Willie McCarter, Drake 1966-69 2-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team
Bob Mattick, Oklahoma A&M 1951-54 2-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; 2-time All-American (1953, 1954)
Gene Melchiorre, Bradley 1947-51 3-time all-MVC; 3-time First Team; 2-time All-American (1950, 1951)
Danny Moore, Missouri State 1996-99 3-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; No. 8 MVC career blocks
Allen Murphy, Louisville 1972-75 3-time all-MVC; 3-time First Team; All-American (1975)
Carl Nicks, Indiana State 1977-80 2-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; All-American (1980)
Roger Phegley, Bradley 1974-78 2-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; All-American (1978); 1977 MVC Player of the Year
Paul Pressey, Tulsa 1980-82 2-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; All-American (1982); 1982 MVC Player of the Year
Ryan Sears, Creighton 1997-01 2-time all-MVC; 1-time First Team; No. 1 MVC career steals; No. 7 MVC career assists
Dave Stallworth, Wichita State 1961-65 3-time all-MVC; 3-time First Team; 3-time All-American (1963, 1964, 1965); MVC Hall of Fame
Paul Unruh, Bradley 1946-50 2-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; All-American (1950); MVC Hall of Fame
Wes Unseld, Louisville 1965-68 3-time first-team all-MVC; 3-time All-American (1966, 1967, 1968); MVC, Naismith Hall of Fame
Chet Walker, Bradley 1959-62 3-time all-MVC; 3-time First Team; 3-time All-American (1960, 1961, 1962); MVC Hall of Fame
John S. Williams, Indiana State 1983-86 4-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; 3-time All-American (1983, 1985, 1986); No. 4 MVC scoring
Kent Williams, Southern Illinois 1999-03 3-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; No. 7 MVC career 3-pointers made
Marcus Wilson, Evansville 1995-99 3-time all-MVC; 2-time First Team; All-American (1999); 1999 MVC Player of the Year
10 GREATEST COACHES
As Selected by Valley Fans
Name, School Years -- Notable Honors
Phog Allen, Kansas 1907-09, 19-28 -- Naismith Hall of Fame; 8 MVC regular-season titles; 169-44 (all); 126-33 (MVC)
Dana Altman, Creighton 1994-present -- 2-time MVC Coach of the Year; 6 NCAAs; 3 NITs; 2 MVC regular-season titles; 238-130 (all); 135-81 (MVC) -- entering 2006-07 season
Denny Crum, Louisville 1971-75 -- Naismith Hall of Fame; 1973 MVC Coach of the Year; 3 NCAAs; 1 NIT; Final 4 (1975); 3 MVC regular-season titles; 98-22 (all); 46-8 (MVC)
Eddie Hickey, Creighton, SLU 1935-43, 46-47 (CU), 1947-58 (SLU) -- Naismith Hall of Fame; 2-time MVC Coach of the Year; 3 NCAAs; 5 NITs; NIT title (1948); 7 MVC titles; 338-160 (all); 163-71 (MVC)
Henry Iba, Oklahoma A&M 1934-57 -- MVC Hall of Fame; Naismith Hall of Fame; 2-time National Coach of the Year; 6 NCAAs; 4 Final Fours; 2 NCAA titles; 4 NITs; 14 MVC titles; 486-152 (all); 187-57 (MVC)
Maury John, Drake 1958-71 -- MVC Hall of Fame; 4-time MVC Coach of the Year; 1969 National Coach of the Year; 3 NCAAs; Final 4 (1969); 1 NIT; 4 MVC titles; 211-131 (all); 95-85 (MVC)
Ed Jucker, Cincinnati 1960-65 -- 2-time MVC Coach of the Year; 1963 National Coach of the Year; 3 NCAAs; 3 Final 4; 2 NCAA titles; 3 MVC titles; 113-28 (all); 42-20 (MVC)
Ralph Miller, Wichita State 1951-64 -- MVC Hall of Fame; Naismith Hall of Fame; 1 NCAA; Final Four (1965); 3 NITs; 1 MVC regular-season title; 220-133 (all); 81-75 (MVC)
Chuck Orsborn, Bradley 1956-65 -- MVC Hall of Fame; 2-time MVC Coach of the Year; 7 NITs; 3 NIT titles; 1 MVC regular-season title; 194-56 (all); 86-32 (MVC)
Tubby Smith, Tulsa 1991-95 -- 2-time MVC Coach of the Year; 2 NCAA Sweet 16; 1 NIT; 2 MVC titles; 79-43 (all); 52-20 (MVC)