There have only been a handful of players from Tennessee Tech who have played pro basketball, and the best 1 was Wayne Pack. He was 1 of the best PGs in school history, averaging 16.7 PPG with 400+ AST. He was drafted by the ABA’s San Diego Conquistadors in 1973, played for the Indiana Pacers in 1975, and was inducted into the Tennessee Tech Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Wayne about having an undefeated high school season and making the ABA. Today is Wayne’s 71st birthday so let us be the 1st to wish him a happy 1!
(photo credit: herald-citizen.com)
In 1969 you teamed with George McGinnis to lead Washington High School to an undefeated record and a state title: how close did Tolleston come to ruining your fairy tale season in the finals, and how good did those burgers taste when you celebrated the win at White Castle?! Tolleston came very close (3 PTS) but not as close as Marion, which was only a 1-PT game earlier that day. The White Castles were great!
Your team averaged over 90 PPG under 6-time state championship coach Bill Green despite playing 8-minute quarters and without a 3-PT line: what made Green such a great coach, and how on earth were you able to score so many points? We were not a run-and-gun team but we did have 2 of the best big men in the history of Indiana high school basketball in McGinnis and Steve Downing, who combined to average over 50 PPG. Louis Day was probably the best athlete on our team: he was a track star as well as a RB on our state championship football team. We had several other players to complement George/Steve. Coach Green was great: when I saw him at the Indiana Hall of Fame induction dinner I got tears in my eyes because he saved my life. I grew up in a working-class neighborhood on the west side of Indianapolis and after high school kids either got a job in the factory or went to Vietnam. I got cut during each of my 1st 3 years so I only played as a senior. I made the team as a walk-on…then went 31-0 as a starter! Coach Green became the winningest coach in Indiana history.
Why did you decide to go to Tennessee Tech? It was my only option. I wanted to go to school in-state so I contacted Indiana/Purdue/Ball State, but they thought I was either too small or just not ready for D-1 basketball. I got a call from Tennessee Tech during the summer to come down for a tryout, and at the end of the session they offered me a full scholarship.
In 1970 you had a career-high 16 AST vs. Morehead State, which stood as a school record for 2 decades: what is the key to being a good PG, and how were you able to balance your scoring with your passing? The key is to put the team 1st. When you play with legends like George/Steve, who both went on to win pro basketball titles, you just want do whatever it takes to win. If I have to score to win then I will, and if I have to pass to win then I will do that instead. I stepped up my scoring at Tennessee Tech and averaged almost 20 PPG 1 year.
In 1973 you scored a career-high 35 PTS vs. Austin Peay: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I remember that game: Austin Peay had All-American Fly Williams from New York City. I just wanted to show everyone that I could play: I felt that I was as good or better than any other player on the court. I forget how many points Fly ended up with…but I guarantee you it was more than I had! Kids today play in rec leagues and on travel teams, but back then we just went out and played wherever/whenever we could. My best college game was as a sophomore against Western Kentucky, who had Jim McDaniels and was ranked among the best teams in the country. I scored 27 PTS and had about 12-15 AST but we lost the game.
After graduating in 1973 you went back home to work for the Boys’ Club, then tried out for the Pacers and ended up making the team: why did you decide to try out, and how were you able to make the team after taking 1 year off? I love basketball and knew that I could play. I begged my way onto every team that I have ever been on. I was picked in the 1973 NBA supplemental draft by the 76ers but was cut after a couple of weeks. I just decided to try out for the Pacers because they were my hometown team and I ended up beating out PG Bruce King from Texas-Pan American.
In 1974 you played 21 games for Indiana en route to making it to the ABA Finals before losing to Kentucky: what is your favorite memory from your time in the ABA, and how did you enjoy having McGinnis as your teammate again? George and I grew up together so to play with him on the pro level was the icing on the cake. Making the team was amazing: it is what every kid who has ever picked up a basketball dreams about. It is 1 of the things I am proudest of in my life outside of my family, as not a whole lot of people can say that they played professional basketball.
After retiring from the ABA you played in Europe: what did you learn from that experience, and how did it compare to the ABA? It was a great experience, but nowhere near the caliber of play in the ABA. 1 of the things that I cherished most about that was playing in Barcelona with a guy named Collis Temple, who I only later learned was the 1st Black basketball player at LSU.
You later worked as a Senior VP of Human Resources for Brightpoint North America: how did you like the job? We provided logistics and distribution services to the wireless industry. It was a great challenge but I really enjoyed what I was doing.
When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? I would like to be remembered as a guy who put his team 1st, overachieved, and did a lot of things that other people did not think he could do. In the end, I just want to be remembered as a guy who did the best he could do with the talents that God gave him.