The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 1976 Olympic gold medalist Phil Ford

Posted on September 5, 2020 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Phil Ford about winning a gold medal in 1976 and being named national POY in 1978.

You were born/raised in North Carolina and were named 1st-team Parade All-American in 1974: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (Kenny Carr/Moses Malone/Mike Mitchell/other)? I was born in Kannapolis: my parents were public school teachers and we moved to Rocky Mount after my dad got a job nearby. I was impressed with all of my fellow honorees. There was a guy named Skip Wise who was a great player from Baltimore and was 1st-team All-ACC at Clemson before going pro early in 1975.

You were named to the ACC All-Tourney team for 4 straight years and in 1975 you were named ACC tourney MVP as a freshman after 3 close wins in 3 days (1-PT OT win over Wake Forest/5-PT OT win over Clemson/4-PT win over NC State): how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? That year was a total team effort. We lost 2 games early in the season during a holiday tournament but by the end of the year we were good enough to win the ACC tourney. Skip missed a shot for Clemson and Tree Rollins got the offensive REB but he missed the put-back, then to beat arguably 1 of the best players in league history in David Thompson in the title game was a great win for our school. Had I not gone to UNC I would have went to NC State.

You played for Coach Dean Smith/Coach Bill Guthridge and with 3 of your Tar Heel teammates (Walter Davis/Mitch Kupchak/Tom LaGarde) on team USA at the 1976 Olympics: was it extra-special to have all of those Tar Heels on the national team? What Coach Smith tried to do was to put together a team that was coachable because you do not have a lot of time to prepare against foreign teams that had played together for years. We were very young college kids who were facing grown men who were playing in their 2nd or 3rd Olympics. Having 4 of us on the team was helpful.

You were a 3-time 1st-team All-American/1978 national POY: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It was very rewarding but I did not have individual awards as my goals because it is a team sport. I tell younger guys like Joel Berry that if they give me their NCAA title then I will gladly give them my jersey from the rafters!

In 1978 you graduated as the all-time leading scorer in school history with 2290 career PTS: what is the secret to being a great scorer, and how did you feel when Tyler Hansbrough broke your record 30 years later? It was not a goal of mine: I just got better and better as a player and picked the right school for me. Playing for Coach Smith was the best thing that I could have done as a player. I was so happy when Tyler broke my record: nobody has won as many awards as has and he is a great friend. I got to attend the game where he broke the record, which was really cool. Coach Roy Williams invited me to be his guest and I got to go out and give Tyler a big hug after he did it.

In the summer of 1978 you were drafted 2nd overall by Kansas City (4 spots ahead of Larry Bird): did you see that as a validation of your college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? It was a great feeling to be drafted 2nd. Growing up in Rocky Mount we did not see a lot of professional basketball players. I became a UNC fan in junior high school when Charlie Scott enrolled there so it was unbelievable to have an opportunity to follow him to Chapel Hill.

You averaged 15.9 PPG/8.6 APG/2.2 SPG in 1979 and were named 1979 NBA ROY: how were you able to make such a smooth transition from college to the NBA? A lot of people think of the 4 Corners offense when you mention UNC but we really played an up-tempo pro-style of game and a lot of man-to-man defense. You have to learn how to play with 4 good teammates: we did not have anyone taking 30 shots/game because we spread our scoring around. My college/Olympic teammate Walter Davis was NBA ROY in 1978.

After retiring as a player you returned to your alma mater as an assistant coach and helped lead the team to the 1993 NCAA title: how did you like being a coach, and what did it mean to you to win a title as a coach (thanks to Chris Webber calling a timeout that he did not have in the final seconds) after coming so close as a player in 1977? It was a great time in my life: the enthusiasm/interest for Tar Heel basketball is off the charts. I was just happy to be a part of that title since we had such a great team with guys like Donald Williams/Eric Montross.

In 2003 you were voted the 9th-Greatest Male Athlete in ACC history and in 2012 you were inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame: when people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? Believe it or not I would just like to be remembered as a nice guy. Basketball was an important part of my life but my faith is also important, as is the way that I treat people.

Are there any thoughts you would like to share about everything that has been going on in our country this year (George Floyd/protests/police/other)? I love the dialogue that is going on and hopefully it just involves some growing pains since we are a young country. Every day is a gift from God and we have a chance to improve the lives of our fellow man. I will continue to pray for humanity and all of its internal relationships and I hope that we grow closer and closer together.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Phil Ford about 1976 Olympic gold medalist Tom LaGarde

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Phil Ford about his North Carolina/Olympic teammate Tom LaGarde winning a gold medal in 1976.

You and Tom both played for Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith at North Carolina: what made Smith such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? There are so many things that we learned from him: he was like a 2nd father to me and was more than a coach. His loyalty to us was beyond belief. He was there for us for life even after we graduated because he was an unbelievable person. I think that he is the greatest coach ever and always treated everyone fairly.

In the 1975 NCAA tourney he scored 12 PTS/5-6 FG but Jim Lee made a 17-foot jumper with 5 seconds left in a 2-PT win by Syracuse: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? Every loss hurts so of course that 1 did as well. We had to win the ACC tourney just to make it to the NCAA tourney but you cannot take anything away from Syracuse.

After winning a gold medal at the Pan Am Games in the fall of 1975, he played for Coach Smith/Coach Bill Guthridge on team USA along with you and 2 other Tar Heel teammates (Walter Davis/Mitch Kupchak) at the 1976 Olympics: what did it mean to him to represent his country, and what did it mean to him to win a pair of gold medals? You would have to ask “Stretch” that himself but for me it was extremely rewarding, especially after the way that we lost the gold medal in the 1972 game that was very controversial. We were underdogs in 1976 because a lot of good players did not try out for the team. Coach Smith got some criticism for having 4 UNC players and 3 more from the ACC (Tate Armstrong from Duke/Kenny Carr from NC State/Steve Sheppard from Maryland) but I knew that we were straight on the inside. It was extremely rewarding for us to win the gold under tough circumstances.

He only played 20 games as a senior due to a torn knee and missed out on UNC’s run to the NCAA title game: how bad was the injury, and do you think that your team would have won it all if he was healthy? You cannot guess with the ifs/buts so I give Coach Al McGuire credit for beating us in the title game. Tommy was a future pro player so he definitely made us better when he was healthy. You just have to accept what it is and play the cards that you are dealt. I give Coach Smith credit for just getting us to the title game against Marquette despite all of our injuries: everybody on our roster was beat up.

He was an All-American in 1977 and was a 2-time Academic All-American: how was he able to balance his work on the court with his work in the classroom? We were suitemates and Tommy is brilliant. I am not sure how to measure it but he was close to a genius. He could answer questions for me about my own major!

In the summer of 1977 he was drafted 9th overall by Denver (1 spot behind Jack Sikma): did he see that as a validation of his college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? Since he was such a talented player I am sure that he was excited to reach the NBA.

He only played 23 regular season games for Seattle during the 1978-79 season and missed the entire playoffs due to injury: how did he feel about his team winning a title without him? I think that he was their starting center to begin the season. I am sure that he was extremely happy for his teammates but anyone would be frustrated to not play due to injury. He is such a great person that he would have been happy even if we would have won the title without him in 1977.

After retiring from pro basketball in 1984 due to knee injuries he founded a professional inline skating league, worked on Wall Street, and opened a live music venue in North Carolina: how was he able to follow his on-court success by becoming so successful off the court? Just because he is so smart. Whatever he tries to do he will be successful at due to his strong work ethic.

When people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? As 1 of the greatest players that we have ever had. We should all be proud that he was a Tar Heel because he could have gone to any school in the country: I am just happy that he chose UNC.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 1972 Olympic silver medalist Mike Bantom

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Mike Bantom about the most controversial basketball game in Olympic history. Today marks the 48th anniversary of Mike scoring a team-high 18 PTS in a 99-33 win over Japan in Olympic round-robin pool play.

(photo credit: theafricanamericanathlete.com)

You were born/raised in Philly: what made you choose St. Joe’s? When I was in high school the Big 5 basketball schools were very popular/competitive and got a lot of local TV coverage. I did not play varsity basketball until my senior year of high school so the 1st schools to heavily recruit me were the local ones. St. Joe’s had the reputation of playing hard and I liked watching them play. Villanova had Howard Porter and La Salle had Kenny Durrett and Penn was a top-5 team so it seemed like St. Joe’s could have used me the most. I felt like I needed to go to a program where I would have the opportunity to develop.

In the 1971 NCAA tourney you had 20 PTS/14 REB in a loss to eventual national runner-up Villanova: what was it like to play a fellow Big 5 team in the postseason? The interesting part of that is that we had played them twice during the regular season: once in Kansas to start the season and once at the Palestra later that season. We were built around a bunch of sophomores so Villanova was much more experienced than we were. However, we were playing much better by the time of the NCAA tourney. We won our conference but still had to play the #1 Independent team in the East. We played them more competitively the final time and it was a great experience to face Porter: I never envisioned playing at his level.

You played for team USA at the 1972 Olympics: who do you blame the most for the controversial loss to the USSR (Bill Walton for not playing, Hank Iba for using a slow tempo, the Secretary General, the timekeeper, the refs, other) and how crushing was “the 1st time I ever cried over a basketball game”? I think it was a combination of the Secretary General and the other administrators who refused to follow the rules of the game and do what should have been done. I do not fault Iba because he just taught us the controlled tempo that he knew. We had not played a lot together so when you play up-tempo you need some familiarity with your teammates. We beat all of the other teams pretty handily before running into a group of experienced Russian men who were probably targeting us from the start of the Games. It was pretty crushing for a 20-year old who spent all summer practicing 2-3 times/day harder than I ever had before. When you put in that sweat equity and then win it makes you so happy, and to have it unfairly reversed and feel so helpless that they would not change their minds hurt a lot. It was 1 of the 1st times I ever experienced outright unfairness where the good guys did not win. I also cried after losing in the Finals against the Lakers: we put our heart and soul into it and did not think that we would lose until we actually did. I did not cry on the floor or in the locker room but did so in my hotel later on: sports are emotional.

You averaged 20 PPG/13.7 RPG during your 3 years on the varsity and in 1973 you were named an All-American: how were you able to balance your scoring with your rebounding, and what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? I was coached to just play as hard as I could: my high school coach Speedy Morris was outstanding. I did not have a lot of basketball skills but was tall/athletic and played hard. At St. Joe’s I played for Coach Paul Westhead who wanted to make me the scoring focus of our team as a freshman. I also tried to get rebounds and help us win and the numbers just took care of themselves.

In the spring of 1973 you were drafted 8th overall by Phoenix (3 spots behind Kermit Washington): did you see that as a validation of your college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? I cannot say that it was a lifelong dream but it started materializing after I made the Olympic team because most of the previous Olympians had been drafted. The ABA had also come into existence so underclassmen leaving school early had started to become a thing. I did not know if I would actually be drafted but I gained a lot of confidence during the Olympic Trials. There was not as much media coverage back then so I did not know exactly how good everyone else was, but I competed pretty well against the 63 other players at the Trials. My Olympic coaches added another layer to my game so I expected it to happen. It meant a lot to what my future would look like so I was excited.

You made the 1974 All-Rookie 1st-team: how were you able to make such a smooth transition from college to the NBA? I played center in the low post but we had a movement offense so I told my coach that it would help me become a better all-around player. My nickname was “Stick” so battling down low against big guys was not the most productive thing for me! I had to learn how to play on the wing during the Olympics so when I was picked by Phoenix I was able to run the floor and handle the ball as a forward. I also gained great experience from the Baker League where Sonny Hill/John Chaney taught me how to play defense, which is what a rookie needs to do to stay on the floor.

Take me through the 1982 NBA playoffs for Philly:
In Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals you had 6 REB in a win over Boston: how were you able to become the 2nd team to ever beat the Celtics in a Game 7 in the Garden, and what was your reaction after hearing the fans chant “Beat LA! Beat LA!” as the clock ticked down? That was a hell of an experience. I was not there the previous year when the 76ers blew a 3-1 lead. In 1982 we were up 3-1 and then lost 2 games in a row so nobody gave us a shot to win Game 7 in Boston. We had a team meeting the day before and I shared my perspective of being captain of the Pacers the previous year. We were competitive and made the playoffs. I said I did not understand how the f— we were losing to this team because we were better than Boston and should have beaten them. We were very determined and played great defense against them. I had to guard Larry Bird in the 2nd half and kept denying him the chance to have an impact, which is why Coach Billy Cunningham got me. I do not know if they would have let us return to Philly if we had lost that game! The fans had been talking a lot of trash and calling our hotel rooms so to convert them felt really good.

In the NBA Finals you lost to the Lakers in 6 games: how close did you come to winning a title? It all hinged on Game 1 because we had home-court advantage. Billy mentioned during 1 of our final regular season games that if we won then we would have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. We had a big lead early when “Showtime” ran off something like 28 PTS in a row, and from that point on every team won its home games so we just ran out of time. We were confident that we would win Game 6 but that fast-break led by Magic Johnson could erupt at any time and put us on our heels. It was a little easier for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to do his thing: we just did not have an answer for him.

You played 9 years in the NBA and 7 years in Italy: what was the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball in Italy? There are more elite players in the NBA with great players even sitting on the bench. In Europe you only have a few. The Italian national team consisted of 12 elite players and 3-4 young players who would eventually replace them. If you made it at age 20 then you would stay in the core group until age 35. In the US there was more turnover because we had more talented players coming up through the system. When I played it was the 1st time where Italy was going after veteran players who could offer experience/professionalism, rather than younger guys who could not make it in the NBA. Later you had guys like Bob McAdoo/George Gervin who would anchor their teams.

Since retiring as a player you have worked for the NBA as a licensing manager, director of marketing, senior VP of player development, and executive VP of referee operations: how has the NBA changed over the past few decades, and how have the refs changed? The league has gotten younger/more athletic and is more perimeter-oriented. Back in the day every offense was built around a big man who the guards would feed the ball to, but now it starts at the 3-PT line. They talk about “position-less basketball”, which allows a faster-paced game. From top to bottom the players now are more skilled and referees have had to adjust. The mechanics were based on that slower game so the territories that were divided up involved keeping a focus on the interior space in the lane. Now there is more focus on what is happening on the perimeter: we have seen rule changes about not allowing a 3-PT shooter to land on his own feet. We also increased the in-season and offseason training so that they are better at their craft: you have to keep pace with the players concentration-wise.

In 2017 you were inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame: when people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? I am hoping that there is still some more to go! I give my high school coach a lot of credit because I could not play a lick until he put me on the JV team as a junior. He told me that if I worked hard enough then I could accomplish anything and I put that to good use. I did not have a lot of role models growing up but by grinding it out I was able to play in the NBA and become a senior executive, which I could never have imagined as a high schooler. I made the most of what God gave me and hopefully there is still something left in the tank.

For more info about the 1972 US Olympic team check out “Stolen Glory” by Mike Brewster and Taps Gallagher at: www.amazon.com/Stolen-Glory-Mike-Brewster/dp/1882383796

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 1960 Olympic gold medalist Jay Arnette

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Jay Arnette about winning a gold medal in 1960. Today marks the 60th anniversary of Jay scoring 8 PTS vs. Uruguay in Olympic round-robin pool play.

You were a 1-time all-state basketball player at McCallum High School in Austin: why did you decide to stay in town for college at Texas? My senior year at McCallum I made all-state in both basketball and baseball and received a scholarship from Texas. I was born in Austin and grew up in a family that loved sports. They took me to Texas football/basketball/baseball games as well as the Texas Relays track meets. I had some other scholarship offers but never considered going anywhere but Texas.

In the 1960 NCAA tourney you scored 34 PTS in a 9-PT loss to Kansas: how on earth was your team able to make it into the postseason after going 4-20 the previous season? Our coach retired after my junior year and was replaced by Harold Bradley. 1 of our best players who was ineligible during our 4-20 season became eligible, plus we had a good junior college player transfer in to join our rising sophomore class.

You were named an All-American that year: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? I felt fortunate to receive such an outstanding honor.

You also led the SWC with a .347 AVG as an outfielder on the baseball team: which sport were you best at, and how did you like playing for manager Bibb Falk (whose .314 career AVG remains top-75 in MLB history)? I do not know which sport I was best at but I played more baseball than basketball. I played Little League baseball for 2 years (including the 1951 Little League World Series) and played organized baseball every year after that. I did not start playing organized basketball until the 8th grade.

That April you were drafted 9th overall by Cincinnati (3 spots behind Lenny Wilkens): did you see that as a validation of your college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? I loved playing baseball/basketball and running track: I even loved practicing! I was thrilled to be drafted by the Royals but never really had a lifelong dream of playing either pro baseball/basketball. I was fortunate to get the chance to play both sports but never thought of it as any kind of validation.

That summer you played for team USA at the Olympics: what did it mean to you to represent your country, and what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? Playing in the Olympics and representing my country was the highlight of my athletic career. It was 1 of the most emotional experiences that I have ever had. When we received our gold medals and heard the national anthem being played I believe that we all had tears in our eyes.

When you finally joined the Royals that fall you had several Olympic teammates on your roster: how did playing with guys like Bob Boozer/Jerry Lucas/Oscar Robertson/Adrian Smith in Cincinnati compare to playing with them in Rome? I enjoyed playing with them both in Rome as well as in Cincinnati but I got to know them much better in the NBA. I enjoyed seeing how skilled they each were when playing against the best basketball players in the world.

After getting your pharmacy degree you attended dental school and you later became an orthodontist for more than 30 years: how did you like being an orthodontist? When I came back from the Olympics I signed a contract with the LA Dodgers and played in their farm system for 4 years. After my 3rd year I tried out with the Royals and made the team. I played 1 more year of baseball and then went back to the Royals, although I never regained my shooting touch after not playing basketball for 3 years. I played 2½ years with the Royals and then went back to Texas to finish my pharmacy degree. After graduating from UT I went to dental school at Baylor in Dallas and then was accepted into the Baylor orthodontic program. I graduated in 1973 and practiced orthodontics for 34 years in Austin and loved it. I never could have found a better/more rewarding profession.

In 2010 you were inducted into the Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? It was definitely a highlight of my career but it is hard to rank it because it was a team award rather than an individual award.

When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? As a good husband/father/grandfather/orthodontist who loved his patients.

How are you enjoying retirement? Very much! My wife Betty and I were high school sweethearts and she is a great wife/mother. We also have 3 wonderful children/6 wonderful grandchildren.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Neal Rozendaal about 1956 Olympic gold medalist Carl Cain

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Neal Rozendaal, author of 3 books on the Iowa Hawkeyes, about Carl Cain winning a gold medal in 1956.

As a junior at Freeport High School Carl won an Illinois state basketball title in 1951: what did it mean to him to win a title, and what made him choose Iowa for college? Even though Carl was a part of an Illinois state championship basketball team in 1951 he was relatively lightly-recruited as an African-American coming out of high school. 2 men would persuade him to attend Iowa for college: Deacon Davis and Bucky O’Connor. McKinley “Deacon” Davis was his next-door neighbor and 1 of his closest friends. Davis was one year older than Cain and an outstanding basketball player in his own right. Davis was recruited to Iowa by Coach Bucky O’Connor, and when he went on his recruiting trip to Iowa City Davis asked Cain to come along with him. Coach O’Connor made his recruiting pitch to Davis, and afterwards he turned to Cain and said, “Carl, when you finish up at Freeport next year, I hope you will consider coming up here to the University of Iowa.” Davis eventually signed with the Hawkeyes and Carl joined him 1 year later.

He was part of the “Fabulous Five” who led Iowa to the 1955 Final 4 and the 1956 NCAA title game: where does that group rank among the greatest classes in Hawkeye history? In my opinion the Fabulous Five were the greatest recruiting class in Hawkeye basketball history. 5 players (Carl/Sharm Scheuerman/Bill Logan/Bill Seaberg/Bill Schoof) came in as members of the same recruiting class. As juniors in 1955, 4 of those 5 (all except Schoof) started alongside senior Deacon Davis to lead Iowa to the 1955 Final 4 (the 1st in school history). The following year Davis graduated and Schoof took his place in the starting lineup. The Fabulous Five then made it back to the Final 4 in 1956 and advanced all the way to the championship game (the only title game appearance in school history). The Hawkeyes have made 3 Final 4 appearances in school history (1955/1956/1980) and the Fabulous Five are responsible for 2 of them. Although Michigan’s “Fab Five” earned more publicity using the moniker in later years, Iowa’s Fabulous Five is the most heralded class in Hawkeye hoops history.

In the 1956 NCAA title game he had 17 PTS/12 REB in a loss to San Francisco: how close did he come to beating his future Olympic teammate Bill Russell (who had 26 PTS/27 REB)? The 1956 Hawkeyes were a terrific team that could have won the NCAA championship in some other years. However, the senior seasons of the Fabulous Five happened to coincide with the senior year of the legendary Bill Russell, the greatest winner that the sport of basketball has ever seen. Before he captured 11 championships as an NBA player, Russell led San Francisco to consecutive NCAA titles in 1955/1956. The 1956 NCAA championship game was the last college game of Carl’s career. It was a competitive game, with Iowa actually jumping ahead by 11 PTS early, but San Francisco (which came into the contest riding a 54-game winning streak) took back the lead and kept Iowa at arm’s length for the rest of the game. The Hawks were able to cut the margin to 7 PTS late in the game but would get no closer. Russell had a terrific performance in his final college game. His 27 REB set a record for the most in NCAA championship game history…and it is a record that still stands almost 65 years later!

He averaged 14.2 PPG/9.5 RPG during his college career: how was he able to balance his scoring with his rebounding? The Fabulous Five were a tremendous group that spread the scoring around, depending on who their opponent was and who had the hot shooting hand that day. All 5 were very unselfish with the ball, which probably suppressed Cain’s individual scoring statistics somewhat. He played power forward alongside center Bill Logan. Although the Fabulous Five were a great group collectively, Logan/Cain in the middle were the 2 players who dominated statistically. Logan led the team in rebounding and finished as the school’s all-time leading scorer, while Cain finished as Iowa’s #3 career scorer behind Logan/Charles Darling.

He made the roster for the 1956 US Olympic team but was nearly dropped after rupturing a disc in his back: how bad was the injury, and how was he able to fight through the pain? To be blunt, the injury was a career-ender. Cain had gone through basic training in the Army just before heading to Australia for the Olympics, and it was in the Army where he first sensed pain in his back. He was scheduled to start team USA’s Olympic opener vs. Japan but during pregame warmups he felt his back seize up when he bent over to tie his shoes. He wound up in the hospital for most of the Olympics but got out just before the semifinal game against Uruguay, scoring his only field goal in a 101-38 blowout. He made an appearance in the gold medal game against the Soviet Union, scoring 1 PT on a FT in the USA’s 89-55 victory. After a stellar college career the 1956 Olympics served as his last game as a competitive basketball player. They were unable to treat back injuries in those days with the medical precision that they have now, and due to his injury he had to retire from the sport altogether after the Olympics.

What did it mean to him to represent his country, and what did it mean to him to win a gold medal? It was a highlight of his career but a bittersweet 1 considering the injury. He fondly remembered his moment of standing on the podium and accepting the gold medal…but he knew that it also marked the end of his basketball career.

He was drafted by Rochester in the 6th round of the 1956 NBA draft but never played due to his injury: how frustrated was he to miss out on having a pro basketball career? He intended to come back from the Olympics and play in the NBA with the Royals, but after returning to the US he spent a grueling 6 months in the hospital getting treatment for his back. When he was finally released from the hospital he was “damaged goods” as far as the NBA was concerned and his basketball career was over…yet he never personally expressed any real frustration over it. He had a resilient personality and spent more time in his life looking forward than looking back. He was discharged from the Army after his back injury and stepped right into his post-basketball career.

He worked in many different fields including probation/insurance/energy: how did he like all of these different gigs? He moved to California and passed a Civil Service test that allowed him to become a probation officer. After about a decade of doing that he moved to Chicago and got into the insurance business, which transferred him back to Des Moines. Finally, he spent nearly 30 years in Iowa as a district manager for an energy company before retiring to Ohio to be near his family.

His #21 jersey was retired by his alma mater: where does that rank among the highlights of his career? He appreciated having his jersey retired but he was proudest of his team’s success. The Fabulous Five is revered in Hawkeye basketball history, so much so that Iowa took a step which is perhaps unprecedented among major college basketball schools. The university not only retired Cain’s #21, but they retired the jersey numbers of each of the Fabulous Five. The 1956 Hawkeyes might be the only team in major college basketball history to have all 5 starters with their jersey numbers retired by their school, and he was very proud of that.

When people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? Carl is not a household name today, even among basketball historians, and that is truly unfortunate. If not for his back injury in the 1956 Olympics it is quite possible that he could have had a solid 10-year career in the NBA and been more recognized by basketball fans than he is today. As it stands, because he never played in the NBA, pro basketball fans have no idea who he was and his legacy is largely limited to his college career at Iowa. However, Carl was 1 of the great basketball players of his era, as his stellar college career illustrated. He was a star Black athlete in an era in the mid-1950s when Black basketball players were still fairly uncommon at the major college level. He was a 2-time Final Four participant, had his jersey number retired at his school, and won a gold medal in the Olympics. All in all, that is a pretty incredible career.

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2020 Draft Preview: HoopsHD interviews VCU prospect De’Riante Jenkins

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Jon Teitel

On May 1st the NBA’s Board of Governors voted to postpone the Draft Lottery and Draft Combine in Chicago due to an abundance of caution regarding the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to all of the seniors who have wrapped up their college careers, the early-entry deadline for underclassmen was August 3rd. The lottery took place on August 20th and the draft is scheduled to take place virtually on October 16th. We will spend the upcoming months interviewing as many members of the 2020 draft class as possible. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage by chatting with De’Riante Jenkins about balancing his offense with his defense and what it would mean to him to get drafted.

As a quarterback at Lake Marion High School 1 of your top receiving targets was Mike Williams, who went on to win an NCAA title at Clemson and had 1001 receiving YDS for the Chargers last year: how good was he back in the day, and could you tell at the time that he was going to become a star? For sure! He was great at catching the ball after getting up in the air: he is a generational talent and served as motivation for myself.

At Hargrave Military Academy you went 47-1 in 2016 and were named tourney MVP after scoring 28 PTS in a win over St. Thomas More School in the National Prep Championship game: what did it mean to you to win a title, and how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? That whole year we worked out 2 times/day while getting our grades right. We bought in and it worked out.

You played for Coach Mike Rhoades at VCU: what makes him such a good coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? Work ethic: he comes to work every day and preaches how your work ethic will go far beyond basketball.

You finished top-10 in the conference in STL twice in the past 3 years and led the team in 3PM twice in the past 3 years: how were you able to balance your offense with your defense? Defense is something that we worked on every day, in addition to the fundamentals. I did not shoot the ball as well as I had hoped the past 2 years but never got gun-shy due to my great coaches who believed in me.

You swept Dayton in 2019 but were swept by the Flyers in 2020: where does national POY Obi Toppin rank among the greatest players that you have ever seen? He is for sure a lottery pick and his game will translate to the NBA very well: I look forward to facing him again in the near-future!

In February you “stepped away from basketball” to deal with a personal health matter: how is your health at the moment? Everything has been taken care of and I am now light years from where I was back then.

Your team was scheduled to play in the opening 2nd round game of the 2020 A-10 tourney before it was canceled due to the coronavirus: what was your reaction when you 1st heard the news, and do you think that it was the right decision? I was not there at that time but when I heard what went down I was shocked from afar. I think it was the right move knowing what we know now and how the virus passes from person to person.

You are 1 of 5 seniors who graduated this spring and your former teammate Marcus Santos-Silva announced that he is transferring to Texas Tech: how do you think the team is going to do next season after losing so much talent? We still have young guys who are hungry and work hard so the team is in good hands. They will have a lot of leadership and the coaching staff will keep them in a good position.

What is it like to be an African-American man/basketball player in 2020? You get to see the world from a different view and discover whether people see you solely for your talent or as a person. I just hope to have a great life for my family: basketball can set you up for a generation and the platform of being an NBA player really inspires me.

What would it mean to you to get drafted, and what is the plan if you do not get drafted? I am looking to get there by going the long way. I just want to play basketball and am looking for 1 team to give me a chance. I have faith in the work I have put in to cash in an opportunity in the future.

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