Even before he played at Winston-Salem State, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe’s exploits on the basketball court earned him nicknames like “Black Jesus,” “Einstein” and “The Lord’s Prayer” (Photo Credit: AP Photo/File).
RegalMag.com All-Time All-HBCU Basketball Team
On The Game’s song “Game’s Pain,” R&B singer Keyshia Cole sang, “And ever since the day I got the chance to make a change I’ve been in this game, it’s a new day and I’m making it known cause I just want the world to know I’m paying my dues, and I got the utmost, I just wanna let you know I’m paying homage cause you’ve paved the way for me.”
Unfortunately, those who pave the way for the next generation rarely get the credit they rightfully deserve and HBCU basketball players and coaches are no exceptions.
Because of color barriers, quotas and being blackballed, many pioneers of basketball are unknown and forgotten.
Few remember Coach John McClendon at North Carolina College for Negroes (North Carolina Central) defeating a team from Duke 88-44 in a secret and illegal game on March 12, 1944.
Not many remember McClendon teaming up with the innovator behind the “fall back baby” jump shot Dick Barnett and leading Tennessee A&I (Tennessee State) to three consecutive NAIA national championships from 1957 to 1959.
What about that watershed year of 1993, when Ben Jobe’s Southern Jaguars beat Georgia Tech 93-78 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament behind 27 points, 18 rebounds, three blocks and three steals from forward Jervaughn Scales?
Just like The Game thought it was his duty to educate new school rap fans on the exploits of the old school pioneers, RegalMag.com feels that it is its duty to take sports fans back to school to honor the best HBCU basketball players and coaches of all time.
First Team
Guard: Cleo Hill (Winston-Salem State, 1957-1961)—2,488 career points; first CIAA player to be selected in first round of NBA Draft (eighth overall to St. Louis Hawks in 1961) #
Guard: Earl Monroe (Winston-Salem State, 1963-1967)—26.7 PPG, 6.9 RBG for career ***
Forward: Bob Love (Southern, 1961-1965)—SWAC All Conference team from 1963-1965; NAIA All-American $$
Forward: Charles Oakley (Virginia Union, 1981-1985)—20.3 PPG, 14.0 RBG for career *
Center: Willis Reed (Grambling State, 1960-1964)—26.6 PPG, 21.3 RBG during senior season; 2,280 career points $
Coach: Clarence “Big House” Gaines (Winston-Salem State, 1947-1993)—828 wins, 447 losses @
Second Team
Guard: Avery Johnson (Southern, 1986-1988)—9.2 PPG, 12.0 APG for career **
Guard: Sam Jones (North Carolina Central, 1951-1954 and 1956-57)—17.7 PPG, 9.1 RPG (career averages) ***
Forward: Dick Barnett (Tennessee State, 1955-1959)—3,209 career points; three-time All-American ##
Forward: Travis Grant (Kentucky State, 1968-1972)—4,045 career points $$$
Center: Ben Wallace (Virginia Union, 1994-1996)—13.4 PPG, 10.0 RPG for career ***
Coach: John McClendon (North Carolina Central, 1941-1952; Hampton, 1953-1954; Tennessee State, 1955-1959; Kentucky State, 1964-1966 and Cleveland State, 1967-1969)—523 wins and 165 losses @@
Third Team
Guard: Lindsey Hunter (Jackson State, 1990-1993; Alcorn State, 1988-89)—20.1 PPG, 3.7 APG, 3.2 RBG career averages **
Guard: Bobby Phills (Southern, 1987-1991)—17.0 PPG, 4.0 RBG, and 1.8 APG for career **
Forward: Bob Dandridge (Norfolk State, 1965-1968)—32.3 PPG, 17.0 RPG during senior year ***
Forward: Earl Lloyd (West Virginia State, 1946-1950)—14 PPG, 8 RPG as a senior ###; first Black player to play in NBA
Center: Rick Mahorn (Hampton, 1976-1980)—20.3 PPG, 12.3 RPG for career ***
Coach: Ben Jobe (Talladega, 1964-1967; Alabama State, 1967-68; South Carolina State, 1968-1973; Alabama A&M, 1982-1986; Southern, 1986-1996 and 2001-2003; Tuskegee, 1996-2000)—517 wins and 340 losses @@@
* Stats according to CBSSports.com
** Stats according to Sports-Reference.com
*** Stats according to Basketball-Reference.com
$ Stats according to NBA.com
$$ According to GoJagSports.com
$$$ Stats according to ESPN
# According to New York Daily News
## According to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame
### According to Encycolopedia.com
@ According to WSSURams.com
@@ According to Bleacher Report
@@@ According to CollegeHoopedia.com
