Although the 101st season of the University of Louisville men's basketball team ended Sunday, we continue our countdown of the 101 best players in program history. This installment is a look at players Nos. 50-41 (in reverse order).
50. Scooter McCray (1978-79 & ‘80-83) - The 6-foot-9 forward-center totaled 977 points (7.6 ppg) and 710 rebounds (5.5 rpg) in his career. The elder of the McCray brothers had a fine freshman season (10.1 ppg and a team-high 3.1 apg) before tearing up his knee a few games into his sophomore year. It took a couple of years for McCray to recapture his frosh form, but he averaged 9.1 points and a team-high 3.5 assists per game as a senior. The Cards went 100-31 (a 76.3 winning percentage) in his four seasons, which were highlighted by back-to-back Final Four appearances in ‘82 and ‘83.
49. Kenny Reeves (1946-50) - The 6-0 guard ranks 39th on the all-time scoring list (1,210 points/10.6 ppg). He was the team’s leading scorer his senior season (13.6 ppg). The Cards went 88-33 (a 72.7 winning percentage) in his four seasons, which were highlighted by the ‘48 NAIB title.
48. Larry Williams (1975-79) - The 6-7 forward ranks 32nd all-time in scoring (1,293/11.4 ppg) and 13th all-time in rebounds (855/7.6 rpg). Williams’ had a super sophomore season, averaging 13 ppg and a team-high 9 rpg. The Cards went 88-30 (74.6 winning percentage) in his four seasons, which were highlighted by three trips to the NCAA Tournament.
47. Chuck Noble (1950-54) - The 6-4 swingman ranks 33rd all-time in scoring (1,281/15.1 ppg). Noble led Louisville in scoring in his junior (17 ppg) and senior (17.2 ppg) seasons. The Cards went 83-26 (76.1 winning percentage) in his four seasons, which were highlighted by three trips to the NIT and one to the NCAA.
46. Ron Thomas (1970-72) - The 6-5 forward scored 876 points (14.6 per game) and snared 785 rebounds (13.1 per game) in his two-year career. Thomas averaged a double-double both seasons, going for 13.5 ppg and 12.6 rpg as a junior and 15.6 ppg (second on the Final Four team) and 13.5 rpg as a senior. The Cards went 46-14 (76.7 winning percentage) in his two seasons, which were highlighted by a pair of Missouri Valley Conference titles and a trip to the ‘72 Final Four.
45. Nate Johnson (1996-2000) - The 6-6 forward ranks 20th on the all-time scoring list (1,513/12.1 ppg). He led the squad in scoring as a sophomore and junior (12.3 ppg in both), but that was during the decline of the Denny Crum Era (Johnson’s dad’s comped hotel rooms was one of the reasons UofL got in trouble with the NCAA). The Cards went 76-52 (a 59.4 winning percentage) in his four seasons, which were highlighted by a trip to the Elite Eight his freshman year.
44. George Hauptfuhrer (1944-46) - The 6-6 center was the leading scorer (16.2 ppg in ‘44-45 and 13.2 ppg in ‘45-46) on Peck Hickman’s first two teams. He helped the Cards to a 38-9 record (an 80.9 winning percentage) in two seasons, co-captaining the ‘46 team that finished runner-up in the KIAC Tournament. Hauptfuhrer went on to be a first-round NBA Draft pick of the Boston Celtics.
43. Felton Spencer (1986-90) - The 7-0 center ranks 44th on the all-time scoring list (1,168/8.7 ppg) and grabbed 694 rebounds (5.2 rpg). He starred as a senior, averaging 14.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. The Cards went 93-42 (a 68.9 winning percentage) in his four seasons, which were highlighted by back-to-back trips to the Sweet 16 his sophomore and junior years.
42. Ricky Gallon (1974-78) - The 6-10 center ranks 28th on the all-time scoring list (1,355/11.6 ppg) and is near the Top 15 in rebounds with 777 (6.6 per game). As a sophomore he averaged 15.1 ppg, 7 rpg and shot 59.4 percent from the field. The Cards went 92-25 (a 78.6 winning percentage) in his four seasons, which were highlighted by one Missouri Valley Conference title, one Metro Conference title, three trips to the NCAA Tournament and one Final Four (‘75).
41. Samaki Walker (1994-96) - The 6-9 center (pictured above in a hideous suit) scored 708 points (14.4 ppg) and 361 rebounds (7.4 rpg) in only 67 career games before turning pro after his sophomore season. The most memorable moment of his two seasons came when he recorded a triple-double against Kentucky on New Year’s Day 1995. The Cards went 41-26 (a 61.2 winning percentage) in his two seasons, which were highlighted by a trip to the Sweet 16 his sophomore season.
Photo courtesy Samaki Walker's Facebook Page
