The second part of our countdown of the top 101 players in the 101 seasons of the University of Louisville men’s basketball team.
90. Jerome Harmon (1989-90) - Arguably the most athletic player to ever put on the red and white, the 6-foot-4 high-flying swingman from Gary, Ind. had one memorable season at UofL (he’s #32 in these highlights). Harmon, who missed his freshman year due to academics, was the team’s second-leading scorer (14.7 ppg) despite never starting a game. He had back surgery the next season, but never played for UofL again (more on that here). The Cards went 27-8 in his only season, winning the Metro Conference regular-season and tournament titles, before being upset by Ball State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament with UNLV looming in the Sweet 16.
89. Wiley Brown (1978-82) - The 6-8 center scored 699 points (5.7 ppg) and grabbed 406 rebounds (3.3 per game) in his career. Brown, famously known for his prosthetic thumb, was the third-leading scorer (10.4 ppg) and third-leading rebounder (5.6 rpg) on the ‘80 title team. The Cards went 101-30 (77.1 winning percentage) in his career, which was highlighted by the ‘80 title and also included a Final Four appearance in ‘82.
88. Bill Butler (1972-74) - The 6-2 swingman averaged an impressive 12.9 points and 7.3 rebounds in his two seasons. He averaged 13.6 ppg as a junior (third on the team) and 12.1 ppg as a senior (1973-74 season). The Cards went 44-14 (a 75.9 winning percentage) in his two seasons, which included one NCAA appearance and one NIT appearance.
87. Mike Lawhon (1969-72) - The 6-5 swingman scored 869 points (10.1 per game) and shot 79.6 percent from the free throw line in his three-year career. He averaged 9.5 ppg as a sophomore and 12.4 (third on the team) as a senior. The Cards went 64-23 (a 73.6 winning percentage) in his three seasons, which were highlighted by a trip to the ‘72 Final Four.
86. Luke Whitehead (2000-04) - The 6-6 forward ranks 57th on the all-time scoring list (1,078). He was the team’s second-leading scorer as a sophomore (10.6 ppg) and senior (11.1 ppg). The Cards went 76-49 (a 60.8 winning percentage) in his four seasons, which were highlighted by back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in his last two years.
85. Wayne Blackshear (2012-present) - The 6-5 swingman (pictured above), a McDonald’s All-American out of Chicago, became the 66th member of the program’s 1,000-point club Sunday night in UofL’s 66-53 win over Northern Iowa in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32. Through that game Blackshear now has 1,008 points (8.1 per game) and 404 rebounds (3.3 rpg) in his career. The Cards are 122-29 (an 80.8 winning percentage) in his four seasons, which were highlighted by this dunk in the 2012 Final Four, the 2013 national title and the fact that he’s now the only Cardinal to play in four straight Sweet 16’s.
84. Keith Williams (1986-90) - The 6-4 point guard ranks sixth all-time in assists (482) and 62nd on the all-time scoring list (1,036). He was the team’s fifth-leading scorer as a freshman (5.3 ppg) and sophomore (9.8 ppg). The Cards went 93-42 (a 68.9 winning percentage) in his four seasons, which were highlighted by two trips to the NCAA’s Sweet 16.
83. Juan Palacios (2004-08) - The 6-9 forward ranks 49th on the all-time scoring list (1,126). Palacios was the team’s fourth-leading scorer as a sophomore (10.2 ppg) and a junior (8.9 ppg) after averaging 9.7 ppg as a freshman on UofL’s ‘05 Final Four team. The Cards went 105-37 (a 73.9 winning percentage) in his four seasons, which were highlighted by that trip to the Final Four.
82. Tony Kimbro (1985-87 & 1988-90) - The 6-7 swingman, who missed the 1987-88 season due to academics, ranks 55th on the all-time scoring list (1,094). He was the team’s third-leading scorer as a sophomore (11.1 ppg). The Cards went 101-38 (a 72.7 winning percentage) in his four seasons, which were highlighted by three Metro Conference championships and the ‘86 national title.
81. Sam Morgan (1915-16 & 1917-20) - The forward led the team in scoring in back-to-back seasons - 1917-18 (17.3 ppg) and 1918-19 (12.7 ppg). The Cards went 24-16 in his four seasons.
Photo courtesy University of Louisville Men’s Basketball Facebook Page
