I graduated from OU in '69 so I went to many games in the old field house watching those older players. That was back in the day when freshmen couldn't play. It was also during the time of the Viet Nam war and I served in the Marine Reserve unit in Norman, and sometimes assigned as the radio operator for Bob "Go Go" Stevens who was a former head basketball coach of the Sooners and later worked in the athletic department administration.
Players like Don Sidle were really good. He was 6'8" and very quick and smooth….. he died too young at the age of 40. Gar Heard was a little smoother Naajera type player …. and a couple of inches shorter. Clifford Ray was just a big, gangly very good defender but not much of an offensive threat. Alvin Adams was a very smooth player. I watched his first game in the field house when he had 28 rebounds in a game, but he was really a finesse player who could get physical if he needed to. Another combo would have been Choo Kennedy and Wayman ….. but you were maybe around those days.
Interesting story about post players from the 60's-70's. One of my best friends from HS was 6'9" and a very good athlete. He dominated the intramural ranks and the Sooners were always after him to come out for the team, and he often would scrimmage against the freshman teams. He was also a good student and didn't want to take the time for practice and travel. After graduation he went to work for IBM and became a division president (EVP). He retired a wealthy man and still follows the Sooners.
