OU to Celebrate Life of Wayman Tisdale Saturday
Family, friends, teammates, coaches, band mates will be on hand for 3 p.m. game vs. Texas.
Feb. 3, 2010
NORMAN, Okla. - The University of Oklahoma athletics department will honor the life and playing career of Wayman Tisdale on Saturday when the OU men's basketball team hosts Texas at 3 p.m. CT at Lloyd Noble Center. Tisdale, the Sooners' all-time leading scorer and rebounder, and a successful jazz bassist, died last May from cancer at the age of 44.
Tisdale's wife, Regina, and children, as well as other family members and former teammates and coaches, will be in attendance and recognized Saturday.
A pre-game concert, featuring members of Tisdale's band, will take place from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. inside Lloyd Noble Center. The National Anthem will be performed by Tom Braxton, the saxophonist from Tisdale's band.
Also scheduled throughout the afternoon are in-game video messages from some of Tisdale's coaches, teammates and fellow musicians. A special preview of the upcoming documentary "The Wayman Tisdale Story" will be shown on the LNC video board at halftime and will be followed by a special music tribute. The preview will be introduced by the documentary's director, Brian Schodorf.
The first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive a commemorative 5x7 card that features a Tisdale jersey patch.
Tisdale, widely regarded as the greatest player in OU men's basketball history, was the first college player to be named a first-team AP All-American his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons (1983-85). He was also a three-time Big Eight Conference Player of the Year and boasted career averages of 25.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
The 6-9 lefty, who came to OU from Tulsa's Booker T. Washington High School, led the Sooners to conference titles in 1984 and 1985. Those two teams, coached by Billy Tubbs, combined for a 70-11 record (33-0 at home). Tisdale led the Sooners to the Elite Eight in 1985 before turning pro. He was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers and averaged 15.3 points over 12 NBA seasons for the Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns.
In November, Tisdale was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He was joined in the class by fellow greats Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
During and after his 12-year NBA career, Tisdale also made his mark as a contemporary jazz bassist. He recorded eight albums, including "Face to Face" in 2001, which climbed all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard contemporary jazz chart.
Tickets for Saturday's game are available online at SoonerSports.com and at the OU Athletics Ticket Office by calling 800-456-4668. Lloyd Noble Center ticket windows will open Saturday at 1 p.m.
