Who was OU's first Black player in hoops?

[NMSooner'80]

I can't remember his name, but I remember reading about him in a magazine. I believe he was from Purcell and was signed by Bob Stevens around 1959. Anyone remember his name?

So many of OU's Black players over the years have not only been great players but great people. I knew a few of the guys when I was at OU in the late 70's into 1980, and I also knew a few of the guys who played for Billy Tubbs in the 80's. Anyone who ever met guys like Al Beal, Stacey King, Aaron Curry, Tony Martin, etc., would have to agree.

Sorry if this is a weird topic to some, but it is Martin Luther King day, and I'm also proud that my alma mater was quicker to integrate and later bring in these good players and guys when in some circles it still wasn't quite so popular.

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

I didn't start following OU until Adams was there so my memories are people like Gar Heard, Clifford Ray, Eddie Fields, etc.

 

[61sooner]

!958-59 season Buddy Hudson and Joe Lee Thompson.
OU was 15-10, 9-3 Big 7, best record since 1949. Beat MU and KU at home.
Hudson avg. 6.4 per year.
Denny Price was the star of the team.
2 years later the great Eddie Evans and Eddie Jackson.
Doyle Parrack was the coach. A disciple of Hank Iba.
Fr. were not on varsity in those years.

 

[thebigabd]

Blake Johnston.

 

[NMSooner'80]

!958-59 season Buddy Hudson and Joe Lee Thompson.
OU was 15-10, 9-3 Big 7, best record since 1949. Beat MU and KU at home.
Hudson avg. 6.4 per year.
Denny Price was the star of the team.
2 years later the great Eddie Evans and Eddie Jackson.
Doyle Parrack was the coach. A disciple of Hank Iba.
Fr. were not on varsity in those years.

Buddy Hudson was the one I think I read about in either Sooners Illustrated or the Sooner alumni magazine. It was before my time, but I've read that Eddie Evans was really a good player. Don Sidle and Gar Heard were probably the first true superstars of that era who weren't Caucasian, and Clifford Ray had a really nice NBA career.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

Blake Johnston.

welcome back

 

[usedtobe1]

A couple of really nice players back in that mid-60's era who happened to be black were Don Sidle and Willie Rogers. There was a player back in those days that used to post who went by the handle of highjumper on the ouinsider board (he played both basketball and was a high jumper on the track team). I talked to him and they used to all get together for a football game every year.

Don Sidle was a 2 time AA and a 1st round draft choice. He played several years in the ABA, and sadly passed away over 20 years ago. Willie was a guard and also played in the ABA. Last I heard Willie lived in Dallas.

 

[DenverSooner]

highjumper always had good contributions. It would be nice to have him around.

 

[SoonerSpock]

!958-59 season Buddy Hudson and Joe Lee Thompson.
OU was 15-10, 9-3 Big 7, best record since 1949. Beat MU and KU at home.
Hudson avg. 6.4 per year.
Denny Price was the star of the team.
2 years later the great Eddie Evans and Eddie Jackson.
Doyle Parrack was the coach. A disciple of Hank Iba.
Fr. were not on varsity in those years.

Per the media guide Buddy Henson never lettered for OU. Joe Lee Thompson lettered in '59, '60 and '61. There was a Gene Hudson that lettered in '57 and '58. Highjumper confirmed to me that Gene Hudson was known as Buddy to his teammates. Highjumper had a brother that played football on the 56',57' and '58 teams so he knew Buddy.

 

[highjumper]

A couple of really nice players back in that mid-60's era who happened to be black were Don Sidle and Willie Rogers. There was a player back in those days that used to post who went by the handle of highjumper on the ouinsider board (he played both basketball and was a high jumper on the track team). I talked to him and they used to all get together for a football game every year.

Don Sidle was a 2 time AA and a 1st round draft choice. He played several years in the ABA, and sadly passed away over 20 years ago. Willie was a guard and also played in the ABA. Last I heard Willie lived in Dallas.

Highjumper is here, and yes we still get together every year. Sure hated to lose Sidle, but Willie Rogers comes sometimes.

 

[stoops4pres]

Blake Johnston.

You couldn't be any more wrong.

Tim Heskett played before Blake's time.

 

[SilliSooner]

!958-59 season Buddy Hudson and Joe Lee Thompson.
OU was 15-10, 9-3 Big 7, best record since 1949. Beat MU and KU at home.
Hudson avg. 6.4 per year.
Denny Price was the star of the team.
2 years later the great Eddie Evans and Eddie Jackson.
Doyle Parrack was the coach. A disciple of Hank Iba.
Fr. were not on varsity in those years.

I've got a fairly long piece on good friend, Eddie Jackson, who I played with on the Allied Van Lines Industrial League team in 1965 and in 1966, I was a groomsman in his wedding.

I tried to post it earlier but the site kept knocking me off, so I'll break it up.

 

[SilliSooner]

Eddie was a very smart guy, had a degree in finance from OCU where he transferred to in 1962. He was also the world's tallest QB having played the position in high school in Waco.

Here's a few things I remember. Eddie was a great passer, set shooter and had a nice mid-range jumper but he rarely dunked the ball. He had a foot injury which kept him from pushing off and I remember after some of the industrial games at 7th Street or Woodson in the locker room which we shared with our opponents, the other team would give him hell for not having a vertical... even after we beat them by 20 points. It was ridiculously unfair.

Eddie went into banking after graduating but his desire was to coach. So even though he was vp at a bank whenever he heard of a high school coaching open up at an urban school, Eddie was there applying. Over coffee one time I asked him how the job hunting was going and he replied "Eddie Fields."

It turned out whether it be Millwood or Star or whatever school, when Eddie would apply, Eddie Fields had already applied and usually got the job. Eddie was always competing with Terry's dad.

Jackson stayed with Liberty until he became president of Medical Center Bank (Which may have been rolled up into Mid-First).

 

[SilliSooner]

Another little side note on Jackson. Around 71' or 72' I was at a convenience when Eddie pulled up in a yellow VW convertible bug, two small kids bouncing around in the back seat. The laughable sight gag? Jackson's knees were straddling the steering wheel.

 

[jmizzy4ou]

Silli,

Eddie Jackson use to play AAU ball for the Oklahoma City Angel Aires. They use to come to Ponca City when I was a kid, for the huge AAU tourney. My dad played for the Conoco oil team from Ponca. Eddie Jackson was always one of my favorite players because he was so tall.

There were many great college players who either didn't make the NBA, or had left the NBA, who played in those tournaments. I remember the Nutt brothers, Houston and Dickie played for an Arkansas team who won it all one year. Oklahoma City was usually competitive, and Eddie was the center each year I remember, though he was getting old.....

I use to love for my mom to buy me a program, and me and my buddies would look it over and pick out all of the former college stars we recognized. We would go and try to get autographs from each one of them. Eddie Jackson was always a popular choice with us kids, because he was always the tallest player, until Chuck Nevitt came to town one year with a team from Kentucky.....

 

[SilliSooner]

Thanks Jmizzy, I like to hear any of the stories of the guys I used to know from my OCU days. I was a room mate of Gene Tsoodle, a real sharpshooter from Ft. Cobb.

Gene was one of several really superb native Americans who played for Abe Lemons. The others were George Beatty, Fred Yeaquo, Bud Sahmaunt, Gary Gray. Gene would keep me apprised about many of the former players over the years including many who have passed on.

One of these guys was Gary Hill, who was playing in a pool tournament with my future wife, who I hadn't met before, as his playing partner. That was a good night for me to be catching up with Gary. Gary, sadly, is one of those who passed on.

You mention the 7'5 Chuck Nevitt. I remember reading about him in SI article one time. Chuck had a promotional photo showing him blocking a Ralph Sampson shot. But offensively, Chuck was pretty limited.

His NBA coach was trying to do everything he could to improve Chuck's coordination. This is the story I like best. The coach tried ballet, yoga, a special trainer and finally decided to teach Chuck to juggle so he hired a juggler from the circus.

The juggler is amazing everyone in the coaches office when Chuck walks in. The coach says "Chuck, I'd like you to..." when Chuck grabs the three balls and starts juggling them as good or better than the clown. The next thing you see is the coach walking down the hall, head in hands.