tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890005401873315247.post577081904582508174..comments2024-02-24T00:45:43.708-08:00Comments on The VU Centennial Class: Before it was March Madness.....Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01814112133335823517noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890005401873315247.post-57149225584456655762008-07-13T13:30:00.000-07:002008-07-13T13:30:00.000-07:00very few vandy students realized just HOW GOOD bas...very few vandy students realized just HOW GOOD baskets really was 1970--1974...at vandy....yeah they underachieved as a team until 1973-4 when VBK and the boys won the SEC...but if they had had the big dance back then its no telling how far each of those teams would have gone...BUT...do you realize how many of those guys played in the NBA ?? ( now remember...right now they only have 2 draft rounds and alot of second round guys DONT make the NBA and end up playing in europe etc )...but rod freeman ( 73 ) played in the NBA ( power forward ) ( he also tried our for the NY GIANTS as a tight end but that is another story...pretty good athlete i'd say ) bill ligon ( 73 ) played in the NBA as a shooting guard....( wonder how long HE would have played in the bigs if they would have had the 3 ball back then ? ) butch fhere ( 75 ) played in the NBA as a shooting guard and was maybe the best all--around NBA " athlete " of the group...VBK( 74 ) was a # 1 draft choice...SEC player of the yr..ALL AMERICAN and played about 9 yrs in the NBA as a forward...( my neighbor in columbia SC was the great scoring guard from univ of south carolina who lead the NBA in scoring i think once or more...i asked him about JAN ( in the NBA brotherhood )around 1981 and he said " jan can play the big D '..nice compliment...did you also realize terry compton( 74 ) was the last guy cut in another NBA camp...lee fowler( 74 ) made it through most of the way in another NBA camp..and jeff fosness( 75 ) might have been THE vandy guy in the NBA except he has an IQ of 210 and decided to become a doctor...and oh by the way....alex thompson(73) , doug bates(73 ) and joe ford( 75 ) werent " good enough " to play in the NBA BUT..they WERE good enough athletes to play vanderbilt basketball AND to play on the vanderbilt championship baseball teams !!!! so was jimmy conn( 71 ) who was both a starter in vandy basketball AND an ALL SEC vandy shortstop WHO was a top draft choice of the LA DODGERS and played several yrs of pro baseball...not to leave anybody out...my old chemistry lab partner ray maddoux( 73 ) was a great college center and leading rebounder who at 6ft 8 was not going to play center in the NBA so he just went about building a multi million dollar business in nashville...and my best friend hayworth parks( 74 ) was not going to play guard in the NBA at 6ft ..he DID however run our bullpen for home baseball games for years when not at basketball practice....and just to make sure everybody knew he could play...in a black--gold scrimage open to the public right before the basketball season began ( probably 1972 ) ..he lead ALL scorers with " about 25 " from range ( remember..no 3 ball) ...in front of a semi--packed memorial gymnasium...my point is...THAT group of basketball players when we were in school...will NEVER be seen the likes of...again.....mark bode...class of 1973...baseballAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890005401873315247.post-7137293287938966442008-03-11T13:34:00.000-07:002008-03-11T13:34:00.000-07:00My son, James , a sophmore at VU, just got back fr...My son, James , a sophmore at VU, just got back from 7 days at Cabo. This brings to mind for us 35 year reunion goers the following--"Where was the most exotic spring break trip you were fortunate enough to take?"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com