Juco Jewels: Oklahoma Goes For F4 Gold With Couple of J.C. Reserves
March 30th, 2016 - 7:43
Junior college products have made a significant difference for NCAA Tournament titlists. Keith Erickson (El Camino CA), Jack Hirsch (Los Angeles Valley CA), Larry Hollyfield (Compton CA), Terry Schofield (Santa Monica CA), John Vallely (Orange Coast CA) and Sidney Wicks (Santa Monica CA) were instrumental in helping UCLA win seven of its NCAA championships (1964, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973) and mighty mite Bobby Joe Hill (Burlington IA) was the spark-plug for Texas Western when the Miners captured the 1966 title. Wicks is the only individual to become a member of three NCAA champions after playing in junior college.
Taking a cue from Kansas' eight Final Four squads benefiting from J.C. recruits, Oklahoma boasts a couple of juco products on its roster (Akolda Manyang and Dinjiyl Walker). Supplying significantly more impact in previous national semi appearances, the Sooners also had multiple J.C. recruits on their Final Four rosters in 1988 and 2002. Harvey Grant, an All-American for OU in 1987-88, is among the following alphabetical list of key Final Four team members who previously played for junior colleges:
| J.C. Recruit | Pos. | Final Four Team(s) | Junior College(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Ackles | C | UNLV '91 | Garden City (Kan.) |
| Tony Allen | G | Oklahoma State '04 | Wabash Valley (Ill.) |
| Malcolm Armstead | G | Wichita State '13 | Chipola (Fla.) |
| Rex Bailey | G | Western Kentucky '71 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
| Jarvis Basnight | F | UNLV '87 | Mount San Antonio (Calif.) |
| Warren Baxter | G | San Francisco '55 & '56 | San Francisco City |
| Corey Beck | G | Arkansas '94 & '95 | South Plains (Tex.) |
| Walter Berry | F | St. John's '85 | San Jacinto (Tex.) |
| Daron "Mookie" Blaylock | G | Oklahoma '88 | Midland (Tex.) |
| Corie Blount | C | Cincinnati '92 | Rancho Santiago (Calif.) |
| Carl Boldt | F | San Francisco '56 | Glendale (Calif.) |
| Kenny Booker | F-G | UCLA '70 & '71 | Long Beach (Calif.) |
| Roy Boone | G | Wisconsin '00 | Coffeyville (Kan.) |
| Ron Brewer | G | Arkansas '78 | Westark (Ark.) |
| Karl Brown | G | Georgia Tech '90 | Chipola (Fla.) |
| Terry Brown | G | Kansas '91 | Erie (Pa.) & Northeastern Oklahoma A&M |
| Pembrook Burrows | F | Jacksonville '70 | Brevard (Fla.) |
| David Butler | C | UNLV '90 | San Jacinto (Tex.) |
| Chet Carr | F | Southern California '54 | Vallejo (Calif.) |
| Jerry Chambers | F-C | Utah '66 | Trinidad (Colo.) |
| Jason Cipolla | G | Syracuse '96 | Tallahassee (Fla.) |
| Charlie Criss | G | New Mexico State '70 | New Mexico J.C. |
| Howie Dallmar | G | Stanford '42 | Menlo (Calif.) |
| Bennett Davison | F | Arizona '97 | West Valley (Calif.) |
| Art Day | C | San Francisco '57 | Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) |
| Jason Detrick | G | Oklahoma '02 | Southwest Missouri State-West Plains |
| Alex Dillard | G | Arkansas '94 & '95 | Southern Union (Ala.) |
| Don Draper | G | Drake '69 | Coffeyville (Kan.) |
| Al Dunbar | G | San Francisco '57 | Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) |
| Jerry Dunn | F | Western Kentucky '71 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
| Cleanthony Early | F | Wichita State '13 | Sullivan County (N.Y.) |
| Ebi Ere | G | Oklahoma '02 | Barton County (Kan.) |
| Denny Fitzpatrick | G | California '59 | Orange Coast (Calif.) |
| Jerry Frizzell | F | Seattle '58 | Grays Harbor (Wash.) |
| Dean Garrett | C | Indiana '87 | City College of San Francisco |
| Alex Gilbert | C | Indiana State '79 | Coffeyville (Kan.) |
| Armon Gilliam | F-C | UNLV '87 | Independence (Kan.) |
| Artis Gilmore | C | Jacksonville '70 | Gardner-Webb (N.C.) |
| Ricky Grace | G | Oklahoma '88 | Midland (Tex.) |
| Harvey Grant | F | Oklahoma '88 | Independence (Kan.) |
| Jeff Graves | F-C | Kansas '03 | Iowa Western |
| Evric Gray | F | UNLV '91 | Riverside (Calif.) |
| Rickey Green | G | Michigan '76 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
| Carl Hall | F | Wichita State '13 | Middle Georgia & Northwest Florida State |
| Arnette Hallman | F | Purdue '80 | Joliet (Ill.) |
| Dick Hammer | G | Southern California '54 | Fullerton (Calif.) |
| Darrin Hancock | F | Kansas '93 | Garden City (Kan.) |
| Josh Harrellson | C | Kentucky '11 | Southwestern Illinois |
| Bobby Joe Hill | G | Texas Western '66 | Burlington (Iowa) |
| Larry Hollyfield | G-F | UCLA '72 & '73 | Compton (Calif.) |
| Lenzie Howell | F | Arkansas '90 | San Jacinto (Tex.) |
| Othello Hunter | F | Ohio State '07 | Hillsborough (Fla.) |
| Roy Irvin | C | Southern California '54 | Fullerton (Calif.) |
| Bobby Jackson | G | Minnesota '97 | Western Nebraska |
| Alonzo Jamison | F | Kansas '91 | Rancho Santiago (Calif.) |
| David Johanning | C | Kansas '91 | Hutchinson (Kan.) |
| Larry Johnson | F | UNLV '90 & '91 | Odessa (Tex.) |
| Dontae' Jones | F | Mississippi State '96 | Northeast Mississippi |
| Herb Jones | F | Cincinnati '92 | Butler County (Kan.) |
| John Keller | F-G | Kansas '52 | Garden City (Kan.) |
| Larry Kenon | F | Memphis State '73 | Amarillo (Tex.) |
| Weldon Kern | F | Oklahoma A&M '45 & '46 | Cameron (Okla.) |
| Charlie Koon | G | Washington '53 | Olympic (Wash.) |
| Don Kruse | C | Houston '67 | Kilgore (Tex.) |
| Vern Lewis | G | Houston '67 & '68 | Tyler (Tex.) |
| Chadrack Lufile | F | Wichita State '13 | Chipola (Fla.), Vincennes (Ind.) & Coffeyville (Kan.) |
| Akolda Manyang | C | Oklahoma '16 | Indian Hills (Iowa) |
| Archie Marshall | F | Kansas '86 | Seminole (Okla.) |
| Erik Martin | F | Cincinnati '92 | Rancho Santiago (Calif.) |
| Bob McAdoo | C | North Carolina '72 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
| Bill McClintock | F | California '59 & '60 | Monterey Peninsula (Calif.) |
| Aaron McGhee | F-C | Oklahoma '02 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
| Johnny McNeil | C | Georgia Tech '90 | Chowan (N.C.) |
| Lincoln Minor | G | Kansas '88 | Midland (Tex.) |
| Wat Misaka | G | Utah '44 | Weber (Utah) |
| Casey Mitchell | G | West Virginia '10 | Chipola (Fla.) |
| Larry Moffett | C | UNLV '77 | Compton (Calif.) |
| Rex Morgan | G | Jacksonville '70 | Lake Land (Ill.) |
| Roger Morningstar | F | Kansas '74 | Olney (Ill.) Central |
| Willie Murrell | F | Kansas State '64 | Eastern Oklahoma A&M |
| Swen Nater | C | UCLA '72 & '73 | Cypress (Calif.) |
| Carl Nicks | G | Indiana State '79 | Gulf Coast (Fla.) |
| Jim Nielsen | F | UCLA '67 & '68 | Pierce (Calif.) |
| Charles Okwandu | C | Connecticut '11 | Harcum (Pa.) |
| Ehimen Orukpe | C | Wichita State '13 | Three Rivers (Mo.) |
| V.C. "Buck" Overall | F | Texas '43 | Tyler (Tex.) |
| Andre Owens | G | Oklahoma State '95 | Midland (Tex.) |
| Gerald Paddio | F | UNLV '87 | Kilgore (Tex.) & Seminole (Okla.) |
| Hal Patterson | F | Kansas '53 | Garden City (Kan.) |
| Mike Preaseau | F | San Francisco '56 & '57 | Menlo (Calif.) |
| Ryan Randle | F-C | Maryland '02 | Allegany (Md.) |
| George Reese | F | Ohio State '99 | Independence (Kan.) |
| George Reynolds | G | Houston '68 | Imperial Valley (Calif.) |
| Morris "Moe" Rivers | G | North Carolina State '74 | Gulf Coast (Fla.) |
| Dave Rose | G | Houston '83 | Dixie State (Utah) |
| Lynden Rose | G | Houston '82 | North Harris County (Tex.) |
| Terrell Ross | G | Texas '03 | Allegany (Md.) |
| Randy Rutherford | G | Oklahoma State '95 | Bacone (Okla.) |
| Greg Samuel | G | Florida State '72 | Broward (Fla.) |
| Terry Schofield | G | UCLA '69, '70 & '71 | Santa Monica (Calif.) |
| Moses Scurry | F | UNLV '90 | San Jacinto (Tex.) |
| Daryan Selvy | F | Oklahoma '02 | Carl Albert (Okla.) |
| Tony Skinn | G | George Mason '06 | Blinn (Tex.) |
| Keith Smart | G | Indiana '87 | Garden City (Kan.) |
| Odie Smith | G | Kentucky '58 | Northeast Mississippi |
| Robert Smith | G | UNLV '77 | Arizona Western |
| Sam Smith | F | UNLV '77 | Seminole (Okla.) |
| Phil Spence | F | North Carolina State '74 | Vincennes (Ind.) |
| Elmore Spencer | C | UNLV '91 | Connors (Okla.) State |
| Leroy Staley | F | Indiana State '79 | Florida J.C. |
| Dwight Stewart | C | Arkansas '94 & '95 | South Plains (Tex.) |
| Jozsef Szendrei | C | Oklahoma '02 | Northeastern (Colo.) |
| Rich Tate | G | Utah '66 | Trinidad (Colo.) |
| Ron Thomas | F | Louisville '72 | Henderson County (Tex.) |
| Tom Tolbert | F | Arizona '88 | Cerritos (Calif.) |
| Nick Van Exel | G | Cincinnati '92 | Trinity Valley (Tex.) |
| Eloy Vargas | C | Kentucky '11 & '12 | Miami-Dade (Fla.) |
| Toby Veal | F | Virginia Commonwealth '11 | Northwest Florida State |
| Mark Wade | G | UNLV '87 | El Camino (Calif.) |
| Dinjiyl Walker | G | Oklahoma '16 | Iowa Western |
| Russell Walters | F | Mississippi State '96 | Jones County (Miss.) |
| Lloyd Walton | G | Marquette '74 | Moberly (Mo.) |
| Quannas White | G | Oklahoma '02 | Midland (Tex.) |
| Jerome Whitehead | C | Marquette '77 | Riverside (Calif.) City |
| Nick Wiggins | G | Wichita State '13 | Vincennes (Ind.) & Wabash Valley (Ill.) |
| Andre Wiley | F | Oklahoma '88 | Compton (Calif.) |
| David Willard | C | UNLV '87 | Laredo (Tex.) |
| Willie Wise | F | Drake '69 | San Francisco City |
| Janavor Weatherspoon | G | Oklahoma State '04 | Odessa (Tex.) |
| Gary Zeller | G | Drake '69 | Long Beach (Calif.) |