Senioritis: Holloway, Hummel & Taylor Didn't Return to All-American Acclaim

May 12th, 2012 - 22:08

Senioritis is a colloquial term referring to an illness described as decreased motivation displayed by students nearing the end of their careers. In basketball lingo, it's a dreaded disease that also afflicts All-Americans.

The malady lingers even in an era when the majority of premium players bid adieu the first time a pro scout watches one of their games. This season, Purdue's Robbie Hummel fell short in his courageous attempt to join Kentucky's Sam Bowie as the only player to return to All-American status after a medical redshirt. Meanwhile, guards Tu Holloway of Xavier and Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor of Wisconsin also failed to become All-Americans again as freshman Austin Rivers of Duke took one of their spots despite registering more turnovers than assists prior to leaving early for the NBA.

This ailment isn't always a player's fault and occasionally must infect voters. In one of the greatest injustices in NCAA history, Seton Hall's Nick Werkman averaged 33.2 ppg and 13.8 rpg in 1963-64 but wasn't named an All-American for the second straight season.

Werkman is one of 17 players who didn't retain A-A status despite averaging more than 20 points per game as a senior. Following is an alphabetical list of major-college players named All-American as an undergraduate since the late 1940s (after the roster disruption of WWII) but not as a senior when they fell off the honors radar:

Senior Player Pos. School Year(s) as A-A Final Season Summary
*Bruno Boin C Washington 1957 15.2 ppg in 1958-59
Joe Caldwell F Arizona State 1963 21.8 ppg and 12.2 rpg in 1963-64
Lorenzo Charles F North Carolina State 1984 18.1 ppg and 6.4 rpg in 1984-85
Derrick Chievous F Missouri 1987 23.4 ppg and 8.5 rpg in 1987-88
Bobby Cook F Wisconsin 1947 12.4 ppg in 1947-48
Russ Critchfield G California 1967 22 ppg in 1967-68
John "Hook" Dillon F North Carolina 1946 and 1947 182 points in 1947-48
Bruce Douglas G Illinois 1984 8.8 ppg and 6.2 apg in 1985-86
Erwin Dudley F-C Alabama 2002 14.8 ppg and 9.5 rpg in 2002-03
Louis Dunbar F-G Houston 1974 24.3 ppg and 9.3 rpg in 1974-75
Bill Erickson G Illinois 1949 10.4 ppg in 1949-50
Kenny Fields F UCLA 1983 17.4 ppg and 6.9 rpg in 1983-84
Ryan Gomes F Providence 2004 21.6 ppg and 8.2 rpg in 2004-05
Jimmy Hagan C Tennessee Tech 1959 24.3 ppg and 17.2 rpg in 1959-60
Julius Hodge G-F North Carolina State 2004 17 ppg and 6.6 rpg in 2004-05
Terrell "Tu" Holloway G Xavier 2011 17.5 ppg and 4.9 apg in 2011-12
Frank Howard C-F Ohio State 1957 16.9 ppg and 13.6 rpg in 1957-58
Robbie Hummel F Purdue 2010 16.4 ppg and 7.2 rpg in 2011-12
Thad Jaracz C-F Kentucky 1966 11.3 ppg and 7.1 rpg in 1967-68
George Kaftan F-C Holy Cross 1947 and 1948 11.6 ppg in 1948-49
Ted Kitchel F Indiana 1982 17.3 ppg and 4.1 rpg in 1982-83
Brandin Knight G Pittsburgh 2002 11.2 ppg and 6.3 apg in 2002-03
Tom Kondla C Minnesota 1967 21 ppg and 9 rpg in 1967-68
John Lucas III G Oklahoma State 2004 17.7 ppg and 4.1 apg in 2004-05
Mark Macon G Temple 1988 22 ppg and 4.9 rpg in 1990-91
Billy McCaffrey G Vanderbilt 1993 20.6 ppg 4.2 apg in 1993-94
Bill Mlkvy F Temple 1951 17.4 ppg and 15.8 rpg in 1951-52
Lee Nailon C Texas Christian 1998 22.8 ppg and 9.3 rpg in 1998-99
Anthony Peeler G Missouri 1990 and 1991 23.4 ppg and 5.5 rpg in 1991-92
Ronnie Perry G Holy Cross 1977 through 1979 22.9 ppg and 2.9 apg in 1979-80
Chris Porter F Auburn 1999 14.6 ppg and 7.3 rpg in 1999-2000
A.J. Price G Connecticut 2008 14.7 ppg and 4.7 apg in 2008-09
Mark Randall F-C Kansas 1990 15 ppg and 6.2 rpg in 1990-91
Pat Riley F Kentucky 1966 17.4 ppg and 7.7 rpg in 1966-67
Lawrence Roberts F-C Mississippi State 2004 16.9 ppg and 11 rpg in 2004-05
Sean Singletary G Virginia 2007 19.8 ppg and 6.1 apg in 2007-08
Chris Smith C Virginia Tech 1960 19.9 ppg and 16.5 rpg in 1960-61
Michael Smith C-F Brigham Young 1988 26.4 ppg and 8.6 rpg in 1988-89
Ken Spain C Houston 1968 14.8 ppg and 11.6 rpg in 1968-69
Hank Stein G Xavier 1958 13.7 ppg in 1958-59
Jordan Taylor G Wisconsin 2011 14.8 ppg and 4.1 apg in 2011-12
Kenny Thomas C New Mexico 1998 17.8 ppg and 10 rpg in 1998-99
Chris Thomforde C Princeton 1967 14.8 ppg and 8.2 rpg in 1968-69
Monte Towe G North Carolina State 1974 10.4 ppg and 4.1 apg in 1974-75
Jim Tucker C Duquesne 1952 13.4 ppg and 13.6 rpg in 1953-54
Clarence Weatherspoon F Southern Mississippi 1991 22.3 ppg and 10.5 rpg in 1991-92
Nick Werkman F Seton Hall 1963 33.2 ppg and 13.8 rpg in 1963-64
Sherman White C Long Island 1950 25.4 ppg in 1950-51
Henry Wilmore F-G Michigan 1971 and 1972 21.8 ppg and 6 rpg in 1972-73
George Wilson C Cincinnati 1963 16.1 ppg and 12.5 rpg in 1963-64
Luke Witte C Ohio State 1972 13.7 ppg and 8.3 rpg in 1972-73

*Boin missed the 1957-58 season after dropping out of school and playing AAU ball

NOTES: UCLA's Lucius Allen (academic problems in 1968-69) and St. John's Mel Davis (knee injury in 1972-73) and Texas Western's Bobby Joe Hill (injury and grade problems in 1966-67) did not play full or at all in their senior seasons. . . . Canisius' Larry Fogle, an All-American as a sophomore in 1974 when he led the nation in scoring, entered the NBA draft as a hardship case the next year after failing to earn All-American status again. . . . Illinois' Frank Williams, an All-American as a sophomore in 2000-01, declared for the NBA draft as an undergraduate the next year after failing to to earn All-American status again. . . . Austin Peay's Fly Williams, an All-American as a freshman in 1973 when he led the nation in scoring, entered the ABA draft as an undergraduate the next year after failing to earn All-American status again