Smashing Success: Ex-College Hoopers Making Transition to Tennis Court

A theory in some esteemed quarters believes basketball players are the most versatile team-sport athletes in the world. Tennis is also a sport demanding an abundance of speed, strength, stamina, coordination, quickness, jumping ability, timing, guile and creativity. When losing, let's hope they exhibit a mite more touch of court-ship than Her Smugness "Subway" Serena. As the 2023 U.S. Open gets serious in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., with many fans coming from crime-ridden subway system, it's time to evaluate the following alphabetical list of tennis standouts who also displayed their athletic prowess in college basketball:

NED CASWELL, Furman
Southern Conference tennis MVP in 1987 when he was an NCAA Championships quarterfinalist. He was a Top 225 Player in the World in 1989. Coached Anderson College's NJCAA national title in 1992. . . . Assists leader on the Paladins' 1984-85 basketball squad with 3.4 apg.

BRANDON "DON" COLEMAN, Lamar Tech
Led college to three consecutive Lone Star Conference singles titles from 1952 through 1954 before winning the NAIA doubles crown in 1955. . . . Played hoops for two years with the Cardinals. Enjoyed long tenure as high school basketball coach in Texas, posting 893 victories.

KES DEIMLING JR., Duke
Captain of 1952 tennis team defeating defeating North Carolina to capture Southern Conference championship. The next year, he was part of league's doubles titlist. . . . Teammate of All-American Dick Groat averaged 4.9 ppg in 1950-51 and 1951-52.

LESLIE "CHUCK" DeVOE, Princeton
Co-founder of ABA's Indiana Pacers also was a prominent tennis player. After never losing a singles or doubles match in three years of varsity tennis, he played in two U.S. Nationals (now called U.S. Open) in the early 1950s. DeVoe's most impressive tennis moment came when he entered the 1966 Western Tennis Championship in Indianapolis as a 36-year-old businessman. His first-round victim was 21-year-old Puerto Rican phenom Charles Pasarell (just back from reaching Wimbledon quarterfinals) as DeVoe won in two sets (6-2, 9-7). Holder of 11 Indiana state open singles titles and later of numerous national seniors crowns. His brother, Stephen, is a former director of professional tennis for the U.S. Tennis Association and tournament director for the U.S. Open. . . . DeVoe averaged 10 ppg from 1949-50 through 1951-52. Senior captain and All-EIBL first-team selection of NCAA tourney team scored game-high 23 points in East Regional setback against Duquesne.

KEN DILL, Delaware
Led tennis team to a four-year dual mark of 50-12 and runner-up finish at the 1979 ECC championships. Two-time team MVP compiled a career singles record of 51-14 and remains the only tennis player in school history to win three league titles as he captured the 1981 ECC doubles crown and both the ECC singles and doubles titles in 1982. . . . Averaged 7.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg and 2.4 apg from 1979-80 through 1981-82. He was runner-up for the Blue Hens in assists in 1980-81 with 4.3 apg.

MIKE EIKENBERRY, Virginia
Three-year tennis letterman was an All-ACC selection as senior in 1969 before becoming President of the U.S. Professional Tennis Association from 1984 to 1986. . . . Averaged 3.1 ppg and 2.1 rpg for the Cavaliers' hoop squad in 1967-68.

TARIK EL-BASSIOUNI, Miami (Fla.)
He was in regular rotation of Top 40-ranked tennis team in 2002, winning decisive match in back-to-back days in late March. His father, Hossan, was a member of the 1968 Egyptian Olympic Team as a water polo player. . . . El-Bassiouni collected 10 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in nine basketball games in 1999-00 under coach Leonard Hamilton, playing briefly in South Regional semifinal setback against Tulsa.

JIM FLYNN, Portland
Number one player as a freshman and part of UP's tennis team posting 79 consecutive wins in the mid-1950s. . . . Averaged 2.2 ppg and 1.7 rpg in 1953-54 and 1954-55.

RICH GUGAT, UCLA/San Jose State
Tennis letterman with legendary teammate Arthur Ashe. . . . Member of 1962 Final Four team coached by John Wooden before transferring to SJSU, where he averaged 3.4 ppg and 2 rpg in 1963-64.

TECUMSEH "TEE" HOOPER, The Citadel
Won five Southern Conference tennis crowns (two singles, three doubles). . . . All-Southern Conference second-team selection as a senior forward in 1968-69 when he averaged 17.4 ppg and 8.7 rpg.

ROBERT "BOBBY" JAKE, Northwestern/Vermont
Big Ten Conference singles and doubles champion in 1946. . . . NU hoops letterman in 1942 and 1943 before serving in U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII. He played for Vermont in 1947 before becoming 16th selection overall in BAA draft.

C. "RON" LIVINGSTON, UCLA
Helped the Bruins' tennis squad win PCC titles from 1952 through 1954. Joined fellow team co-captain Bob Perry to capture the NCAA doubles crown in 1954. . . . Led UCLA in scoring in two seasons under coach John Wooden. All-PCC South Division first-team selection in hoops as a senior.

JOHN LUCAS JR., Maryland
Twice won ACC #1 singles championship (1974 and 1976). "When I finished college, I didn't know if I could make more money playing tennis or basketball," Lucas told SI. Played World Team Tennis with the Golden Gaters and New Orleans Nets in 1977 and 1978. . . . NCAA consensus first-team hoops All-American as a junior and senior averaged 18.3 ppg and 4.7 apg from 1972-73 through 1975-76. First pick overall in 1976 NBA draft.

DENNIS LYNCH SR., Yale
Captain of 1964 Yale tennis team and Yale-Harvard squad playing Oxford-Cambridge in the Prentice Cup Matches that year. Longtime singles and doubles champion of the Seabright Lawn Tennis & Cricket Club, the Asbury Park Press voted him second-best player in the history of Jersey Shore tennis in 2000. VP at Smith, Barney & Co. before co-founding Lynch & Mayer, a large-cap investment advisory group which had approximately $6 billion in assets in 1996. . . . All-Ivy League second-team basketball selection in 1962-63 and 1963-64 averaged 13.1 ppg and 4.1 rpg in three-year varsity career under coach Joe Vancisin. Lynch scored 12 points in an overtime setback against Final Four-bound Wake Forest in 1962 East Regional.

CLIF MAYNE, California
Won the NCAA doubles title in 1952 before finishing national runner-up in doubles in 1953. . . . Mayne collected 16 points and 15 rebounds in 25 games in 1953-54 and 1954-55 under coaches Nibs Price and Pete Newell.

MERLE OGLE, Northern Colorado
Tennis team captain as sophomore/junior/senior, losing only one match during those years as two-time RMC singles' champion. . . . Led basketball squad in scoring as a senior, earning second-team all-league acclaim.

JOHN POWLESS, Murray State
He has been ranked No. 1 in the world in singles and doubles for senior men 55 and older, and served six seasons as captain and coach of the U.S. Junior Davis Cup team. Undefeated in three years of varsity tennis competition and won three Ohio Valley Conference singles and doubles titles. . . . The 6-5, 195-pound forward averaged 6.9 ppg and 5.7 rpg in 81 varsity games in four seasons from 1953-54 through 1956-57. Powless was Wisconsin's head basketball coach for eight seasons from 1968-69 through 1975-76.

DICK RAZZETTI, Georgetown
Competed in the U.S. Open in 1959 and was ranked nationally by the U.S. Tennis Association. Compiled a 17-1 record over his three-year college tennis career. . . . Averaged 1.2 ppg in 11 basketball games for the Hoyas in 1957-58 and 1958-59.

JOHN and RUPE RICKSEN, California
Twins were NCAA quarterfinalists in singles - Rupe in 1951 and John in 1953. As a doubles teandem, they reached the NCAA semifinals in 1951 and the quarters in 1952 and 1953. . . . John (8.8) and Rupe (5.6) combined for 14.4 ppg from 1950-51 through 1952-53. John was a first-team all-conference selection as a senior.

MARTY RIESSEN, Northwestern
Nine times ranked among the top 10 men's singles tennis players in the U.S. Member of five U.S. Davis Cup teams (1963, 1965, 1967, 1973, 1981). . . . A 6-1, 170-pound guard, he averaged 6.5 ppg for Northwestern from 1961-62 through 1963-64. Sketch in school guide: "Reputation as a rugged, poised performer. Cool head makes him a logical floor leader."

OLIVER "BO" RODDEY, Davidson
The Charlotte pediatrician is possibly the greatest tennis player in Davidson history. He played No. 1 four years, and in 1950 as a senior was the Southern Conference singles and doubles champion. His doubles teammate was Whit Cobb, a four-year starter in basketball. In 1975, Roddey became one of the original members of the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame. The first native North Carolinian to be chosen for the Junior Davis Cup team dominated tennis in the state from 1946 until 1952 and was ranked No. 1 in the South. . . . Roddey scored 73 points from 1947-48 through 1949-50.

DICK SAVITT, Cornell
In 1951, at the age of 24, self-taught tennis player won both the Australian and Wimbledon men's singles championships. Americans legends Jimmy Connors (1974) and Pete Sampras (1994 and 1997) subsequently achieved the feat. Ranked as high as #2 in the world in 1951. Two-time EIBL singles champion (1949 and 1950) won gold medals in both singles and men's doubles at the 1961 Maccabiah Games in Israel. . . . Following a brief stint in the Navy, he enrolled at Cornell in 1946 before two injuries, one of a knee, curtailed his hoops career. Tennis did not aggravate his knee as much.

VIC SEIXAS, North Carolina
Member of Tennis Hall of Fame was Wimbledon champion in 1953. Ranked No. 1 in the U.S. in 1951, 1954 and 1957. Member of U.S. Davis Cup team from 1951 through 1957 shared French and Australian doubles titles with Tony Trabert in 1953. . . . Scored six points in one basketball game for the Tar Heels in 1946-47.

S.L. SHOFNER, Central Oklahoma
Capped his college tennis career with a 22-2 senior season in 1954 that included the NAIA national singles championship. . . . Member of three OIC titlists averaged 16.8 ppg as a sophomore and 20.2 ppg as a senior.

TONY TRABERT, Cincinnati
Member of International Tennis Hall of Fame won NCAA singles title in 1951 before winning singles titles in French (1954 and 1955), United States (1955) and Wimbledon (1955) tournaments. Ranked the No. 1 men's player in the world by the London Daily Telegraph in 1953 and 1955. . . . Played two seasons of varsity basketball for the Bearcats in a college career interrupted by military service. Averaged 6.9 points in 22 games in 1950-51 and scored 11 points in four games in 1953-54. Starting guard as a 6-0 sophomore for the '51 team that played in the NIT and had an 18-4 record. Sketch in school guide: "Great surprise in early basketball drills. His improvement has been rapid and he should be a great help to the club."

MARTY WOLF, Xavier
Held school tennis record for most victories with 100 for decades. . . . Averaged 4.4 ppg and 1.8 rpg for the Muskeeters from 1975-76 through 1977-78.