Thankless Task: Who Succeeded "M Boys" (Maravich, Mount and Murphy)?

The 2019-20 season marked the 50th anniversary of perhaps the most dominant senior class in college basketball history. In 1969-70, Bob Lanier (St. Bonaventure), Mike Maloy (Davidson), Pete Maravich (Louisiana State), Jim McMillian (Columbia), Rick Mount (Purdue), Calvin Murphy Sr. (Niagara) and Charlie Scott (North Carolina) concluded their careers as three-time All-Americans. Two-time first-team All-American Dan Issel (Kentucky) was among the following sterling senior crop supplementing the seven three-time All-Americans: Tiny Archibald (Texas-El Paso), Dennis Awtrey (Santa Clara), Jimmy Collins (New Mexico State), Dave Cowens (Florida State), John Johnson (Iowa), Sam Lacey (New Mexico State), Geoff Petrie (Princeton), Dave Sorenson (Ohio State) and Rudy Tomjanovich (Michigan).

There has never been anything close to the marvelous perimeter showmanship of the "M Boys" - guards Maravich, Mount and Murphy. The combination of their influences dictated that college hoops would never be the same again. It's staggering to contemplate how many points Maravich (career scoring average of 44.2 ppg), Mount (32.3 ppg) and Murphy (33.1 ppg) would have scored if there had been a three-point arc during their college days. Incredibly, the explosive trio still boasts three of the seven top career scoring averages in NCAA Division I history.

We had an idea of what was in store at the varsity level after their freshman team scoring averages in 1966-67: Maravich (43.6 ppg), Mount (35 ppg) and Murphy (48.9 ppg). We didn't know what was ahead for their respective team successors.

Fifty years ago, who were the individuals under the microscope facing thankless task of moving up from 1969-70 freshman squads to try to fill gigantic shoes of "M Boys" in 1970-71? Despite significant contributions as sophomores, their long-forgotten names were Gary Simpson, Dennis Gamauf and Al Williams.

Simpson, after averaging 34.6 ppg for LSU's freshman team, averaged 14.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg and 4 apg in 1970-71 before hitch in U.S. Army in wake of encountering grade problems and losing his 2S draft deferment. Simpson, a native of Granite City, Ill., returned to St. Louis Metro East area but was a shell of himself, averaging 4.1 ppg for St. Louis in 1974-75 before dying of cancer at age 29 in 1980. In 1970-71, Purdue's Gamauf averaged 6.4 ppg and 2.3 rpg while Niagara's Williams averaged 12.1 ppg and 4.9 rpg.

Years later, sons of the "M Boys" had infinitely more difficulty evoking memories of legendary fathers at their alma maters. Josh Maravich scored four points in 13 games for LSU from 2002-03 through 2004-05. Rich Mount scored 14 points in 19 games for Purdue in 1989-90 and 1990-91 before transferring and scoring 14 points in 10 games for Virginia Commonwealth in 1992-93. Calvin Murphy Jr. scored 128 points in 28 games for Niagara in 1996-97 before transferring and scoring 16 points in 14 games for Houston in 1999-00 and 2000-01.

For pure entertainment, watch old college-game videos of Maravich, Mount and Murphy. Amid one-and-done era, there never will be anything like this threesome again over a three-year period.