WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – The Pac-12 Conference will honor 11 former student-athletes and one former coach with their induction into the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Hall of Honor presented by Bank of the West during the 2012 Pacific Life Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
The individuals to be inducted are: Richard Jefferson (Arizona), Kurt Nimphius (Arizona State), Lamond Murray (California), Burdette Haldorson (Colorado), Jim Barnett (Oregon), A.C.Green (Oregon State), George Selleck (Stanford), Ed O’Bannon (UCLA), Sam Barry (USC), Arnie Ferrin (Utah), George Irvine (Washington), Steve Puidokas (Washington State).
Richard Jefferson, Arizona – Jefferson became one of the most prolific players in Arizona history in just three seasons with the Wildcats(1999-2001). The Arizona native was known primarily for his athleticism andposterizing dunks, but used his defensive intensity to help his team advance to the 2001 Final Four and play in the national championship game. As a freshman, Jefferson averaged 12.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in Pac-10 play, earning him a spot on the 1999 Pac-10 All-Freshman team. The following season, Jefferson emerged as the team’s best all-around player before suffering a broken bone in his foot midway through the season. When he was on the court, he averaged 11.0 points on .503 shooting for the 2000 Pac-10 Championship team. His third and final year, Jefferson averaged 11.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in leading Arizona to the 2001 NCAA championship game. Jefferson was the 13th overall pick by the Houston Rockets in the 2001 NBA Draft and was a 2002 second-team NBA all-rookie selection. He led the New Jersey Nets to back-to-back Eastern Conference titles in 2002 and 2003, and is now in his 11th year in the NBA, currently playing for the San Antonio Spurs.
Kurt Nimphius, Arizona State – Nimphius earned All-Pac-10 honors as a senior after leading the Sun Devils in scoring (16.6 points per game), rebounding (9.6 rebounds per game) and field goal percentage (.609). He set then-school records for highest field goal percentage in a single season (.609) and career (.586). The sharp-shooter notched 1,006 points in his four years as a Sun Devil (1977-80) and blocked 93 shots, including a team-best 44 blocks in 1978-79. His senior year, ASU went 22-7 and finished 15-3 in league play, good enough to finish second in the Pac-10 and earn the Sun Devils an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament where he averaged 13.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in two games. He was team captain andteam MVP in his senior. As a senior, the South Milwaukee High School product turned out 11 double-doubles and scored 30 points four times, including a 37-pointeffort against Oregon. Nimphius enjoyed an eight-year career in the NBA (1981-90) after being picked in the third round (47th pick) in the 1980 NBADraft by the Denver Nuggets. He played for the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers. He wasinducted into the ASU Sports Hall of Fame in October 2011.
Lamond Murray, California – Murray leftBerkeley as one of the most prolific scorers in Golden Bears history. In his three seasons with Cal (1992-94), he helped his team to two appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including the Sweet 16 in 1993. The Fremont, Calif., native was a two-time All-Pac-10 first-team selection, a U.S. Basketball Writers second-team All-American and Associated Press third-team All-American. In his first year with the program, Murray scored 13.8 points per game and bumped it up to 16.2 points per game during conference play. His efforts earned him Pac-10 All-Freshman recognition in 1992. As a sophomore, Murray averaged 19.1 points per game en route to a 21-9 season for the Bears. The forward had his most productive season as a junior when he averaged a then-school-record 24.3 points per game to lead the conference in scoring. Murray still holds several school records, including most 20-point games in a season (23) and a career(46), most consecutive double-figure scoring games (51) and most points in a season (729 in 1993-94). He finished his college career with 1,688 points—which broke Kevin Johnson’s precedent of 1,655 points and was a school record at the time—and an average of 19.2 points per game. Murray declared for the 1994 NBA Draft after his junior year and went to the Los Angeles Clippers as the seventh overall pick. He split 11 seasons in the NBA (1994-2006) among the Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors and New Jersey Nets.
Burdette Haldorson, Colorado – “Burdie” Haldorson was the pillar of Colorado’s program in his four years as a Buffalo (1952-55). He led CU to consecutive Big Seven titles in 1953-54 and 1954-55 in addition to being named an All-Big Seven first-team selection in both years. He also won the league scoring race in both championship seasons, netting 21.3 and 23.9 points per game, respectively. His senior year, he earned an All-America first-team selection by the Amateur Athletic Union. The Austin, Minn., native left quite an imprint in the school's basketball annals: He still holds four school rebounding records over five decades after his CU playing days, including the most in a half (21), in a game (31), in a season (346) and season average (13.8). The 6-7 big man averaged 15.0 points and 9.5 rebounds for his career, and was the first of only eight players in CU history to this day to tally at least 1,100 points and 700 or more rebounds in a career. Haldorson’s jersey was retired in 1994, making him one of two Colorado basketball players to have their jerseys retired. He was also inducted into the CU Hall of Fame in 1999. In addition to a short professional career, Haldorson played for the 1956 and 1960 U.S. Olympic teams, winning gold both times with perfect records. Haldorson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 along with his 1960 U.S. Olympic teammates, including Jerry West and Oscar Robertson.
Jim Barnett, Oregon – Barnett’s three-year stretch for the Oregon Ducks (1964-66) included two All-Pac-8 selections, an All-American nod and two team Most Valuable Player awards. The 6’4” guard from Riverside, Calif., was one of just three Oregon players to be named an All-American during the 1960s. With a career scoring average of 17.7 points per game (1,325 total points), Barnett finished at UO ranking ninth all-time in total points and currentlyranks 15th all-time. He got a strong start to his collegiate career, averaging 13.0 points per game during his sophomore year. His 338 points during the 1963-64 season was a then-school record for points by a sophomore. Despite playing mostly on the perimeter, Barnett also averaged 6.3 rebounds per game (476 total rebounds) on his career. He led the team in rebounding in both his sophomore and junior seasons. He was an All-Pac-8 second-team selection hisjunior year, and an All-Pac-8 first-team selection his senior. Barnett was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the eighth pick overall in the 1966 NBA Draft. He later played for the Golden State Warriors for three seasons (1972–74) and five other teams during his 11-year career. Nicknamed "Crazy Horse," Barnett averaged 11.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 732 games. Since retiring from the sport, Barnett has been inducted in to both the University of Oregon Hall of Fame and the State of Oregon Hall of Fame.
A.C. Green, Oregon State – Green was a four-year letterman during some of Oregon State’s best-ever basketball teams when he played for the Beavers from 1982-85. The 6-9 forward led OSU to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the 1982 NCAA West Regional Championship game. Green averaged 8.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game that season as a freshman. He nearly doubled his scoring output as a sophomore, posting 14.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, giving him his first All-Pac-10 selection in 1983. His junior year, Green put up 17.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. The Portland, Ore., native was named 1984 Pac-10 Player of the Year, got his second consecutive All-Pac-10 selection and was an All-American honorable mention. In his final year with the program, Green exploded for an average of 19.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game to become Region 8 Player of the Year, an All-American third-team selection and a three-time All-Pac-10 honoree. He was inducted into the Oregon State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996, had his OSU jersey (#45) retired during the 1996-97 season and was inducted into the State of Oregon Hall of Fame in 2003. He is also a member of the Pac-10All-Decade team. On Oregon State’s career lists, he ranks fourth in scoring (1,694 points), second in rebounds (880) and third in field-goal percentage (.602). Green was the 23rd overall selection in the 1985 NBA Draft by the Lakers and won three NBA Championships in his four trips during his time in Los Angeles.
George Selleck, Stanford – When Selleck played his final game with the Cardinal, he ended his collegiate career as one of the best point guards the program had ever seen. In his three seasons with Stanford (1954-56), he scored 1,004 career points, making him just the third player in program history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. He is now one of 39 players in school history to achieve the 1,000-point milestone. During his debut season in 1953-54, Selleck averaged 15.1 points and 3.8 rebounds, earning him recognition by United Press International as an honorable mention All-American. The following year, the Compton, Calif., native contributed an average of 11.3 points on 41.4 percent shooting and 3.8 rebounds per game. Selleck rounded out his career in 1955-56 as Stanford’s team captain and leading scorer with 16.0 points per game, and brought down a career-best 5.5 rebounds per game. He was named an All-Pacific Coast Conference selection and an honorable mention All-American by United Press International and International News Service at season’s end. For his Stanford career, he averaged 13.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Selleck was drafted in the fifth round of the 1956 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia Warriors. He is also a member of the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame. Selleck went on to coach at Stanford and at the high school level, and was twice named Los Angeles Times Coach of the Year. He is now an author and accomplished sports educator.
Ed O’Bannon, UCLA – O’Bannon is one of just five players in UCLA men’s basketball history to start on a UCLA NCAA Championshipbasketball team (1995), have his Bruin jersey number retired (No. 31 in 1996), be inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame (2005) and be inducted into the Pac-12 Hall of Honor (March 2012). From his sophomore season on, O’Bannon was a UCLA starter and leader. As a sophomore in 1992-93, he was UCLA’s second-leading scorer (16.7) and top rebounder (7.0), garnering United Press International honorable mention All-American honors, a USBWA first-team All-District 8 selection and a first-team All-Pac-10 nod. As a junior in 1993-94, he led the Bruins in scoring (18.2) and rebounding (8.8), earning NABC third-team All-America, USBWA first-team All-District 8 and first-team All-Pac-10. As a senior co-captain in 1994-95, O’Bannon led the Bruins to the 1995 NCAA Championship. He did it all for the Bruins that season: He was the team’s top scorer (20.4), rebounder (8.3), three-point shooter (.433, 55-of-127) and free throw shooter (.785, 124-of-158). In addition tobeing named Most Outstanding Player of the 1995 Final Four, his end-of-the-season honors included the John R. Wooden, RCA/USBWA and CBS-Chevrolet National Player of the Year awards and Pac-10 co-Player of the Year. At the end of his collegiate career, his 1,815 points was No. 4 in school history, 820 rebounds ninth and 95 blocked shots second. In the 1995 NBA Draft, O’Bannon was the ninth overall selection by the New Jersey Nets. He played two years in the NBA with the New Jersey Nets and the Dallas Mavericks, and played an additional seven years of professional basketball overseas.
Sam Barry, USC – Justin “Sam” Barry is the winningest basketball coach in USC history, as he guided the Trojans to a 260-138 (.653) record in his 17 years (1930-41, 1946-50) with USC. His teams finished third at the 1940 NCAA tournament, won eight conference crowns and posted 32 consecutive wins over crosstown rival UCLA. He transformed the game of basketball by pushing for the elimination of the center jump after each basket, resulting in a faster-paced game. He was a leading advocate of the 10-second rule, and is credited as the father of the triangle offense. Barry also coached the Trojan baseball team, solo from 1930 to 1941 (winning six league titles) and then with Rod Dedeaux for six more years (1942, 1946-50) as they captured USC’s first ever-baseball NCAA title in 1948. Before his tenure at USC, Barry coached basketball and baseball at Iowa, and also helped then-Iowa football coach Howard Jones with the football program. Barry won a pair of Big Ten basketball titles in his seven-year stay (1923-29) at Iowa. When Jones left for USC, he again recommended Barry for the Trojan basketball job and an assistant’s role with the football team—Barry succeeded Jones as the football head coach for a season in 1941. He died on Sept. 23, 1950, at 57 years old in Berkeley, Calif., while on a football scouting trip for USC. Barry was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979 and was voted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.
Arnie Ferrin, Utah– Chariton Arnold “Arnie” Ferrin, Jr. is one of the most decorated players in Utah men’s basketball history. The only four-time All-American in program history, he received the honor in 1944, ’45, ‘47 and ‘48. As a freshman, Ferrin led the Utes to the 1944 NCAA Championship, scoring 22 points in the final game against Dartmouth, including four in overtime, and became the first freshman ever to be named MVP of the Final Four. That team was dubbed “The First Cinderella” in a March 2010 article in Sports Illustrated. As a senior, the Salt Lake City native led the Utes to the 1947 NIT Championship. Ferrin’s number 22 is one of seven retired Utah, and was the simplest of choices forUtah basketball’s All-Century Team, unveiled in February of 2008. After graduating from Utah in 1948, Ferrin was named the MVP of the annual East-West All-Star game. He was then selected by the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1948 Basketball Association of America (later the NBA) Draft and played for three years (1949-51). He returned to Utah in 1974 as an assistant to the Vice President for University Relations. He held that position until May 1, 1976, before he accepted the job as Utah's Athletics Director. Ferrin was Utah's A.D. for nine years before retiring in 1985. In 2008, he was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
George Irvine, Washington – Irvine tore up the record books and made a mark on the program that remains visible today. Irvine started all three years (1968-70) as a Husky and led the team in scoring inboth his junior (15.6 ppg) and senior seasons (20.0 ppg), respectively. He also led the team in rebounding during his sophomore year (7.6 rpg) and his junior year (7.5 rpg). Irvine led the Huskies in field goal percentage each of his three years on the varsity team and would leave the program in 1970 as the school’s all-time field goal percentage leader (.588), a mark that would stand until 1987. Irvine now ranks fourth on that list and currently is 21st on UW’s all-time scoring list with 1,314 points. His show-stopping play earned him a spot on the All-Pac-8 team his senior season. In 1970, Irvine was drafted by both the NBA Seattle SuperSonics and the ABA Virginia Squires. He opted to sign with the Squires and played five years with the team, then two seasons with the Denver Nuggets before suffering a career-ending knee injury in 1977. In 1980, Irvine embarked on a 25-year career in the NBA working as an assistant coach, head coach and vice president of basketball. He started as an assistant coach in stints with the Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons and Golden State Warriors, but would also get his shot as a head coach for Indiana and Detroit. Irvine also worked in the Pacers’ front office helping to assemble their successful teams during the 1990’s.
Steve Puidokas, Washington State – When Puidokas arrived at WSU in the fall of 1973, head coach George Raveling was attempting to resurrect a struggling Cougar basketball program. By the time Puidokas left the Palouse, he had set five school records. He became the first basketballplayer and only the second student-athlete in WSU history to have his jersey number retired when he was honored in 1977. As a freshman, the center averaged 16.8 points and 8.9 rebounds a game, earning All-District 8 honors, second team All-Pacific-8 recognition and third team All-West Coast accolades. As a sophomore, Puidokas set school records with 42 points against Gonzaga, averaged a league-leading 22.4 points per game, and again was named a second team All-Pac-8 selection. During his junior campaign, Puidokas averaged 18.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per outing while garnering second team All-Pacific-8 honors for the third straight season. He became WSU’s all-time leading scorer that season. Puidokas capped his career at WSU by averaging 17.2 points and 9.7 rebounds during his senior season. He left WSU as the Cougars’ all-time leader with 1,894 points and 992 rebounds. He earned a second team All-West Coast selection, was a District 8 all-star and was named second team All-Pac-8 for the fourth time, making him the first of two WSU players ever to be awarded all-conference honors four straight years. At the end of his career, he ranked fourth on the all-time Pac-8 list in scoring and seventh in rebounding. Puidokas still holds the WSU career marks for scoring average (18.6 points per game), field goals (734) and rebounds (992). Afterwrapping up his career in Pullman, he played for several years in Europe. Puidokas passed away in 1994 at 40 years old.
