Duquesne University announced the All-Century Team, consisting of 27 all-time great men’s basketball players.
The team consists of 12 automatic selections and 15 players chosen by fans through voting at www.goduquesne.com/dukes100. The team, selected in conjunction with Duquesne’s 100th season of basketball, will be honored at halftime during the Feb. 14 home game against Massachusetts.
All 12 automatic selections earned All-America honors and/or had their jersey retired by Duquesne. According to goduquesne.com, Duquesne’s 11 All-Americans include: Moe Becker (1939-41), Paul Birch (1933-35), Herb Bonn (1935-37), Chuck Cooper (1947-50), Sihugo Green (1954-56), Ed Milkovich (1939-41), Walter Miller (1935-37), Dick Ricketts (1952-55), Willie Somerset (1962, ’64-’65), Jim Tucker (1952-54) and Paul Widowitz (1939-41). Cooper, Green, Norm Nixon (1974-77), Ricketts and Somerset all had their jerseys retired in 2001.
According to goduquesne.com, Ricketts and Green, who led the Dukes to the 1955 NIT title and went on to be the first overall picks in back-to-back National Basketball Association (NBA) drafts (Ricketts in 1955 and Green in 1956), remain the only consensus first team All-Americans in school history.
The 15 members added to the team by fans include: Derrick Alston (1991-94), Bruce Atkins (1979-82), Mike Barr (1970-72), Moe Barr (1967-69), Lionel Billingy (1972-74), Mickey Davis (1970-71), Jarrett Durham (1969-71), B.B. Flenory (1977-80), Ron Guziak (1966-68), Aaron Jackson (2006-09), Mike James (1995-98), Barry Nelson (1969-71), Garry Nelson (1969-71), Mike Rice (1961-62) and Bill Zopf (1968-70).
The NBA drafted 17 members of the All-Century team, led by Cooper, the first African-American drafted by an NBA team when the Boston Celtics selected him in 1950.
Photo courtesy of goduquesne.com
