The first nationally honored basketball player of the Norm Stewart era, Dixon, Missouri, native John Brown was an all-American and all-Big Eight Conference forward/center in 1972 and ‘73, starring on the first two Missouri teams to win more than 20 games and to go to the NIT. He completed his career as the Tigers’ all-time leading scorer with 1,421 points. Brown led the Tigers in scoring in 1972 and ‘73, and in field goal percentage in 1971 and ’72. Brown’s 41 points vs. Oklahoma State in 1973 stood as the Hearnes Center record for 14 years. Brown was chosen for the 1972 USA Olympic basketball team, but due to a foot injury was unable to play. He was the tenth player chosen in the 1973 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks and was named to the 1974 NBA All-Rookie Team. He also played with the Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls and in Italy. His uniform number 50 was retired by the University in 2019. He was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.
