Birmingham, Ala. - The leading scorer in Mizzou history has been named to the latest class of Allstate® SEC Basketball Legends, it was announced by the league office on Tuesday. All-time Tiger great Derrick Chievous is among 14 former standouts from across the entire Southeastern Conference who will be honored at the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament March 11-15 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
Chievous burst on the Missouri basketball scene in 1985. He went on to become the leading scorer in Tiger basketball history with 2,580 points, and posted three of the top-ten season scoring figures in MU annals. He led the Big Eight Conference in scoring as both a junior and senior, and led the Tigers to the league regular-season and post-season tournament championships in 1987. He was a Freshman All-American in 1985, consensus second-team all-American in 1987, all-conference in 1987 and '88, and was twice MU's most valuable player. He is one of only two players in school history to lead the team in scoring three times, and holds a host of other school records. A first-round draft choice of the Houston Rockets in 1988, Chievous also played in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"The Allstate® SEC Basketball Legends Program allows us to honor our past and show everyone why the SEC is one of the nation's premier basketball conferences," said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive.
The 2015 class includes C.M. Newton, Alabama; Darrell Walker, Arkansas; Chris Porter, Auburn; Eddie Shannon, Florida; Jacky Dorsey, Georgia; Bob Burrow, Kentucky; Ronald Dupree, LSU; B.L. "Country" Graham, Ole Miss; Doug Hutton, Mississippi State; Derrick Chievous, Missouri; Jack Thompson, South Carolina; Johnny Darden, Tennessee; Sonny Parker, Texas A&M; Bruce Elder, Vanderbilt.
Each SEC Basketball Legend will be recognized at halftime of his institution's first game at the tournament.
Highlighting the schedule of events at the Sunkist Soda SEC FanFare will be appearances by selected legends. FanFare will be open Thursday-Saturday, March 12-14.
This marks the 17th year of the SEC Basketball Legends program.
Last year's group included Eddie Phillips, Alabama; Clint McDaniel, Arkansas; Gerald White, Auburn; Greg Stolt, Florida; D.A. Layne, Georgia; Tony Delk, Kentucky; Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (Chris Jackson), LSU; Ansu Sesay, Ole Miss; Erick Dampier, Mississippi State; John Brown, Missouri; Gary Gregor, South Carolina; Dr. Ed Wiener, Tennessee; Dr. John Thornton, Texas A&M; Matt Freije, Vanderbilt
Other 2015 Allstate® SEC Basketball Legends
ALABAMA - C.M. Newton, Head Coach 1968-1980
Charles Martin "C.M." Newton served as head coach at Alabama for 12 seasons (1968-80), compiling a record of 211-123 on the way to earning SEC Coach of the Year honors twice (1975 and 1976). He led the Crimson Tide to 3 SEC Titles (1974, 1975 and 1976) and 7 post-season berths, including 2 NCAA Tournaments and 5 NIT berths during his tenure at The Capstone. Newton's 1975-76 team advanced to the NCAA's Round of 16. Four of his teams (1973-74, 1974-75, 1975-76 and 1976-77) finished ranked 14th or higher in the final national rankings. But his most remarkable legacy may have been integrating Alabama basketball, signing the program's first African-American student-athlete, Wendell Hudson, in 1968.
ARKANSAS - Darrell Walker, Guard 1980-1983
An Associated Press, Converse and UPI second-team All-American for basketball coach Eddie Sutton in 1983, Walker was also first-team All-Southwest Conference and named to the NABC all-district team. A letterman in 1981, `82 and `83, he played on teams going 24-8 with a SWC title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in `81, 23-6 with another SWC title and NCAA Tournament bid in `82 and 26-4 with another trip to the Sweet 16 in `83. Those teams ended the season ranked No. 20 in 1981, No. 12 in `82 and No. 9 in `83. He averaged 11.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in 1981, 14.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in 1983, and 18.2 points and 5.7 rebounds in 1983. He is 18th on Arkansas' career scoring list with 1,325 points and led the team in scoring in `83. Walker is also fourth with 230 career steals, ninth with 333 free throws made and ninth with 302 assists. He was a first-round NBA Draft pick, the 12th overall selection, of the New York Knicks in 1983. He played 10 years in the NBA with the Knicks, Denver, Washington, Toronto, Detroit and Chicago, and he won an NBA championship with the Bulls in 1993. Walker has also served as a head coach, assistant coach and scout for various NBA teams.
AUBURN - Chris Porter, Forward 1998-2000
The 1999 AP and SEC Coaches SEC Player of the Year, Chris Porter helped lead Auburn to the SEC Championship with a 29-4 record and the No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed, where the team advanced to the Sweet 16. He was named to the John Wooden Award, Basketball Times and College Hoops Insider All-America First Teams and the AP and USBWA Second Teams in 1999. In his SEC Player of the Year campaign, he averaged 16.0 points and 8.6 rebounds, including a near double-double in SEC games with averages of 17.2 points and 95 rebounds.
FLORIDA - Eddie Shannon, Guard 1995-1999
Eddie Shannon was a four-year starter at UF and helped usher in the Donovan Era, playing his three final seasons under head coach Billy Donovan. He culminated his career helping Florida to the Sweet 16 in the 1999 NCAA Tournament, finishing with 1,168 career points, a 10.1 scoring average and a career field goal percentage of .418. Shannon was named the 1999 Frontier Most Courageous Players for demonstrating extraordinary courage beyond the playing floor, playing his final season without the use of his right eye.
GEORGIA - Jacky Dorsey, Forward 1974, 1975
Jacky Dorsey was one of the SEC's most exciting players during his abbreviated career as a Georgia Bulldog. Had he stayed his entire four years in Athens, he would certainly have become one of the league's all-time greats. As a freshman in 1975, the native Atlantan earned first-team all-conference honors and ranked second in the SEC, and 12th in the nation, in scoring at 25.8 points per game. He scored 21.8 points per game as a sophomore and, once again, earned consensus All-SEC honors. Dorsey turned professional after his sophomore season, was taken by the New Orleans Jazz in the 1976 NBA Draft, and he played the next five seasons in the NBA.
KENTUCKY - Bob Burrow, Center 1955-1956
A two-time All-America selection in his two years at Kentucky, Bob Burrow is a member of UK's 1,000 point club (1,023). Burrow was named third-team All-America and first-team All-SEC during the 1955 season when he averaged a team-leading 19.0 points per game. He received NCAA All-Regional team honors as he helped lead UK to the 1955 Elite Eight. In his senior season, the Wells, Texas, native was named a consensus second-team All-America selection and named first-team All-SEC for the second-consecutive season, while also repeating honors on the NCAA All-Regional team. Burrow was drafted 57th overall in the 1956 NBA Draft by the Rochester Royals.
LSU - Ronald Dupree, Forward 1999 - 2003
Ronald Dupree played on two NCAA and one NIT teams, including the 2000 SEC Championship Team that reached the Sweet 16. A three-time All-SEC selection, he led the SEC in scoring with 17.3 points per game in 2001. He ranks ninth all-time with 1,726 career points. In 129 career games, Dupree averaged 13.4 points and his 907 rebounds ranks ninth all-time.
OLE MISS - B.L. "Country" Graham, Center 1936-1938
Ole Miss' first modern All-American, the 6-foot-3 Graham played center at Ole Miss from 1936-38, and pioneered the one-handed pivot shot. During his playing days, Graham scored 1,259 points - which still ranks 21st on the career scoring chart - with most of them coming on his patented hook shot called "Country's Fadeaway." Graham earned All-SEC and All-America honors as a senior in 1938 after averaging 17.9 points per game and leading the Rebels to a 22-12 record including an 11-2 mark in SEC play. After his playing days, Graham was the head coach at Ole Miss from 1950-62 amassing 144 wins, which ranks second all-time in school history.
MISSISSIPPI STATE - Doug Hutton, Guard 1962-1964
A 3-year letterman for MSU, Hutton led MSU to two SEC titles and was a member of the historic 1963 team that snuck out of town in order to compete in Mississippi State's first NCAA Tournament against Loyola-Chicago in what is now known as the Game of Change. In his three years, MSU went 55-24. In 1962, Hutton averaged 9.8 points as MSU finished 24-1 and fourth nationally in the polls. He also won the SEC's Sixth Man Award. As a junior, he averaged 10.4 points and named second-team All-American. His senior year, Hutton earned All-SEC honors after averaging 14.8 points. A native of Clinton, Miss., he also lettered in baseball and track and field. In 1995, he was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of fame following a successful coaching career after being inducted into the MSU Hall of Fame in 1993.
SOUTH CAROLINA - Jack Thompson, Guard 1966-1968
Jack Thompson was an outstanding point guard under legendary head coach Frank McGuire. He scored 686 points and finished his career with a 4.67 assists per game average. He was a two-time ACC All-Tournament Team selection (1967, 68) and was named second-team All-ACC in 1967. He was also a two-time team captain in 1967 and 68. Thompson is a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and played professionally with the Indiana Pacers in the ABA. In 1999 he was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame.
TENNESSEE - Johnny Darden, Guard 1975-1979
A native of Springfield, Tenn., Johnny Darden was a standout guard for the Volunteers under head coaches Ray Mears and Don DeVoe from 1975-79. Darden was a key player on Tennessee's 1977 SEC Championship team as well as the 1979 SEC Tournament Championship squad. He owns the school record for career assists with 715. His career average of 6.56 assists per game ranks second in program history. Darden led the Vols in assists during each of his four seasons at Tennessee, and he was a third-team All-SEC selection in both 1977 and 1978.
TEXAS A&M - Sonny Parker, Guard 1974-75, 1975-76
Sonny Parker was a first-round NBA selection in 1976 by the Golden State Warriors after earning SWC Player of the Year honors in 1974-75 and in 1975-76. He led Texas A&M to the NCAA Championships following the 1975 season and helped lead the Aggies to back-to-back SWC titles in 1975 and 1976. Parker is a member of Texas A&M Athletics Hall of Fame.
VANDERBILT - Bruce Elder, Forward 1991-1993
Bruce Elder transferred to Vanderbilt with three years of eligibility remaining and he made the most of those three years. He was a co-captain of the Commodores' 1993 Southeastern Conference championship team that reached as high as No. 5 in the Associated Press poll. He earned all-SEC honors in 1993 and was college basketball's Academic Player of the Year in 1993. He still ranks among Vanderbilt's all-time leading scorers despite playing just three years.