Welcome to part two of a five-part summer series in which you, the fans, get to pick the University of San Francisco all-time men's basketball roster!
Once a week, Dons Athletics will release a new list of players from each position group: center, power forward, small forward, shooting guard, and point guard, for fans to vote on. You will be asked to select three from each group, making up the ultimate 15-man roster.
The top vote-getter from each group will be named a starter, with the second and third most votes being selected as key reserves.
This week we will be looking at Power Forward. USF's rich history at center is legendary, but don't sleep on the list of the Dons' all-time power forwards. USF boasts a slew of hall-of-fame- worthy players at the four position, including one of USF's early super stars. So, without further ado, here are seven spectacular athletes that have spanned the 91-year history at USF. If there's anyone we forgot to include, vote for them!
If you missed part one,
click here:
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Dennis Black 1964-68: The Berkeley native wrapped up his three-year career on the varsity squad the third highest scorer over that span, finishing with 1,281 points, and 706 rebounds. The 6-5 forward was a two-time All-WCAC selection and was the record holder in the WCAC for field goal percentage. In 79 career games he averaged 16.2 points per contest, while grabbing 9.9 rebounds per game and shooting 49.9 percent from the field. In his senior campaign he scored 519 points. He averaged 20.0 points per game that season.
Cole Dickerson 2010-14: A two-time All-West Coast Conference selection, Dickerson finished his career as the school's 11th all-time leading rebounder (748) and 19th all-time leading scorer (1252. He ranked 13th on the school's all-time career list for field goal percentage at .504 (487-for-966) and 11th in three-point field goal percentage at .376 (114-for-303). He joined Joel DeBortoli as one of two players in USF history to rank in the top-15 on both lists. Dickerson led the Dons in both scoring and rebounding as a junior (15.2; 9.8) and senior (15.1; 7.7). Dickerson finished his career strong, scoring 969 of his 1,252 career points and 557 of his 748 career rebounds in his final 64 games. In 125 career games, he averaged 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and shot 50.4 percent from the floor.
James Hardy 1975-78: A standout player on the Dons' powerful teams of the late 70's, James Hardy played three seasons (1975-78) at USF and left as the program's 10th all-time leading scorer (1,075) and its seventh leading rebounder (772). A native of Long Beach, Hardy was part of a heralded recruiting class which included fellow Hall of Famers Bill Cartwright and Winford Boynes. The trio led USF to the nation's No. 1 ranking in 1976-77 after the Dons reeled off 29 consecutive wins to open the season. Hardy was a second-team All-WCC selection as a freshman in 1975-76 and earned first team all-conference marks, along with Associated Press honorable mention All-America accolades as a sophomore in 1976-77. In his junior campaign he finished with 346 points with 195 rebounds, helping the Dons capture their second-straight WCAC title. Following his junior season, he was drafted by the New Orleans Jazz with the 11th overall pick and played four seasons in the NBA from 1978-82.
Don Lofgran 1948-50: A two-time All-American and member of USF's Athletic Hall of Fame, this "Legend of the Hilltop" played at USF from 1948-50 and helped the Dons to the 1949 National Invitation Championship…scoring 20 points in the championship game against Illinois-Chicago and earning NIT Tournament MVP honors. In the 1948-49 season he scored 442 points, following that up with 381 more in the 1949-50 season, to average 15 points for his USF career. He was the 11th pick overall in the 1950 NBA Draft by the Syracuse Nationals.
Dior Lowhorn 2007-10: A three-time letter winner for the Dons, Lowhorn transferred to the Hilltop following his freshman year at Texas Tech. The three-time All-WCC honoree made a splash for the Dons his first year playing, averaging 20.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 2007-08. His 635 points scored is the fourth-most points scored in a single season at USF. The following season he again averaged over 20 points a game and once again earned First Team All-WCC accolades. His 604 points scored that season ranks 10
th-most in a single-season by a USF player. During his senior year, he broke the record for fastest to 1,000 points, previously held by USF Hall of Famer Bill Russell. That season he averaged 18.9 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per contest. In three years on the Hilltop he scored 1,773 points, which is fourth all-time, while grabbing 628 rebounds.
Raymond Maloney 1926-30: Arguably the Dons' first superstar, Maloney played at USF when it was still St. Ignatius. He was a key member of the Grey Fog and was a two-time All-American. In the 1927-1928 season, his sophomore year, the Dons posted a record of 16-5, playing with distinction and winning the highest title possible in the western region. Maloney led the team in scoring with over 130 points. As captain of the Grey Fog his junior year, Maloney was again the stellar player on the team with his consistent shooting and his manner for handling the team on the court. When St. Ignatius won the collegiate title and the Pacific Association of the A.A.U., they earned their first trip to a national championship. While at the National Tournament, Maloney suffered from a leg infection, yet still won the attention of the judges and was awarded an All-American mention, a distinction he repeated his senior year.
Kevin Restani 1971-74: Unselfish yet fiercely competitive, and with a fine outside shooting touch, Restani helped propel the Dons to two consecutive WCAC titles. He was a standout on the Green and Gold freshman team, breaking many of Bill Russell's frosh records and leading the ballot for a spot on the All-Northern California Freshman Team. Hampered by a painful ankle injury much of his sophomore year, he still managed to average nearly 15 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, helping to drive the Dons to the WCAC title. Along the way, he was named League Sophomore of the Year. He was also named MVP in the 1972 Cable Car Classic and a League All-Star. In his first full season starting at the forward spot, Restani excelled in all phases of the game. He averaged 17.6 points and pulled down 12.7 rebounds. By virtue of his fine, consistent performance, he was chosen MVP in Northern California. In addition, he received first team league honors and was selected for the All-Coast and All-District teams. As a senior, Restani was the team's leading rebounder and ranked second in scoring. He was again named League All-Star. In 81 games played he averaged 16.4 points per game, with 10.98 rebounds per contest, while shooting 48.0 percent from the field. His 1,329 points is 16
th all-time, while his 882 rebounds are sixth all-time.
If there is anyone we have left off the list of brief nominations, let us know by voting for them! We will release the results on Monday.