Our third in a series honoring our
2019 Hall of Fame, today we would like to highlight San Francisco men's basketball's guard, John "Chubby" Cox. Formal induction ceremonies are scheduled for Friday, Feb. 22, at the Father Hubert "Hub" Flynn Hall of Fame Dinner in War Memorial at the Sobrato Center on the USF campus. The festivities will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by the dinner program at 7:30 p.m. The inductees will also be honored at halftime of the USF-Gonzaga women's basketball game on Feb. 23.
When Chubby Cox arrived on the Hilltop in the fall of 1976 he joined a loaded Dons squad that boasted the uber talented trio of Bill Cartwright, James Hardy and Winford Boynes. The "Super Sophomores," as they were called in the SF Foghorn were fresh off a 22-win season and a second place finish in the WCAC, but even with all the Dons phenomenal scoring options, USF was missing one key ingredient, a leadership quality.
Enter Cox, a junior who transferred to USF after two years at Villanova. The 6-2 guard from Philadelphia appeared in 48 games for the Wildcats averaging 9.0 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per contest. But at USF it wasn't his scoring ability that the Dons needed, it was his uncanny ability to get people in the right position to make plays.
"As you know Chubby was our team leader," said Dons' Hall of Famer and teammate, Bill Cartwright, when asked about Cox. "He sacrificed a lot of his scoring to be our leader and to be our distributer. He played a real traditional point guard role, making sure that we were a well-orchestrated team and that everybody else was taken care of before himself. Chubby was a really solid player, he was an exceptional ball handler, great mid-range shooter, great defender, a real stabilizing force of our team."
In his first season at USF, the Dons were an offensive machine. USF averaged 93.7 points per game which was fourth best in the nation and still a USF record for scoring average in a season. The Dons opened the year 29-0 and steamrolled the WCAC, going 14-0 and was ranked No. 1 in the nation in the AP Poll for nine consecutive weeks.
From the SF Foghorn in regards to the addition of Cox to that loaded team. "1976-77 brought more experience and maturity to the super-sophs of Boynes, Cartwright, and Hardy. Joining the trio was transfer guard John 'Chubby' Cox to anchor the playmaking role."
And that's just what he did. Cox finished the 1976-77 season fifth on the team in scoring, averaging 9.4 points per game. But more importantly led the team with 5.4 assists per game. In the second to last conference game of the season, Cox dished out a career-best 15 assists in a 112-77 thumping of Seattle at War Memorial Gym. The 15 assists were a single-game record for many years. He finished his junior season with 162 assists which was a then single-season record, and 281 points en route to second-team All-WCAC honors.
The following season, the Dons were arguably even stronger, boasting four players who would eventually be selected in the NBA Draft. Cox was one of them, who once again earned second-team WCAC honors after a tremendous senior campaign.
Cox finished that year third on the team in scoring, averaging a career-best 13.8 points per game, while grabbing 4.1 rebounds and dishing out a team-best 5.4 assists. At seasons end, he became the first player in USF history to amass 400 or more points and dish out 150 or more assists, a feat that has only been accomplished by two other players in the storied history of USF Dons basketball.
In the penultimate game of the 1977-78 season, Cox and the Dons defeated Dean Smith and the Carolina Tar Heels in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Cox finished that game with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists while also holding three-time All-American and ACC Player of the Year, Phil Ford to a quiet 14 points - well below his season average.
Cox wrapped up his two years with 681 career point and 320 assists. The 320 assists were the USF career record until Orlando Smart broke the record in 1991, it still ranks seventh most all time.
He was drafted in the 8th round (7th pick) by the NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1978. However, Cox did not make an NBA roster until the 1982–83 season, when he played seven games for the Washington Bullets, scoring 29 total points.
Cox played professionally in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) from 1978–1981. Over three seasons with the Philadelphia Kings, Pennsylvania Barons, and Wilkes-Barre Barons, Cox averaged nearly 22 points per game. He also played professionally in Venezuela for Beverley Hills in Caracas.
Cox married his girlfriend and former USF cheerleader Victoria and together they have an American-Venezuelan son, John, who will join Cox in the Hall of Fame this year. More on John later.
The rich and storied tradition of USF Athletics will come alive on Friday, February 22 with the induction of six new members and a team into the school's distinguished Athletic Hall of Fame.
USF's Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2019, the 45th group of inductees, includes:
Teresa (Russell) Fowler '04 (volleyball),
Chubby Cox '78 (men's basketball),
John Cox '05 (men's basketball),
Dominique Carter '08 (women's basketball),
Coach Walt Bugler 1976-80 (women's basketball), and
Felipe Magalháes '81 (men's soccer), as well as the 2009 women's cross country team.
With the inclusion of the new members, USF's Athletic Hall of Fame now includes 278 individuals and 23 teams.
Formal induction ceremonies are scheduled for Friday, Feb. 22 at the Father Hubert "Hub" Flynn Hall of Fame Dinner at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center. The festivities will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by the dinner program at 7:30 p.m. The inductees will also be honored at the women's basketball game on Feb. 23 against Gonzaga..
Individual reservations for the Father Hubert "Hub" Flynn Hall of Fame Dinner are priced at $100 while a table of 10 may be purchased for $900.
The Athletic Department has announced the formation of an athletic alumni association whose mission will be to engage and connect former students across different sports, generations and geographical areas in an attempt to build and foster an on-going association with USF Athletics.
All former students who have competed for a minimum of one year in an intercollegiate sport are eligible, as are team managers and spirit squad members who compiled at least three years of service as an undergraduate
Join the Dons Honor Club
