OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University will celebrate its rich men's basketball tradition with a showing of "The Great Eight: The Story of Oklahoma City University's Division I All-Americans," at 2 p.m. Sunday inside the Leichter Room.
The film spotlights OCU's eight NCAA men's basketball all-Americans. The Leichter Room is located on the second floor of the Freede Center above Abe Lemons Arena located at NW 27th Street and Florida Avenue. Abe Lemons Arena serves as OCU's current home court.
Mike Tosee developed the film. Tosee serves as a faculty member in the college of arts and sciences at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan. For information on the film, call (785) 749-4645 or see here.
"There are so many people that I run into that have such vivid memories of the history of OCU basketball," OCU athletic director Jim Abbott said. "This film brings that history to life, and we're fortunate to have this opportunity to relive it. I commend Mike on his efforts and truly can't wait to see the film."
OCU's eight all-Americans include:
Arnold Short, all-American 1953, 1954. Short, a guard from Weatherford, Okla., holds single-game and single-season school records for free throws made. Short starred on three NCAA Tournament teams for coach Doyle Parrack from 1950-54. As a sophomore, he scored 22 points in a 55-53 win over UCLA in the third-place game of the 1952 NCAA Western Regional. Short went on to a long career at OCU, serving as athletic director and tennis coach.
Hub Reed, all-American 1957, 1958. Reed, a 6-foot-10 center from Capitol Hill High School in Oklahoma City, set a school career points record from 1955-58. Reed, known for wearing No. 99, scored 30 points against Wilt Chamberlain in an 81-61 loss to Kansas in the 1957 NCAA Southwest Regional final. Reed holds the school career record for free throws made. The Chiefs were ranked ninth in the nation Reed?s senior year under Abe Lemons. One of OCU's four two-time NCAA all-Americans.
Gary Hill, all-American 1963. Hill, a guard from Rocky, Okla., averaged 21.1 points per game as a senior. Hill scored a game-high 18 points in the East-West game. Taken in the second round of the NBA draft by the San Francisco Warriors. A member of OCU's inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame class in 1979.
Bud Koper, all-American 1964. Koper, a guard from Rocky, Okla., scored 50 points against North Texas State as a senior and finished second on OCU's all-time scoring list. He was invited to the U.S. Olympic tryouts.
Jerry Lee Wells, all-American 1966. Wells, a guard from Glasgow, Ky., played on three NCAA Tournament teams and an All-College Tournament team from 1963-66, facing Texas Western's 1966 team featured in the movie "Glory Road" in the NCAA Tournament. One of the first two African-American players at OCU. Taken 16th overall by the Cincinnati Royals in the 1966 NBA draft.
Gary Gray, all-American 1967. Gray, a guard from Fort Cobb, Okla., led OCU to having the highest-scoring team in the nation his senior season. Gray's teams won two All-College Tournament titles and went to three NCAA Tournaments. Gray, known for his enormous shooting range, set school single-game records for scoring and field goals when he had 55 points against West Texas State on Jan. 20, 1967.
Rich Travis, all-American 1968, 1969. Travis set the single-season school record for points and scoring average with 29.9 points per game as a junior. He also set the career scoring average record with 26.1 from 1966-69. Travis, who had a Frederickson Field House record of 52 points, was invited to try out for the U.S. Olympics in 1968.
OCU accomplishments in basketball during that time include:
· 11 NCAA Tournament appearances (1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1973)
· Two National Invitational Tournament appearances (1959, 1968)
· Four All-College Tournament titles (1949, 1951, 1958, 1965)
· The 1981 Midwestern City Conference (now the Horizon League) Tournament championship
