UL Athlete Andrew Toney

[Duggie35]

What was also great is that as students, we had to get to Blackham about 5:00 for a 7:30 game to get a seat. Blackham was rocking back then and USL basketball was a hot ticket. _

I was in high school at the time and didn't have a USL Student ID. Therefore, on game days I would ride my bicycle to school and when school wuld let out at around 3:00 pm, I'd ride straight to Blackham to get in line for a general admission ticket. I always was able to get in the games, but in order to do so I had to stand in line at the ticket office for at least 3 to 4 hours for every game.

It was well worth waiting in line in order to attend those games and have the privalege of watching the greatest players and teams in UL history. I'd love for history to repeat itself one day!

[cajun67]

_ I have to disagree with you. Let's not get pro basketball confused with college basketball. Bo Lamar was the greatest player in UL history and was a better pure shooter. If there had been a 3 point shot back then, Lamar would have averaged about 45 a game. Toney was quicker and stronger and had a game and body built for the NBA, Lamar did not. I was around for both and saw all of their games at Blackham. Toney was a great player, but Lamar was The Man (in college). _

I loved watching Toney and Lamar. Was in school with Bo. But must disagree; the best basketball player we have ever had (since 1963) was Roy Ebron. Bo was great (not too strong a percentage shooter on long ones) and great fun to watch; but Roy could take over the game. 20 rebounds and 20 points were not unusual. Mostly missed shots from Bo. Again, loved Bo; great player esp. for college. But Bo couldh't shoot over Roy. Have never seen someone dominate inside like he could - when he wanted to. Note I am not saying he was the most focused player we ever had. Fun to disagree when we are talking about Andrew and Bo, isn't it!!

[Chanel]

He is a teach/coach in Atlanta, Georgia

[zephyr]

_ I was in high school at the time and didn't have a USL Student ID. Therefore, on game days I would ride my bicycle to school and when school wuld let out at around 3:00 pm, I'd ride straight to Blackham to get in line for a general admission ticket. I always was able to get in the games, but in order to do so I had to stand in line at the ticket office for at least 3 to 4 hours for every game.

It was well worth waiting in line in order to attend those games and have the privalege of watching the greatest players and teams in UL history. I'd love for history to repeat itself one day! _

Guys, stop it already. You're making me jealous.

[HoustonCajun]

_ I loved watching Toney and Lamar. Was in school with Bo. But must disagree; the best basketball player we have ever had (since 1963) was Roy Ebron. Bo was great (not too strong a percentage shooter on long ones) and great fun to watch; but Roy could take over the game. 20 rebounds and 20 points were not unusual. Mostly missed shots from Bo. Again, loved Bo; great player esp. for college. But Bo couldh't shoot over Roy. Have never seen someone dominate inside like he could - when he wanted to. Note I am not saying he was the most focused player we ever had. Fun to disagree when we are talking about Andrew and Bo, isn't it!! _

This really brings up some great memories. You know, USL back then had unbelievable talent before we got the death penalty. Off of those teams, Fred Saunders played for the Celtics, Lamar was a #1 draft pick for San Diego in the ABA, Marvin Winkler played with Jabbar at Milwaukee, not sure what happened to Ebron or Tree Loftin or Jerry Bisbano. USL recruited a guy named Larry Fogle, HS All American and one of the most talented players in the country. Had to release his scholarship because of the death penalty. If we had just been put on probation, the talent we had coming up was scary good. Your statement about Ebron is pretty strong. Sports Illustrated thought a lot about him, too, as they said he was the only center in the country who could play with Bill Walton. To me, Bo Lamar was the star of the team. He could shoot lights out, led the nation in scoring, did spectacular things on the court, and was the face of USL basketball. We had a pretty formidable team playing a 1-3-1 zone defense with Bisbano on the baseline, Lamar at the point and Saunders, Loftin and Ebron in the middle.

Great basketball that I will never forget. Here is just one of many - remember playing Long Beach State with Jerry Tarkanian at the Bayou Classic? Sports Illustrated did a full article on the game and our tournament. As I recall, Ed Ratliff was an All American at LBSU and was a high school teammate of Lamar. USL went up there to recruit Ratliff and ended up with Lamar instead. Turned out to be a pretty good move for USL. LBSU was a top 10 team then and we won.

Still, my fondest memories were the LA Tech games. Tech had a great team as well back then with a 6'10" center named Green and a great shooting guard. That rivalry back then was some of the best basketball I've seen.

Read Coach Shipley and Ron Gomez's book. USL was a trendsetter back then and paved the way for integration in basketball in the South. Politics eventually killed our program. Where would UL basketball be today if not for the death penalty? We had the talent built up to replace Lamar, Ebron, et al and would have become a perennial national power.

[IHateLaState]

_ This really brings up some great memories. You know, USL back then had unbelievable talent before we got the death penalty. Off of those teams, Fred Saunders played for the Celtics, Lamar was a #1 draft pick for San Diego in the ABA, Marvin Winkler played with Jabbar at Milwaukee, not sure what happened to Ebron or Tree Loftin or Jerry Bisbano. USL recruited a guy named Larry Fogle, HS All American and one of the most talented players in the country. Had to release his scholarship because of the death penalty. If we had just been put on probation, the talent we had coming up was scary good. Your statement about Ebron is pretty strong. Sports Illustrated thought a lot about him, too, as they said he was the only center in the country who could play with Bill Walton. To me, Bo Lamar was the star of the team. He could shoot lights out, led the nation in scoring, did spectacular things on the court, and was the face of USL basketball. We had a pretty formidable team playing a 1-3-1 zone defense with Bisbano on the baseline, Lamar at the point and Saunders, Loftin and Ebron in the middle.

Great basketball that I will never forget. Here is just one of many - remember playing Long Beach State with Jerry Tarkanian at the Bayou Classic? Sports Illustrated did a full article on the game and our tournament. As I recall, Ed Ratliff was an All American at LBSU and was a high school teammate of Lamar. USL went up there to recruit Ratliff and ended up with Lamar instead. Turned out to be a pretty good move for USL. LBSU was a top 10 team then and we won.

Still, my fondest memories were the LA Tech games. Tech had a great team as well back then with a 6'10" center named Green and a great shooting guard. That rivalry back then was some of the best basketball I've seen.

Read Coach Shipley and Ron Gomez's book. USL was a trendsetter back then and paved the way for integration in basketball in the South. Politics eventually killed our program. Where would UL basketball be today if not for the death penalty? We had the talent built up to replace Lamar, Ebron, et al and would have become a perennial national power. _

Great memories indeed... thats why some of us old timers get so frustrated witht he current state of affairs. We do have a history in basketball of being at the very higest level..

I would disagree with you on the death penalty being the reason our basketball program fell off... For quite a few years after we had good talent come in here... Andrew Toney, the subject of this thread, comes immediately to mind.... NIT Final Four and numerous NCAA tournament teams... I forget the year but we were playing in the New Mexico rgional and had a 5 point lead with under 3 minutes to go to the Sweet Sixteen.... I think with anyone who would give a darn as our AD.... getting a different coach... just like in football this is a sleeping giant....

Finally what one comes away with from reading Shipley and Gomez' book is the role politics played in the death penalty. We were mavericks in recruiting black athletes... LSU and many in the South were enraged.... When the opportunity came to "put us in our place" it face no resistence from anyone in Louisiana.... and that mindset remains to this day... the name change... recruiting black athletes.... the LSU powers recognize that we dont toe the line...

Anyway good memories... perhaps someday someone will stand up and say we can be better.... let the black athletes know we are NOT a racist school (as some will contend in light of the firing of Baldwin a few years back).... but rather WE opened the way for them...

[HoustonCajun]

_ Great memories indeed... thats why some of us old timers get so frustrated witht he current state of affairs. We do have a history in basketball of being at the very higest level..

I would disagree with you on the death penalty being the reason our basketball program fell off... For quite a few years after we had good talent come in here... Andrew Toney, the subject of this thread, comes immediately to mind.... NIT Final Four and numerous NCAA tournament teams... I forget the year but we were playing in the New Mexico rgional and had a 5 point lead with under 3 minutes to go to the Sweet Sixteen.... I think with anyone who would give a darn as our AD.... getting a different coach... just like in football this is a sleeping giant....

Finally what one comes away with from reading Shipley and Gomez' book is the role politics played in the death penalty. We were mavericks in recruiting black athletes... LSU and many in the South were enraged.... When the opportunity came to "put us in our place" it face no resistence from anyone in Louisiana.... and that mindset remains to this day... the name change... recruiting black athletes.... the LSU powers recognize that we dont toe the line...

Anyway good memories... perhaps someday someone will stand up and say we can be better.... let the black athletes know we are NOT a racist school (as some will contend in light of the firing of Baldwin a few years back).... but rather WE opened the way for them... _

If I'm not mistaken, the New Mexico Regional was Bo Lamar's final year. We lost to Kansas State. That was our last game, I think, before the death penalty, because we filed a court injunction to allow us to participate in the NCAA when we were banned for violations. The NIT Final Four was post death penalty under Pascal, I believe, as was our winning the Great Alaska Shootout, beating Georgetown and Patrick Ewing for the crown. And, I believe we did both within just 2-3 years following our return from the 2 year death penalty. I don't know how or why we were not able to sustain that and why we got ourselves into this current mess. Bungled hiring by our AD on the cheap, I suspect, is the cause. Then again, doing everything on the cheap seems to be the main cause of most of UL's problems.

[Tiredof theBS]

Did I see Andrew Toney in Lafayette today??? Is he here for an interview???

[BeauCajun]

_ Did I see Andrew Toney in Lafayette today??? Is he here for an interview??? _

He's in town for the Lafayette Housing Authority fundraiser.

[IHateLaState]

_ If I'm not mistaken, the New Mexico Regional was Bo Lamar's final year. We lost to Kansas State. That was our last game, I think, before the death penalty, because we filed a court injunction to allow us to participate in the NCAA when we were banned for violations. The NIT Final Four was post death penalty under Pascal, I believe, as was our winning the Great Alaska Shootout, beating Georgetown and Patrick Ewing for the crown. And, I believe we did both within just 2-3 years following our return from the 2 year death penalty. I don't know how or why we were not able to sustain that and why we got ourselves into this current mess. Bungled hiring by our AD on the cheap, I suspect, is the cause. Then again, doing everything on the cheap seems to be the main cause of most of UL's problems. _

No, the regional in Bo's final year when we lost to K-State was in Houston... I am positive on that one.. I was there.. Skipped high school with a bunch of others and drove to H-town... spent the night in Galveston and went skinny dipping in 40 degree weather.... I know too much information..lol... that was the year Sports Illustrated had us on the cover and in the story said if anyone could beat mighty UCLA and Bill Walton it might just be "tiny Southwest Louisiana"... We would have too.. that loss to K-State was pre shot clock era and they controlled the ball and frustrated us for most of the game... We were still within 1 point with K-State shooting a 1 and 1 with maybe 10 seconds left.. they missed and Roy Ebron rebounded... he could not get the outlet to Bo so he started dribbling... got just past half court and threw back to Bo who took two dribbles and nailed what today would be a NBA three pointer.... but it was back court.............. and we lost.. and yea that was the last game before the death penalty

The New Mexico regional was in Howdy Doody (Marty Fletcher)'s reign... not sure of the details but just remember we had a 5 point lead late in the game to go to the sweet sixteen