HSU set to honor Avery’s Reddies
ARKADELPHIA One of the most prolific teams in Henderson State University athletic history will be inducted into the Reddie Hall of Honor as the 197879 men’s basketball team will be inducted at the 21st Annual Hall of Honor ceremony on Friday, Sept. 29.
The ceremony will take place at the Garrison Center Grand Ballroom with a social hour beginning at 6 p.m. followed by the dinner and ceremony at 7 p.m.
The 1978-79 Reddies basketball team was a cornerstone for the most successful run in Arkansas Intercollegiate basketball history.
Going 28-4 and reaching the NAIA national championship game in Kansas City, the team capped a string of seven straight Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference titles and three appearances in the NAIA Final Four.
Led by legendary coach Bobby Reese, the squad was known for its unique “two platoon” system of using 10 to 12 players in a game in an era when most teams played 6 or 7. Their suffocating full court manto-man defense and relentless fast breaking offense was years ahead of its time and was a forerunner to the way the game is played today.
The 1978-79 Reddies won the Missouri Southern Classic, finished as runners-up in the prestigious Quincy Holiday Tournament, were AIC Conference Champions, and NAIA District 17 Champs while losing only three games by a combined 6 points.
The Reddies reeled off 11 straight wins at the end of the year to get to the national title game where they lost to No. 1 ranked Drury College 60-54.
Henderson averaged 80.5 points per game while limiting opponents to 70.5 points per contest.
The 78-79 Reddies are distinguished to be one of only five 4-year universities to reach a national championship game in the history of college basketball in Arkansas.
Deeply talented, the team was led on the court by All-American Anthony Avery, contained three members that are in the Reddie Hall of Fame as individuals, and six players that would achieve all-conference in their career at HSU.
The 1978-79 Henderson State University Reddie basketball team becomes only the fourth entire squad to be inducted to the HSU Hall of Honor.
Team members include: Chris “Doc” Lockhart, Dean Lee, Bruce Hines, Rickey Fisher, Anthony Avery, Grady Bean, Alvin Russell, John Aitken, Alton Brown, Dean Vaudry, John Hansen, John “Boo” Gaddie, Terry Deloney, Jeff McCuien, Tilman Wolfe, Melvin Oatis, Vernon “Waldo” McDonald, Harold Treadway, and Jay Freeman. The squad was coached by head coach Bobby Reese and assistant coach Jimmy Allen.
In addition to the 197879 basketball Reddies, nine individuals will also be inducted including former Reddie football player Blake Christenson and All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football and track athlete Greg “Skip” Williams along with a pair of former Reddie baseball players in two-time First Team All-AIC pitcher Allen “Sea-Dog” Saylor and NCAA All-American Jarrod Eason.
Women’s sports honorees include multi-sport athlete Selena Middleton and NAIA All-American diver Lana Stephenson Lind, with basketball all-star Roy G. Green from the Heritage Era being inducted.
Also selected to this year’s Hall of Honor class is Paul Hankins, who will receive the Distinguished Service Award, and Dr. Alvin Futrell, who will be presented with the Willie Tate Meritorious Humanitarian Award.
Tickets to the 2017 Reddie Hall of Honor are $15 each and can be obtained by contacting the Henderson Athletic Department at 870-230-5161.