When Phil was coaching at O’Dea he came to a couple of our Seattle Chapter alumni events. He tragically died of pneumonia in his early 50s back in 2009.
But he also had that sweet jumper in the lane—nice touch.
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Indeed. I can’t recall his exact vertical jump, but it was also impressive.
From my MS days…this was always a favorite pic. I’m sure it was a back-pager. Vs. NC. Kupchak was 6-10 and Archie is right there with him! (I’m 80% certain this was Archie. I can’t see his full number). Possibility it is Ayers.
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Best basketball game I ever attended.
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They had a heck of a team. Walter Davis was so smooth.
That game was incredible, and had an amazing atmosphere! When it’s sold out, Millett can be a fun place to watch basketball. If the lighting were better, I might be able to find myself in the crowd. Our seats when I was a kid were a little above Bernard Newman’s head.
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Having watched Miami basketball since 1969, here is my All-Time Team…
First 5:
Ron Harper
Wally Szczerbiak
Wayne Embry
Archie Aldridge
Phil Lumpkin
Second 5:
Randy Ayers
Devin Davis
Fred Foster
Mike Wren
Damon Frierson
Honorable Mention: Paul Taylor, my grandfather, who played for Miami in the late 1920s and led the Big Red in scoring for at least 2 of his 3 years. He had a jump shot when everyone else shot flat-footed, and could dribble through an entire defense like they were standing still. He’d be in Miami’s Hall of Fame if he hadn’t left after his Junior year to get his dental degree from Ohio State (which was actually part of a Miami-OSU co-op program). Weeb Ewbank, Paul Brown, and others said he was the best Miami basketball player pre-1950.
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Let’s go way back and consider Dave Zeller, Vern Lawson, and Lavern Benson.
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Yeah I was there as well…what a crowd we had and what a game!
On second thought, give me Rob Mestas at the point. I loved Derek Cross, but Mesas was a bad ass. I remember him slapping the floor mid court with both hands whenever he went up against Earl Boykins. His intensity was incredible and fun to watch.
Wasn’t Mestas the guy who averaged more than 40 minutes per game one season? Charlie rode that guy like a rented mule.
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Personally I would not vote for Dave Zeller for dog catcher.
I never heard him mentioned before. I did find this interesting article (below).
Click on the link or your liver will vote to acquit Murdaugh.
https://pressprosmagazine.com/2020/09/03/the-shooter-former-piqua-coach-dave-zeller-dies/
My freshman year when I became a Miami fan was 2012. It sucks that none of the players in my time in Oxford or since have done enough to warrant a mention in this thread so far. Some fine players have been on our not-so-great teams, but no all-time greats.
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He had an amazing mid-range game.
As a undergrad I was at a party in Athens and met someone who had played on their freshman team and he admitted he was scared of Archie when they played.
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Lairy is. And Delonte was no slouch. He would have become a force under coach Steele and co.
Love thinking about stuff like this. Removing Wally and DD, my starting five (1993 to present) if I have to go win a game tomorrow:
PG- William Hatcher
SG- Damon Frierson
SF- Michael Bramos
PF- Tim Pollitz
C- Mike Ensminger
On my bench:
PG- Kenny Hayes
SG- Landon Hackim
SF- Nathan Peavy
PF- Danny Horace
C- Tyler Dierkers
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No Ira? He played ten years in the NBA…
Nothing against Ira but tried to judge strictly on performance while at Miami. If we go beyond Miami I might put Brian Sullivan on my squad!
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