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Athletics News



Men's Basketball

Larry Armstrong
Basketball / 1959-1962

Inducted into the ASU Hall of Fame in 2002, Armstrong was a two-time All-Border Conference selection in 1960-61 and was ASU's first basketball All-American as a third-team Helms Foundation pick in 1961. He was a three-year letterman from 1959-62.

Jeremy Veal
Basketball / 1995-98

Veal left ASU as the all-time leading scorer in school history and his 1,984 points currently rank second behind only Eddie House. In his freshman season, he played in all 33 games and helped the Sun Devils reach the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in 20 years. He then became a regular starter over the next three seasons, and he finished his career by leading the Pac-10 with 20.8 points per game in 1997-98. Veal earned All-Pac-10 honors for both his junior and senior seasons, making him one of just six Sun Devils to be named All-Pac-10 multiple times.

Art Becker
Basketball / 1962-1964

Becker was first-team academic All-America, honorable mention All-America and second-team All-Conference choice as a senior, leading his team to a 26-3 record and the NCAA's Final Eight. A 1989 inductee, Becker scored 1,284 points and notched 724 rebounds in his career. Becker also ranks among ASU career leaders in rebounds per game (9.0), field goal percentage (.524), free throw percentage (.797), and total field goals (531). He was a three-time member of the Western Athletic Conference all-academic team. Becker played professionally for the Houston Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, Denver Rockets, and the New York Nets. He was a two-time ABA all-star and played for the 1969-70 ABA champion Indiana Pacers.

Joe Caldwell
Basketball / 1961-1964

A charter inductee in 1975, Caldwell was a member of the 1961-1964 basketball teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. He was a member of the 1964 U.S. Olympic Games gold medal winning team. He ranks among ASU leaders in career points (1,515), scoring average (18.2 ppg.) and rebounds (929). He starred in both National and American Basketball Associations and was the second pick of the Detroit Pistons in 1964. Caldwell finished his undergraduate degree in 1997 and has a B.A. in selected studies.

Tony Cerkvenik
Basketball / 1961-1964

Cerkvenik was a rugged rebounder and inspirational force behind the early 1960's teams that won more than 20 games three straight times. He averaged 12.3 rebounds per game for his career. He is the only player in ASU history with more than 1,000 rebounds, finishing his career with 1,022 and holds the single season record for the most rebounds with 415 in 1960-1961. He was inducted into the ASU Hall of Fame in 1979.

Dennis Dairman
Basketball / 1962-1965

Dairman, who was inducted in 2002, led the Sun Devils to a 55-28 (.662) record in his three years, including a school record 26 wins in 1962-63 and twice earned All-WAC honors. He earned his B.S. in finance with distinction in 1965, completed his law degree at Arizona in 1968 and then earned his M.B.A. in 1972 from ASU.

Tom Futch
Football, Basketball, and Baseball / 1953-1956

A three-sport star at ASU, Futch was a three-year starter in basketball who earned second-team All-Border Conference accolades in 1956. He was inducted into the ASU Hall of Fame in 1992.

Dave Graybill
Football, Basketball, and Baseball / 1953-1957

Emphasizing his versatility , he was a starter and a winner in three major sports - football, basketball, and baseball - during his four-year stay. He led ASU in passing (1955-1956) and was the Border Conference's Most Valuable Player in 1955 in football. He set an ASU single game scoring record in basketball with 36 points vs. San Jose State on Dec. 17, 1955, and won the national singles handball title.

Verl Heap
Basketball / 1942, 1945-1948

After playing his first year at ASU (1942), he enlisted during World War II as a B-17 pilot. Upon return, he started every game and finished with a fifteen points per game average. He was a Border-Conference first-team pick with 23 points per game (1946-47). He led the Sun Devils to the National Basketball Tournament in 1947 and was named Outstanding Player. He was the first of two players from Arizona to play professional basketball. He was signed to play professional ball for the Providence Steam Rollers. He became assistant coach for ASU's 1950-51 Sun Devil squad. Heap was inducted into ASU's Hall of Fame in 1998.

J.D. Hill
Football, Basketball, Track / 1967-1968, 1970

Hill was Sporting News and Time Magazine's first-team All-America, and Associated Press's third-team selection in 1970 as a wide receiver for the unbeaten 11-0 WAC and Peach Bowl Championship ASU team. He was also a track and basketball star at ASU. He was a first round draft pick by the NFL's Buffalo Bills.

Lionel Hollins
Basketball / 1973-1975

Hollins was Arizona State's initial first team All-America player, named by Sporting News and Basketball Weekly. He ranked among ASU's leaders in points (951), field goals (388) and free throws (175) among ASU players who competed only two years. Hollins was instrumental in leading ASU to the 1975 Far West Regional Basketball Tournament finals. He was a charter inductee in 1975.

Freddie Lewis
Basketball / 1964-1966

Lewis was an All-Western Athletic Conference guard in 1965-66 when he became ASU's all-time single season scoring champ with a 22.7 per game average. A junior college transfer, he scored 963 points, an average of 18.2 per game. He was captain and starting guard for the 1970, 1972 and 1973 Indiana Pacers' American Basketball Association championship teams. He was a 1978 inductee into ASU's Hall of Fame.

Lafayette Lever
Basketball / 1978-1982

Lever was a four-year performer at guard, finishing his career eleventh on the all-time ASU scoring list (1,137 points), first on the all-time list in steals (236), second in assists (444), tied for third in free throws (301) and eighth in free throw percentage (.753). Lever established a University Activity Center record for the most points (38), most free throws (16), most assists (13), and most steals (eight) in a game. He was drafted by the NBA Portland Trailblazers, and later traded to the Denver Nuggets, where he was selected to the 1988 NBA West All-Star team. He was a 1988 inductee into the ASU Hall of Fame and was an Associated Press second-team All-American in 1981-82.

Alton Lister
Basketball / 1978-81

One of the best shot blockers in the annals of Arizona State men's basketball, Lister (1978-81) was selected as an honorable mention All-American following the 1980-81 season by both the Associated Press and Street and Smith. Lister set ASU record for blocked shots in a game with eight against Harvard in 1978, and ranks among the school leaders with 148 career swats. He also grabbed 776 rebounds in his career. Lister was selected to the 1980 US Olympic team which boycotted the Moscow Games, and went on to a successful NBA career with Milwaukee, Seattle and Golden State. He led the Sonics in 1987-88 with 539 boards and 119 blocked shots. He earned honorable mention All-America honors in 1980-81 and earned All-Pac-10 in 1980 (honorable mention) and 1981. He was inducted in 2000.

Al Nealey
Basketball / 1957-60

Nealey (1957-60) was the second Arizona State player to score more than 1,000 career points, and ranks among ASU leaders in rebounding average (10.3), rebounds (780) and scoring average (17.4). In addition, Nealey's notched 1,308 total points. A three-time All-Border Conference selection from 1958 to 1960, he led the Devils in rebounding each year and paced the team in scoring his junior and senior years. He was inducted in 2000.

Byron Scott
Basketball / 1979-1983

Scott was starting guard for three seasons, finishing as the all-time leading scorer in ASU history (1,572 points). He set eight freshman records, as well as being named Pac-10 Rookie of the Year (1979-1980). He was twice named Outstanding Player of the Fiesta Classic. Scott was named ASU's Most Valuable Player the same year. He was drafted by the San Diego Clippers, later traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, and led the Lakers to three NBA Championships. He earned Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 1979-80 and was ASU's initial inductee into the Pac-10 Hall of Honor in 2002. He was inducted into ASU's hall of Fame in 1988.

Ned Wulk
Basketball Coach/1958-82

A 1982 inductee into ASU's Hall of Fame and ASU's 2003 inductee into the Pac-10 Hall of Honor, Wulk was 406-272 (.599) in his 25-year career as a Sun Devil. ASU renamed the basketball floor Ned Wulk Court on March 5, 1999, in his honor. His teams reached the Final Eight in 1961, 1963 and 1975 and reached the NCAA Tournament nine times. Born Aug. 14, 1920, Wulk posted 17 winning seasons in his ASU career.

Royce Youree
Basketball/1956-58

Youree was one of the first standout players in the history of the Arizona State men's basketball program. A three-year starter (1955-58), Youree was the first player in school history to surpass 1,000 career points, and he left ASU as the school's career scoring leader. He also made 362 free throws in his three seasons as a Sun Devil, which stood as the school's all-time record for 45 years, until Ike Diogu surpassed his mark during the 2003-04 season.

Youree was named Second-Team All-Border Conference in both his junior and senior seasons, and he helped lead the Sun Devils to their first Border Conference title and first bid to the NCAA Tournament as a senior in 1957-58. In the regular season's final game, Youree made two free throws with three seconds left in the game to give ASU a 78-76 win and secure the conference championship. 5,100 fans attended that game, which set a record at the time for the largest crowd to witness a basketball game in the state of Arizona.

Youree was inducted into the ASU Sports Hall of Fame in 1995, making him one of 18 players in the history of the men's basketball program to receive that honor.

After his ASU playing career ended, Youree found great success in the coaching business. In 13 years as the head coach of Phoenix East High School, he compiled a 5A record of 301-56 and won five state championships, and he then went 126-37 in five years as the co-coach at Mesa Community College. He also coached the United States' 20-and-under team to a championship at the Junior Men's World Championships in 1979.

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