Here’s a trivia question. It’s name association. Ready?
“What do Oscar Robertson, Pete Maravich and Keyrden Clark have in common?”
We’ll give you a little of the Jeopardy! theme music as you mull this one over, trying to put Hall of Fame hoop legends “The Big O” and “Pistol Pete” in the same category with the 5-9 phenom from St. Peter’s College, also known as “Kee-Kee.”
Ready for the answer?
Well, they’re all players who won consecutive NCAA Division I scoring titles.
Clark, the talented St. Peter’s College junior, secured his second straight scoring title last week, when the second closest competitor, University of Vermont senior Taylor Coppenrath, lost to Michigan State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Coppenrath had closed the gap on Clark, scoring 104 points in three post-season games. Clark ended his season averaging 25.8 points per contest. Coppenrath cut the lead to 25.1, but then his season ended.
“You never want to prey on another man’s downfall,” Clark said of Coppenrath’s late surge. “He had a fine end to the season, winning their league (America East Conference), plus beating Syracuse (in the NCAA Tournament). He (Coppenrath) had a great season.”
Clark is the eighth player all-time to repeat as national scoring champion and the first since Long Island University’s Charles Jones turned the trick in 1996-97 and 1997-98.
For someone who never averaged more than 14 points per game during his high school days at Rice in New York, the idea of being a two-time national scoring champ is almost too unbelievable for Clark.
“For a guy like me, it’s a tremendous accolade to have,” Clark said. “It’s just awesome to think I’m mentioned in the same breath with guys like the Big O and Pistol Pete. In fact, it’s almost too amazing. I thank God that he blessed me with the talent to play basketball and now I’m able to sit up there with those guys. It’s so nice to be mentioned with them.”
Clark still feels like he’s living a dream.
“Every day, I wake up and I can’t believe I’m the national scoring champion again,” Clark said. “My friend (and teammate George Jefferson) reminds me every day that I am. It’s getting to the point where he’s being annoying, but I still like it. It has its pros, especially being named with Pistol Pete and Oscar Robertson.”
Clark said that he’s not about to rest on his laurels. He will go to Colorado Springs this summer and try out for the National Junior Olympic Team. Clark will also participate with an NIT All-Star team that will play in Ireland and a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Star team that will travel to China.
During it all, Clark plans to attend summer school, so he can get the most important thing – far more than two scoring titles – and that would be his college degree. Clark is on target to get that degree next year.
But what about winning three straight scoring titles? Only Maravich and Robertson have achieved that lofty perch.
And the idea that Clark can actually become the second MAAC player to ever reach 3,000 career points, joining former Sacramento Kings forward Lionel Simmons, who scored 3,000 for LaSalle in the late 1980s. Clark will begin his senior year with 2,218 points, which shattered the former SPC school scoring mark.
“I love challenges, so it’s something that I would love to do,” Clark said. “I’m just going to go out and play and see what happens. But to score 3,000 points and lead the nation three times? That’s something I would love to do. I never thought that I could do that. I knew I had the ability to shoot the ball well. But I never thought I could become the player I am today.”
Here’s a list of the other players to win consecutive NCAA scoring titles:
· Frank Selvy, Furman (2): 1952-53 and 1953-54
· Darrell Floyd, Furman (2): 1954-55 and 1955-56
· Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati (3): 1957-58, 1958-59 and 1959-60
· Pete Maravich, LSU (3): 1967-68, 1968-69 and 1969-70
· Freeman Williams, Portland State (2): 1976-77 and 1977-78
· Harry Kelly, Texas Southern (2): 1981-82 and 1982-83
· Charles Jones, Long Island (2): 1996-97 and 1997-98
· Keydren Clark, Saint Peter’s (2): 2003-04 and 2004-05
Needless to say, it’s a pretty impressive lot. Sure makes for a very interesting trivia question…
The Hoboken/Demarest High School Athletic Hall of Fame will hold its annual induction dinner on Saturday, April 16, at the Hoboken Elks, beginning at 6 p.m. There are two classes being inducted, the Class of 2004 and the Class of 2005.
Heading the Class of 2004 is former baseball and football standout Eduardo Gomez, who was the 1993-1994 Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Year. Also being inducted from that class are long-time assistant baseball coach Bruce Radigan, basketball star John Meeks (Hoboken grad in 1963) and baseball standout Leo LaForgia (Class of 1981). Charlie Casalino, one of the founders of the Hoboken Little League, is the recipient of the Jerry Malloy Memorial award for his service to the youth of the community.
Heading the class of 2005 are two football coaches on the same staff. Former Hoboken grid greats Joe Rotondi, the head coach at Union Hill, and his assistant there, Ivan Ramos, will be inducted along with former soccer great Joe Ratto and Ralph Gallo, Sr., who is the recipient of the Malloy Award for that class.
Tickets for the event are priced at $50 and $25 for former Hall of Fame inductees. For further information, contact chairman Buddy Matthews at (201) 653-4359…
Congratulations to North Bergen native Steve Mocco, who was named the recipient of the prestigious Hodge Award, symbolic to the top collegiate wrestler in the country. Mocco, a junior at Oklahoma State University, recently won his second NCAA heavyweight title and earned the recognition as the Hodge Award, which is like the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy for wrestling.
Mocco completed a 36-0 season and has now not lost in 76 straight collegiate matches… — Jim Hague
TASTY TIDBITS SPC’s Clark makes it back-to-back scoring titles; Hoboken Hall of Fame; Mocco honors
