Marquette's Greatest Players #76-100

This article is a Guest Column by John Pudner ('88). It is the first installment of four.

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Key:
All-time ranking among Marquette players, Name, (years played), Ratings based on statistics + domination/pro career + impact on program = overall rating. Notes.

UPDATE: Spreadsheet data can be found here.

76, Pat Smith (1967, 68, 69): Ratings - 7 + 0 + 6 = 13. Notes on why in Top 100: Holds record for 28 rebounds in one game.

77, Jerry Homan (1973, 74, 75): Ratings - 3 + 2 + 8 = 13. Notes on why in Top 100: Reserve for NCAA Runners Up 1974, but played another year then drafted by New York in 8th round

78, Todd Townsend (2002, 03, 04, 05): Ratings - 4 + 0 + 9 = 13. Notes on why in Top 100: Started all 33 games as a 6-7 forward (5.8/2.7) as key player on 2003 Final Four team, though ironically rarely started his final two seasons.

79, William Gates (1992, 93, 95): Ratings - 3 + 0 + 10 = 13. Notes on why in Top 100: Injured knee kept him from his promising career, but Hoop Dreams is still my favorite movie ever and the testimony it gave to how great the Marquette experience is couldn't have had a better advertisement. (+8 for Hoop Dreams)

80, Ron Rahn (1968, 69, 70): Ratings - 5 + 0 + 7 = 12. Notes on why in Top 100: Started ahead of Ric Cobb on the 1969 Elite 8 team.

81, Ulice Payne (1976, 77, 78): Ratings - 4 + 2 + 6 = 12. Notes on why in Top 100: Marquette's 1977 NCAA Champions with 4.5 ppg and drafted by Detroit in 9th round

82, Terrell Schlundt (1980, 81, 82, 83): Ratings - 6 + 3 + 3 = 12. Notes on why in Top 100: Draftedby Dallas in 7th round, excellent forward on Doc Rivers teams that made two trips to the NCAA.

83, Bob Hornak (1961, 62, 63): Ratings - 9 + 0 + 3 = 12. Notes on why in Top 100: Third in scoring (14.5) and pulled in 204 rebounds to finish only 7 behind NBA-bound Dave Erickson - key player on the 1963 NIT team.

84, Raymond Kuffel (1942, 43, 47): Ratings - 9 + 0 + 3 = 12. Notes on why in Top 100: Led team in scoring in 1942 and 1943, and then apparently went to war because he came back and played 4 years later.

85, Dwayne Johnson (1982, 83, 84): Ratings - 8 + 0 + 4 = 12. Notes on why in Top 100: Over 1,000 points at Marquette, including leading 1984 NIT sqaud with 14.0 ppg

86, Joseph (Red) Dunn (1922, 23, 24, 25): Ratings - 8 + 0 + 4 = 12. Notes on why in Top 100: Leading scorer on 14-3 1921 team.

87, Walter Downing (1985, 86): Ratings - 5 + 3 + 4 = 12. Notes on why in Top 100: Drafted by Los Angeles in 6th round

88, Kerry Trotter (1983, 84, 85, 86): Ratings - 8 + 0 + 4 = 12. Notes on why in Top 100: Almost saw Charles Barkley beat him up when he sat between Barkley and his girlfriend at a Milwaukee bar, scored 1,200 points. Trotter didn't have a great support staff while I was there, but he was in Parade's top 30 prep stars when he signed, and he then went on to be a two-time MVP in Europe, scoring almost 30 points per game.

89, Tom Flynn (1964, 65, 66): Ratings - 8 + 0 + 4 = 12. Notes on why in Top 100: Over 1,200 points at Marquette, and the leading scorer Al McGuire inherited in his first year as he improved the team only slightly from 5-21 to 8-18. McGuire then made him team captain in 1967 as the team had a winning mark behind Bob Wolf's 22 ppg.

90, John Cliff (1997, 98, 99, 2000): Ratings - 8 + 0 + 4 = 12. Notes on why in Top 100: 3-point shooter off bench, with 102 of 308, and was 2nd in scoring to Wardle in Crean's first season with 14.6 ppg and solid rebounding year.

91, Gary Brell (1970, 71): Ratings - 3 + 4 + 5 = 12. Notes on why in Top 100: Made all 4 shots in 1990 NIT championship win over St. John's, drafted by Milwaukee in 3rd round

92, Jerry Hopfensperger (1955, 56, 57): Ratings - 6 + 0 + 6 = 12. Notes on why in Top 100: Starting forward who scored 252 points for the 1955 Elite 8 team, the finished career with solid 9.0/7/8 in between Rand and Kojis years.

93, Terry Sanders (2001, 02, 03, 04): Ratings - 3 + 0 + 9 = 12. Notes on why in Top 100: 2.6 ppg backing up Wade for Final Four team in 2003

94, Charles (Mandy) Johnson (1982, 83, 84, 85): Ratings - 8 + 0 + 4 = 12. Notes on why in Top 100: Excellent defensive player with 253 steals.

95, Raymond Eckstein (1944, 45): Ratings - 3 + 0 + 9 = 12. Notes on why in Top 100: I couldn't find stats from the mid-1940s, but any former Marquette player who is successful enough to donate $51 million to the school gets good credit for his impact on the school.

96, Jack Nagle (1939, 40): Ratings - 2 + 0 + 10 = 12. Notes on why in Top 100: Played two years, then coached Marquette to its first Elite 8 in 1954, before eventually leaving to run the CBA and scout for NBA teams.

97, Pat O'keefe (1954, 55, 56): Ratings - 7 + 0 + 4 = 11. Notes on why in Top 100: Scored 161 points off the bench as one of Marquette's "Big 8" Elite 8 team in 1955.

98, Jim Kollar (1958, 59, 60): Ratings - 8 + 0 + 3 = 11. Notes on why in Top 100: I wish they had recording assists in the late 1950s, and Kollar ran the offense by feeding the ball into the incredible front line of Kojis, Moran and Mangham, or kicking it out to McCoy for the jumper. He did add 251 points himself, and led the team with a 77% mark from the line, but was mainly the distributor.

99, Paul Sokody (1937, 38, 39): Ratings - 8 + 0 + 3 = 11. Notes on why in Top 100: Led team back to a 14-5 mark in 1938 by leading team in scoring.

100, Nick Williams (2008): Ratings - 2 + 0 + 9 = 11. Notes on why in Top 100: I live in Alabama so I'm biased toward Leflore's 6-foot-4 prep guard Nick Williams (Mobile, AL), who is coming to MU next year and was just named the 1st player of the week by the Press-Register for averaging over 27 ppg in 3 games including a double-double. The next great Golden Eagle I hope! Gets a bonus for coming to MU after leading Bama to a state title, and being on track for another after a 120-22 win to improve to 6-0 this year.