Clemson to Recognize Men’s Basketball Alumni Saturday

Feb. 12, 2010

CLEMSON, SC – Saturday’s Clemson vs. Miami (FL) basketball game will be Alumni Day at Littlejohn Coliseum. Over 80 former players and coaches are expected to attend the game that will start at Noon at Littlejohn Coliseum. This is the largest alumni response the basketball office has had for this event.

This year’s guest list features some of Clemson’s most honored alumni. Vince Yockel (1955-58), was Clemson’s first, first-team All-ACC basketball player. In 1956 he scored 30 points for the Tigers in a victory over Miami, the first time the two schools met in basketball.

Some of Clemson’s top players from the 1960s are also slated to attend. The list includes former All-ACC guard and assistant coach Jim Brennan. Brennan led Clemson to the finals of the 1962 ACC Tournament.

Two of the four Mahaffey brothers are expected to attend as long as they can brave the weather from Georgia. Randy Mahaffey (1964-67) was an All-ACC forward who was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame and was an ABA All-Star, while younger brother Richie Mahaffey (1966-70) was an Academic All-American. Jim Sutherland was an All-ACC player and Academic All-American during the same era, and he is expected to attend.

Other former Tigers of note attending the day’s events Include Craig Mobley(1970-71), Clemson’s first African American Athlete and Grayson Marshall, Clemson’s career assist leader and recent Clemson Hall of Fame inductee, and Tom Wideman, a three-time one of the top 10 rebounders in Clemson history who started on three Clemson NCAA Tournament teams in the 1990s.

This is the 30-year anniversary of Clemson’s 1980 team that reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and had a record six wins over top 20 teams, including number-one ranked Duke. Clemson will welcome back Head Coach Bill Foster, assistant coach Dwight Rainey, and Bobby Conrad (76-80), an academic All-American and starting point guard.

It is also the 20-year anniversary of the 1990 Clemson team that won the ACC regular season title. Members of that team also will be recognized.

The All-Star guest list is topped off by the return of the legendary Tree Rollins (1973-77), a three time All-ACC selection and an All-American, who was named to the ACC 50-Year anniversary team. Rollins was the first Clemson athlete in any sport to have his number retired, and is one of two players in ACC history with at least 1000 points, 1000 rebounds and 400 blocked shots.

The honored alumni and their guests will enjoy a pre-game reception starting at 9:00 AM where they hear a scouting report from Clemson assistant coach Josh Postorino. At noon, the alumni will head to the court to watch the Miami game. They will all be introduced at halftime of the game, then attend a postgame reception.