"David Thompson Walked On Air" (c/p)

Feb 17, 2014, 4:21 PM

(IMO, DT remains the greatest college basketball player of all time. I've seen a ton of 'em, and, in my mind, there's no comparison. Just hope that Gabe DeVoe has ALL the good genes---sorry if this has already been posted)

from The Raleigh News&Observer

'74 NCST WOLFPACK: David Thompson Walked On Air

There is no doubt in Monte Towe’s mind, even 40 years later, David Thompson is still the best basketball player in ACC history.

“There wasn’t anybody like him before and there hasn’t been anybody like him since,” said Towe, Thompson’s teammate for four years at N.C. State and the point guard of the 1974 national title team.

Towe’s opinion, shared by many of his teammates, opponents and analysts, is only based on what Thompson, a 6-foot-4 small forward from Shelby, was able to do on the court in one of the most restrictive eras of college basketball.

When Thompson enrolled at N.C. State in 1972, freshmen were not eligible to play under NCAA rules, so his college career was limited to three seasons.

There was no shot clock and no 3-point line, which curbed Thompson’s astounding 26.8 career scoring average.

And, last but not least, the dunk was banned.

“They would still be showing highlights of him,” said Wolfpack teammate Tommy Burleson. “When he dunked in pickup games, he jumped over the top of people and just clobbered them.”

Towe can’t even imagine the popularity of Thompson, who had a 44-inch vertical leap, in the current era of social media and SportsCenter.

“The dunks that people missed out on,” Towe said “It’s a shame, an injustice to college basketball really.”

But N.C. State and the ACC did get three spectacular seasons out of Thompson, and his legacy, four decades after his last college game, remains in tact. He was so good, he didn’t need Twitter or ESPN to become a legend.

“It was word of mouth,” North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. “You left the game in awe of what you just saw.”

Offense only part of his greatness

Len Elmore, a former Maryland center and a longtime analyst for ESPN, was often on the wrong side of Thompson’s greatness. Thompson scored 41 and 39points in the two regular-season games against the Terps, and then had 29 in the epic 1974 ACC title game in Greensboro.

“David loved to play Maryland,” Towe said.

The Terps had commensurate parts to Towe and Burleson, but they had no answer for Thompson.

“He was too long and jumped too high for smaller guys to defend him,” Elmore said. “But he was too quick for the bigger guys.”

Thompson defined what’s now known as the small forward position. Coach Norm Sloan catered the offense to Thompson’s skills, with Towe perfecting the alley-oop — usually off a backdoor screen for Thompson.

Thompson wasn’t allowed to dunk the lob passes, even though his elbows were usually above the rim.

Thompson was a volume scorer – he averaged 24.7, 26.0 and 29.9 in his three seasons – but he got his numbers within the confines of Sloan’s team concept.

“He could have averaged 45 a game but we would not have been as successful,” Burleson said. “He sacrificed his numbers for us to win.”

Even without the 3-point line, and with the possessions being limited by the lack of a shot clock, Thompson still holds the ACC record for 30-point games (33).

His 347 field goals as a senior in 1974-75 remain the single-season ACC record. His 57-point game against Buffalo State that season is the second-best in ACC history (Duke’s Danny Ferry had 58 in 1988).

For his career, Thompson made 55.3 percent of his shots and 76.3 percent of his field goals. His 2,309 points in 86 games rank 11th on the ACC career scoring list. By comparison, No. 1 on the scoring list, North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough, had 2,872 points in 142 career games.

As impressive as the numbers were, and still are, Thompson was more than a scorer. He averaged 8.1 rebounds for his career, and he was uniquely disruptive on defense. He could jump to block shots, and he was quick enough to step into passing lanes and get steals.

Add to the list of injustices to Thompson’s legacy, the NCAA didn’t track steals or blocks during his era.

“He was a complete player,” said #### Vitale, the Hall of Fame analyst for ESPN. “He was so active on defense and transition. He was so unique and special in every way.”

The 1974 national semifinal game with UCLA was a showcase for Thompson’s defensive prowess. About 61/2 minutes into the game, he had the first of three blocks. This one was against UCLA All-American Bill Walton, who stood 7 inches taller than Thompson.

On the play, with N.C. State up 14-12, Walton caught the ball on the right low block. Thompson left his man and, flat-footed, jumped to block Walton’s layup.

The defensive play ignited the Greensboro Coliseum. It also got the attention of NBC’s Curt Gowdy.

“I never saw a man with his height jump like he does,” Gowdy said on the broadcast. “He has the greatest leaping ability I’ve ever seen.”

That jumping ability came into play again in overtime of the UCLA game. N.C. State trailed 75-74 when UCLA missed a free throw. Thompson flew in for the rebound, grabbing it from the outstretched arms of Walton.

With 46 seconds left, Thompson came down and banked in a jumper for a 76-75 Wolfpack lead. On the next possession, he made both free throws and the Wolfpack ended UCLA’s seven-year NCAA title reign.

Legend among legends

Thompson, who finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds in the UCLA win and a game-high 21 points in the championship game win against Marquette, was voted the most outstanding player of the Final Four.

He was also the Associated Press National Player of the Year in 1974 and again in ’75. He was the ACC Player of the Year in ’73, ’74 and ’75. He was first-team All-ACC three straight years and first-team AP All-America for three straight years.

Virginia center Ralph Sampson, from 1981 to ’83, is the only other player in ACC history who can match Thompson’s resume.

Towe and Burleson say Thompson’s the ACC’s best ever. Elmore says Thompson’s on the short list with Sampson, UNC’s Michael Jordan and Maryland’s Len Bias.

Vitale has Thompson on his all-time starting five list, but no other ACC players.

“When you talk about the NBA, it’s Jordan,” Vitale said. “But when you talk college, it’s David.

“He was way before his time. He set the tone for all the guys who came after him.”

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/02/16/3628111/1974-nc-state-wolfpack-david-thompson.html#storylink=cpy

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Wise could do things that Thompson couldn't and certainly Thompson was capable of things that pretty much nobody else could do.

Wise was a better shooter and ball handler than Thompson.

Thompson was a much better all-around athlete with unbelievable quickness and leaping ability.

Since we never got to see Wise develop in the college game, while Thompson was around for several years, it's very hard to say which might have been the more effective player as a senior.

Thompson became an ACC legend while Wise remains the great "might have been" ... here's a good article ---> http://hoopshype.com/articles/greatest_ferranti.htm

"He was the first freshman to ever lead the ACC in scoring and make All-ACC," Choke says. "He was playing against John Lucas at Maryland and killing him. When he made a move, they would say Skip or Honey Dip. He was the purest shooter I ever seen in my life in person."

"David Thompson Walked On Air" (c/p)

Shoot....if Skip Wise hadda stayed off drugs, nobody

True that....sorta

Re: Shoot....if Skip Wise hadda stayed off drugs, nobody

Re: "David Thompson Walked On Air" (c/p)

No unbiased person who say David Thompson play doubts he

Legend has it that he could ###### a quarter off of the top

And that's all that is...legend. I saw him play many times,

Re: Legend has it that he could ###### a quarter off of the top

Re: "David Thompson Walked On Air" (c/p)

DT did dunk in one game...

Re: DT did dunk in one game...

Wise and Thompson were completely different players ...

Re: "David Thompson Walked On Air" (c/p)

Tree Rollins most spectacular dunks ... who recalls them?

Great article, thanks for posting. DT did turn his life

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