Sir Charles Oakley |
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| Dal Greenwood Commonwealth, il giornale della città di Greenwood: | CITAZIONE | Former MVSU basketball star dies
09/07/2004
Ford died Friday of leukemia
One of the all-time leading scorers in Mississippi Valley State University and NCAA basketball history has died of leukemia.
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Alphonso Ford, who starred at MVSU from 1989-1993, died last Friday in a Memphis hospital, less than two weeks after announcing his retirement from basketball. Funeral services for the 31-year-old Greenwood native will be at 11 a.m. Friday on the MVSU campus.
Ford averaged 29.0 points during an illustrious career that saw him score 3,165 points, both school records. The other school records he owns include most points scored in a single game (51 vs. Texas Southern on Feb. 19, 1990), most points scored in a single season (915 in 1990-91), best season scoring average (32.9 ppg. in 1990-91), most field goals scored in a single season (325 in 1990-91), most field goals attempted in a single game (35 vs. Jackson State in 1993), most field goals attempted in a single season (668 in 1990-91), most career field goals attempted (2,469) and most free throws made in a single game (18 vs. Southern University on Feb. 8, 1993).
Nationally, Ford's 29.9 scoring average in 1989-90 was tops in the NCAA among freshmen. His sophomore average of 32.9 points ranked second among all Division I players. His 3,165 career points is fourth best in the history of college basketball.
Following completion of his senior year, Ford and teammate Mark Buford were both drafted by NBA teams. Ford was taken by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 32nd pick of the 1993 NBA draft and played 11 games before moving to the Continental Basketball Association and then to Europe, where he played in Turkey, Greece and Italy.
He signed a one-year contract with the Italian team Scavolini Pesaro in July before announcing his retirement two weeks ago.
Lafayette Stribling, Ford's college head coach, said his former pupil was a model student both on and off the court.
"Al was one of the best offensive players I ever coached," said Stribling. "When he had his game going, he was unstoppable. He could shoot it. He could elevate and get his shots off. He was an offensive whiz who believed no one could stop him. With him on your team, you were never out of any ballgame."
Equally impressive, according to Stribling, was the high level of respect everyone had for Ford off the court.
"Al was a guy that everybody liked," said Stribling. "He had that smile. He was a respectable guy. He was the guy that all of the teammates liked. The student body just loved him."
Among the honors Ford received at MVSU were his selection as Southwestern Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in 1989, and first team All-SWAC selections throughout his career. |
Alphonso sempre nei nostri cuori.
Saluti
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