This guy was before my time. Can anyone fill me in on whether he was a center or a forward? Thanks.
#31 was 6'9" forward. Murray, Travis Diener was before my time. Did he play the 1 or 2?
Quote from: 4everwarriors on February 26, 2012, 09:18:14 PM
#31 was 6'9" forward. Evil, Travis Diener was before my time. Did he play the 1 or 2?
All I can remember about Travis was:
1) sorry DePaul, we got the best Diener, and
2) he had to go to MU because he'd never be strong enough to get his shot off in the Big Ten according to Murpheius(sp?).
Larry was very solid player and greatly missed when he jumped early. Unfortunately for many he might be best remembered by by a brown leather overcoat than playing ability. I remember for the coat and being a very sold player. He was the third to go pro early if memory serves me.
Was he the elevator man?
Quote from: Goose on February 26, 2012, 09:29:23 PM
Larry was very solid player and greatly missed when he jumped early. Unfortunately for many he might be best remembered by by a brown leather overcoat than playing ability. I remember for the coat and being a very sold player. He was the third to go pro early if memory serves me.
Wasn't he 2nd to go? Chones, then McNeil, then Luke? That, at a time when it was rare to go pro early. Needed to petition for early entrant into the draft as a hardship.
Had a mean ass old lady too. Just ask Andy.
Quote from: 4everwarriors on February 26, 2012, 09:18:14 PM
#31 was 6'9" forward. Murray, Travis Diener was before my time. Did he play the 1 or 2?
Just remembered, as a senior Diener played power forward. Our point guard was Marcus Jackson.
Also, Travis is a mean bobble-head doll!
Quote from: thanooj on February 26, 2012, 09:31:08 PM
Was he the elevator man?
Come on man. That was Ric Cobb.
Quote from: MUMac on February 26, 2012, 09:31:33 PM
Wasn't he 2nd to go? Chones, then McNeil, then Luke? That, at a time when it was rare to go pro early. Needed to petition for early entrant into the draft as a hardship.
McNeill played with Chones and Bob Lackey. Al thought afterward Larry needed a bit more seasoning. Too bad the team did not hold together. Otherwise we would have had Chones McNeill and Lucas all on the same team in the same line-up.
Main ass old lady is understatement. Good call on him being # 2 to jump. He was the the middle guy and I stand corrected. I am sure Big Daddy would have caught it if you did not.
Ric is still the elevator man. Looking great after all these years.
Quote from: Goose on February 26, 2012, 09:34:34 PM
Main ass old lady is understatement. Good call on him being # 2 to jump. He was the the middle guy and I stand corrected. I am sure Big Daddy would have caught it if you did not.
You are truly an A**hole.
And I thought we all were getting along during this run to NO.
Larry McNeil. One of the most underated Warriors. He was really, really good.
NYC
He was pretty dam good. Remember where he played pro ball?
Kansas City Kings.
KC Omaha Kings...nice pickup 4ever!
#25, first round, 1973 draft.
Nyg
How could do you think he was? I was big fan but thought Lukemwas light years better. If memory serves me he was longer and better range.
Quote from: nyg on February 26, 2012, 10:19:28 PM
#25, first round, 1973 draft.
Actually, the seventh pick of the second round. Just eighteen teams in the NBA back then. Interesting trivia, Larry was picked six picks
ahead of Jim Chones. Chones, of course, was already playing in the ABA at the time.
Quote from: 4everwarriors on February 26, 2012, 09:33:31 PM
Come on man. That was Ric Cobb.
Sorry. My baaaaaaad.
I knew that.
So stupid.
Go warriors
McNeill was like 6ft 9 and thin, but was very talented in all aspects of the game. He played forward when Chones was there, then had to move to center after Chones left. Believe he had Lackey at forward with him.
If Chones and him stayed, for one year it would have been McNeil, Chones and Lucas on the frontline, with I believe Marcus Washington and Ed Daniels in backcourt. Cant recall, but I believe Earl Tatum was a freshman and Lloyd Walton was sitting out his transfer that year.
Back to McNeil, he never really got the publicity others received, but he was a heck of a player.
Thats right, second round but 25 overall.
If Chones had stayed through his senior year and played on a front line with McNeill and Lucas in 72-73, the guards would have been Allie McGuire and Marcus Washington or maybe George Frazier who played small forward. Plus Mike Mills and Craig Butrym were also on that team, so we sure had some height.
You are right that Earl Tatum was just a freshman and Lloyd Walton didn't play for MU until the next year when we went to the championship game.
I think McNeill also won the NBA slam dunk contest - and that occurred after he had been cut shortly before the All Star break by the Kings.
Walton was not a transfer. Lucky Lloyd came from Mobley JC. Yes, Al took the occasional JUCO too.
Did McNeil go into the stands because his wife got into an altercation over seats?
Larry sat behind me in Father Piotrowski's Christian marriage course. There was a game where a fan was being vocally critical of Larry's performance and his wife got into an altercation with the guy. Al called a time out and Larry went up into the stands to "settle" things down!
The Chones, McNeil, Lucas combination would have been awesome! McNeil was forced to play center for the tournament went Chones jumped to the ABA.
Larry was a very good college player - not so much as a pro.
I believe his last stop after some time in the NBA was with the Rochester (NY) Zeniths of the old CBA.
Quote from: muhoops1 on February 27, 2012, 08:14:31 AM
Did McNeil go into the stands because his wife got into an altercation over seats?
Do the name Andy Friedrich ring a bell?
Quote from: leever on February 27, 2012, 10:59:50 AM
Larry was a very good college player - not so much as a pro.
I believe his last stop after some time in the NBA was with the Rochester (NY) Zeniths of the old CBA.
Played from 73-79. Avearged 8.5 PPG and 4.8 RPG. Shot 78% from the FT line. NBA.com claims his nickname was The Hawk. I don't recall that at all.
Larry passed away a few year's back, too...have yet to find an online obit, though.
Quote from: QPSS70 on February 26, 2012, 11:34:53 PM
I think McNeill also won the NBA slam dunk contest - and that occurred after he had been cut shortly before the All Star break by the Kings.
"Following the merger of the two leagues in 1976, Hillman would become an NBA Slam Dunk champion. He edged out Golden State's Larry McNeill for the 1977 crown during the league's championship series in Portland, Ore."
(http://images.sportscarddatabase.com/0/700000/760000/762000/762251.jpg)
When I wrote the book a few years ago I ranked him as the 14th greatest MU player of all time. Jerel would have certainly passed him, and would have to do the math on the last couple of years of players, but definitely top 20 of all time.
Quote from: bamamarquettefan on February 28, 2012, 07:55:45 AM
When I wrote the book a few years ago I ranked him as the 14th greatest MU player of all time. Jerel would have certainly passed him, and would have to do the math on the last couple of years of players, but definitely top 20 of all time.
What book did you write?
I wrote a book a few years back, "The Ultimate Hoops Guide: Marquette University." Still have a few new copies in a box, and happy to send you one if you just email me your address at jpudner@concentricgrasstops.com. Loads of fun for me!
Quote from: bamamarquettefan on February 28, 2012, 05:59:46 PM
I wrote a book a few years back, "The Ultimate Hoops Guide: Marquette University." Still have a few new copies in a box, and happy to send you one if you just email me your address at jpudner@concentricgrasstops.com. Loads of fun for me!
Really? That sounds like a good read...I'll shoot you my address soon.