Thurman named SEC basketball legend
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. –- Scotty Thurman, who helped lead the University of Arkansas to the 1994 men’s basketball national championship, has been named Arkansas’ Southeastern Conference Basketball Legend for 2009.
A freshman All-American in 1993 and a Basketball Times All-American in 1995, the Ruston, La., native was a first-team All-SEC pick all three years from 1993-95. He helped the Razorbacks finish 22-9 with a No. 10 final ranking and a trip to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 1993, 31-3 with the national championship and an SEC title in 1994, and 32-7 with a No. 2 final ranking and a second straight appearance in the national championship game in 1995.
Tenth on Arkansas’ all-time scoring list with 1,650 points, he averaged 16.2 points for his career and was a career 43 percent shooter on three-pointers (267-618). He led the SEC in three-point shooting with a .427 mark in 1995, and led the team all three years with a .442 mark in 1993 and a .429 percentage in 1994.
He led the team in scoring with 17.4 points a game as a freshman while adding 4.4 rebounds. He averaged 15.9 points and 4.5 rebounds as a sophomore, and 15.4 points and 3.9 boards as a senior.
He shot 46 percent overall from the field for his career (611-1,318) and 77 percent at the free throw line (161-209).
Other honors include making the Final Four all-tournament team in 1994, NCAA Tournament All-Midwest Regional in 1994 and 1995, SEC all-tournament in 1995 and National Association of Basketball Coaches all-district in 1993, 1994 and 1995.
His three-pointer from the right wing with 51 seconds to play gave Arkansas a 73-70 lead in the 1994 national championship game. The Razorbacks won the game, 76-72.
Thurman, along with other team and staff members, were in Fayetteville for the “Celebration of a Championship” tribute the weekend of Feb. 28 and March 1.
Arkansas’ previous legends include Sidney Moncrief, 1999; Tommy Boyer, 2000; Joe Kleine, 2001; Ron Brewer, 2002; Lee Mayberry, 2003; Todd Day, 2004; Scott Hastings, 2005; Marvin Delph, 2006; U.S. Reed, 2007; and Corliss Williamson, 2008.
