Oklahoma Basketball: All-Time Sooners Men’s Basketball Team
By Chip Rouse
Mar 19, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; General view of Oklahoma Sooners practice before the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Alvan Adams (1972-75), First Team Center
Alvan Adams was a three-year starter at center and power forward for the Oklahoma Sooners from 1972-75, before leaving school early for the National Basketball Association.
During his college career at Oklahoma, the 6-9 Adams averaged 23.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game. The Sooners’ combined record in Adams’ three years at OU was 49-29. He ranks eighth on OU’s career scoring list (1,707) and is third in rebounding (938). He was the career leader in both categories when he left OU.
Born in Lawrence, Kan., home of the Kansas Jayhawks, Adams was the Big Eight Player of the Year in 1975 and was an All-American selection in 1974 and 1975. He still holds the school record for rebounds in a game (28) and single-game field-goal percentage (11 for 11, 1.000). Adams is only one of three Oklahoma players all-time to score at least 40 points in a game and pull down 20 rebounds (Wayman Tisdale had 63 points and 22 rebounds in 1983 and Blake Griffin cored 40 points and had 23 rebounds in a game in 2009).
Adams was the fourth player selected overall in the 1975 NBA Draft, taken by the Phoenix Suns. He played 13 seasons for Phoenix, over which time he became the Suns’ all-time leading scorer with 13,910 points. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1976, and led Phoenix to the NBA Finals against Boston in his rookie season. He averaged 14.1 points a game for Phoenix in 988 games over 13 seasons.
Adams retired from the NBA in 198-88 as the Suns’ all-time leader in points, games played, minutes played, rebounds and steals. The Suns honored Adams’ stellar career as a lifelong member of the franchise by returning his No. 33 jersey, the same number he wore at Oklahoma.
His Oklahoma jersey was retired in 1998.
Next: Brent Price (1990-92), First Team Guard