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Jabari led the entire SEC in scoring as a jr, and was
Posted on: March 2, 2020 at 12:30:14 CT
FIJItiger MU
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reasonably productive in brief appearances in the NBA. If he would have played his senior year he likely would have been an All American.
Malcolm Thomas
Letterman - 1984, 1985
The national JUCO player of the year at Moberly after averaging 23.2 ppg and 12.3 rebounds, the 6'7 forward arrived on campus following the departure of the Sundvold / Stipo class that had brought MU 4 straight conference titles. He was asked to immediately carry the load, and responded with 16.4 points and 9 rebounds (both team leads, the rebounding average the highest for a 1st year Tiger under Norm Stewart) as well as leading the team in FG% at 52%. In the season's opening game he nearly led MU to a monumental upset of top ranked UNC with Jordan/Perkins but MU ultimately fell 64-57 due to shooting 44% as a team from the free throw line. However he would score 25 and have 13 boards in a victory over Ohio State and lead the Tigers with 21 in a victory over 19th ranked Michigan State. He put up 34 against the Sooners, his career high (he would score 76 points in 3 matchups with Tisdale and OU). But despite starting at 11-3 in the non-conference MU would only go 5-9 for 6th place and not play in the postseason. Thomas would earn Honorable Mention All Conference but miss the season's final 3 games after Norm Stewart dismissed him from the team for insubordination (later turned into just a suspension and forgiven by Stewart). As a senior he would make first team All Conference and honorable mention All American by upping his scoring average to 17.4 ppg while shooting 53%, the 24th highest scoring season in MU history. This season when MU and UNC met, MU defeated the #7 Tarheels thanks to 23 points from Thomas. In just 2 seasons he broke the 1,000 point barrier at MU (at the time only Willie Smith had more points as a two year Tiger). However MU never finished higher than 3rd in conference and only had a first round NIT loss to show for in terms of postseason play during his career. Thomas scored more points in college than any Tiger other than Derrick Cheivous with 2.567 points scored, and grabbed more rebounds in college than any Tiger other than Clay Johnson with 1,330 in his college career. He was selected by the Clippers in the NBA draft but did not make the team.
Henry Smith
Letterman - 1969, 1970
A JUCO transfer that drove the rebuilding of the program under Stewart, the 6'7 center helped the Tigers to their first upper division finish in 5 years with 12.6 ppg and a team leading 7.3 boards which earned him an honorable mention all conference selection in his first season at MU. Then as the lone returning starter the next year, Smith erupted with one of the finer seasons in program history. In the season opener the Tigers beat Arkansas thanks to 35 points and 12 rebounds by Smith, and then a 25 point 13 rebound effort toppled reigning conference champ Ohio. MU would race out to a 7-1 record until losing to #1 ranked UCLA on the road. Smith would top 30 twice more and MU would finish in a tie for second and their 17 wins on the season were the most for MU since the 1920 season. In the season's final game, Smith would go for 24 points and 14 rebounds but MU would fall to ku in overtime by 1. For the season Smith would average 22.3 ppg (then 3rd best ever) to lead the Tigers, which is currently the 9th highest individual scoring season in program history as well as leading them in rebounds with 9.4 per game. He was chosen as a first team all conference selection. His career scoring average of 17.4 ppg and his career rebounding avg of 8.4 boards both rank in the top 10 all time (9th in both). He was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 68th pick of the NBA draft.
Edited by FIJItiger at 12:33:51 on 03/02/20
Malcolm Thomas
Letterman - 1984, 1985
The national JUCO player of the year at Moberly after averaging 23.2 ppg and 12.3 rebounds, the 6'7 forward arrived on campus following the departure of the Sundvold / Stipo class that had brought MU 4 straight conference titles. He was asked to immediately carry the load, and responded with 16.4 points and 9 rebounds (both team leads, the rebounding average the highest for a 1st year Tiger under Norm Stewart) as well as leading the team in FG% at 52%. In the season's opening game he nearly led MU to a monumental upset of top ranked UNC with Jordan/Perkins but MU ultimately fell 64-57 due to shooting 44% as a team from the free throw line. However he would score 25 and have 13 boards in a victory over Ohio State and lead the Tigers with 21 in a victory over 19th ranked Michigan State. He put up 34 against the Sooners, his career high (he would score 76 points in 3 matchups with Tisdale and OU). But despite starting at 11-3 in the non-conference MU would only go 5-9 for 6th place and not play in the postseason. Thomas would earn Honorable Mention All Conference but miss the season's final 3 games after Norm Stewart dismissed him from the team for insubordination (later turned into just a suspension and forgiven by Stewart). As a senior he would make first team All Conference and honorable mention All American by upping his scoring average to 17.4 ppg while shooting 53%, the 24th highest scoring season in MU history. This season when MU and UNC met, MU defeated the #7 Tarheels thanks to 23 points from Thomas. In just 2 seasons he broke the 1,000 point barrier at MU (at the time only Willie Smith had more points as a two year Tiger). However MU never finished higher than 3rd in conference and only had a first round NIT loss to show for in terms of postseason play during his career. Thomas scored more points in college than any Tiger other than Derrick Cheivous with 2.567 points scored, and grabbed more rebounds in college than any Tiger other than Clay Johnson with 1,330 in his college career. He was selected by the Clippers in the NBA draft but did not make the team.
Henry Smith
Letterman - 1969, 1970
A JUCO transfer that drove the rebuilding of the program under Stewart, the 6'7 center helped the Tigers to their first upper division finish in 5 years with 12.6 ppg and a team leading 7.3 boards which earned him an honorable mention all conference selection in his first season at MU. Then as the lone returning starter the next year, Smith erupted with one of the finer seasons in program history. In the season opener the Tigers beat Arkansas thanks to 35 points and 12 rebounds by Smith, and then a 25 point 13 rebound effort toppled reigning conference champ Ohio. MU would race out to a 7-1 record until losing to #1 ranked UCLA on the road. Smith would top 30 twice more and MU would finish in a tie for second and their 17 wins on the season were the most for MU since the 1920 season. In the season's final game, Smith would go for 24 points and 14 rebounds but MU would fall to ku in overtime by 1. For the season Smith would average 22.3 ppg (then 3rd best ever) to lead the Tigers, which is currently the 9th highest individual scoring season in program history as well as leading them in rebounds with 9.4 per game. He was chosen as a first team all conference selection. His career scoring average of 17.4 ppg and his career rebounding avg of 8.4 boards both rank in the top 10 all time (9th in both). He was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 68th pick of the NBA draft.
Edited by FIJItiger at 12:33:51 on 03/02/20
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Jabari led the entire SEC in scoring as a jr, and was - FIJItiger MU - 3/2 12:30:14