Cullowhee, N.C. – Catamount Athletics and the Western Carolina University community were saddened Wednesday to learn of the passing of men's basketball standout and WCU Athletics Hall of Famer, Henry Logan. The department was made aware of Logan's passing which was confirmed by multiple sources early Wednesday evening.
Logan was a pioneer and among the most heralded student-athletes in WCU's history. Born in 1946, he was the first African American to play at a predominantly white college in the southeast and opened the door for the integration of athletic programs in the region helping to break through the color barrier.
On the court, Logan was a four-time NAIA and Associated Press All-America selection for the Catamounts from 1965-68 in the Carolinas Conference. A sleek scoring, high-flying guard, he concluded his career with school records that may never be touched including a program benchmark of 3,290 points – all without the aid of the 3-point shot which would not be added to the game until WCU's Ronnie Carr made the first NCAA 3-pointer in 1980. Logan scored 27 points in his collegiate debut at Piedmont College and went on to average 30.7 points per game which included a 60-point performance during a game against Atlantic Christian in 1967.
Logan remains the current school record holder in points (3,290), field goals made (1,263), field goals attempted (2,419), free throws made (764), free throws attempted (1,025), and assists with 1,037 – a number that is staggering when added to his career point total. He was also credited with 638 career rebounds, 18th active in the Catamount record books.
Logan is the only WCU player to ever eclipse the 1,000-point mark in a season, doing so with a school-record 1,049 points in 1967-68. Logan led the nation in scoring in 1968 at 36.2 points per game, while his seasonal averages of 30.3 points per game in 1967 and 29.1 points per game in 1966 rank among WCU's top three single-season best performances.
Logan was drafted in the fourth round of the 1968 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics and was also drafted by the Oakland Oaks of the American Basketball Association (ABA). Logan headed to California where he was a part of the 1969 Oaks' 1969 ABA Championship squad. The following season, he played for the ABA's Washington Caps in what proved to be his final full pro season as knee problems and subsequent surgeries prematurely ended his playing career.
The Asheville native and standout at Stephens-Lee High also represented his country, helping the United States take the gold medal at the 1967 Pan American Games held in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Logan was inducted into the
Western Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 1990 and the
North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. This coming November, Logan is also
slated to be enshrined in the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame. His No. 10 jersey continues to hang from the rafters in the Ramsey Center, honored back in 2002.
UPDATE: Public viewing will be from
1:00 - 6:00 pm, Monday, July 31, 2023 in the chapel of Ray Funeral & Cremation Service (
1373 Sweeten Creek Rd., Asheville, NC 28803). Family visitation will be from
6:00 - 8:00 pm also on Monday, July 31, 2023 in the chapel. Funeral service will be
2:00 pm, Tuesday, August 1, 2023 at Faith Tabernacle Christian Center (
800 Appeldoorn Circle, Asheville, NC 28803). Burial will follow at Violet Hill Cemetery.
LINK
Related Stories About Henry Logan:
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From the Asheville Citizen Times (July 28, 2023) - by Zachary Huber
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From Carolina Sports Hub - by Richard Walker
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From the Asheville Citizen-Times - by Jim Rice
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From Business North Carolina - by Jim Hughes
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From ESPN.com - The Undefeated (video)
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From ESPN.com - The Undefeated (video interview)
