Jan. 5, 2006
Cullowhee, N.C. - This past November, the Western Carolina department of athletics announced that the #20 jersey of Catamount great Mel Gibson, who played basketball at WCU from 1959-63, would be retired. On Jan. 14, between the WCU women's and men's basketball games with Chattanooga, Gibson will return to campus as his jersey will be a permanent fixture in the Ramsey Activity Center rafters.
The Lady Catamounts, who won the 2005 Southern Conference Tournament championship, will first host 2005 SoCon regular-season champion Chattanooga at 4:30, with the WCU men's team hosting the Mocs at approximately 7 pm. Gibson will have his jersey unveiled prior to tipoff of the men's game. Also prior to the men's game, Western Carolina will present Catamount senior David Berghoefer with a commemorative basketball as he scored his 1,000th career point on Jan. 31, 2005 versus Georgia.
Gibson, a member of the WCU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 1992, earned first team All-America honors in 1963 and leading the Catamounts to the NAIA championship game that same year. He averaged over 20 points per game over his junior and senior seasons, helping the Cats to 49 wins over the span.
"Having your jersey retired is the highest honor an athlete can receive," Gibson said. "I am extremely humbled by my selection for this honor by the Hall of Fame Committee and Western Carolina University. From junior high school to the professional level, I was associated with basketball for 34 years, either as a player of coach. I can honestly say that my four years spent playing at Western Carolina were my most rewarding and gratifying. This honor truly is `icing on the cake' for me."
Gibson was the centerpiece on Western's 1963 team, which was inducted into the WCU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003. That team, under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Jim Gudger, posted a 28-7 record and, after receiving an at-large bid to the postseason, won the NAIA District 26 tournament title, qualifying the team for nationals. Once a part of the field of 64, Western ran off wins over Eastern Montana, Miles, Lewis & Clark and Fort Hayes State to reach the championship game before eventually falling to Texas Pan American.
In addition to leading Western's team to success in 1963, Gibson was instrumental on the USA gold medal team in the Pan American Games, held in Brazil, in 1964.
"Mel was a great leader because he had the attitude of a winner and that we would be winners too," said Charlie McConnell, who played with Gibson on that 1963 team and scored 1,018 points in his career at Western. "That presence, along with his physical attributes, made him a real star. As for his physical attributes, Mel was smooth as silk and quick as a cat. In fact, he was probably the quickest person playing basketball in his time. He could also jump out of the gym, shoot with great accuracy and was an excellent defender."
Gibson, who led the Catamounts to the 1962 Carolinas Conference championship, ended his career with 2,021 points, second only to the legendary Henry Logan. Even though he was a second-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Lakers, Gibson still holds the distinction of being the highest selection in the NBA, going 17th overall. (Henry Logan was a first round pick in the ABA, signing one of the richest contracts in sports at the time, and was later the 38th pick in the NBA draft. Kevin Martin was a first round pick in the 2004 NBA draft, but was the 26th overall selection.)
NOTE: The Western Carolina men's basketball alumni weekend has been scheduled for Feb. 18 (Saturday), when the Catamounts host Elon at 7 pm. While ALL FORMER CATAMOUNT MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYERS are invited and encouraged to attend, this year's featured group will be the 1995-96 team as this marks the 10-year anniversary of them winning the SoCon Championship and earning a berth to the NCAA Championship. For more information or to let the men's basketball office know that you will be attending, contact assistant coach Anquell McCollum at (828) 227-2020.
