Hank Gathers
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Gathers in 1989
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 11, 1967 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Died | March 4, 1990 (aged 23) Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
Dobbins Technical (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| College |
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| Position | Forward |
| Number | 44 |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Eric "Hank" Gathers (February 11, 1967 – March 4, 1990) was an American college basketball star at Loyola Marymount University who collapsed and died during a game. He was the second player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in scoring and rebounding in the same season. He originally played at the University of Southern California, but transferred with teammate Bo Kimble to LMU after his freshman year. Gathers was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was listed as 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) height.
Gathers played prep ball with Kimble at Dobbins Technical High School in Philadelphia with the pair leading the team to the Public League City championship in 1985.
Both Gathers and Kimble were recruited to the University of Southern California by Head Coach Stan Morrison and his top assistant, David Spencer. They were joined by high school All-American, Tom Lewis, and Rich Grande as the "Four Freshmen" star recruiting class. Following an 11-17 season coaching USC, Morrison and Spencer were fired after the 1985-86 season was over, despite winning the Pac-10 Conference the previous year. It was reported that the players would not remain unless certain conditions were met, including having a say in the next coaching staff.
USC hired George Raveling as the next head coach of the Trojans. Raveling gave the players a deadline to respond whether they would remain on the team. When they did not respond, he revoked the scholarships of Gathers, Kimble, and Lewis. Raveling's controversial statement was, "You can't let the Indians run the reservation," he said. "You've got to be strong, too. Sometimes you have to tell them that they have to exit." Kimble and Gathers transferred together from USC to Loyola Marymount. Lewis transferred to Pepperdine. Grande remained at USC.
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