GREENSBORO, N.C. - Former Maryland men's basketball standout John Lucas was named to the 2014 ACC Men's Basketball Legends Class as announced by Commissioner John Swofford.
Regarded as one of the best players in Maryland history, Lucas was a four-year starter under legendary head coach Lefty Driesell and earned All-America honors three times. The athletic guard is one of only 24 ACC basketball players to be named first-team All-ACC three straight years and ranks sixth in total points and fourth in total assists all-time in Maryland history.
Lucas was also a standout in the professional ranks. The Houston Rockets selected the North Carolina native first overall in the 1976 NBA Draft and he enjoyed a 14-year NBA career with five teams. Lucas totaled 9,951 points and 6,451 assists professionally.
In addition, Lucas shined on the tennis court, winning the ACC No. 1 singles championship twice in 1974 and 1976. Lucas was named the winner of the prestigious McKevlin Award in 1976 as the conference's top all-around athlete.
The Legends will be honored at this year's ACC Men's Basketball Tournament in Greensboro at the annual ACC Basketball Legends Brunch, which will be held on Saturday, March 15, beginning at 10 a.m. in the Guilford Ballroom of the Sheraton Four Seasons Hotel. The event will include a short autograph session with the Legends at the conclusion of the Brunch. Tickets for the ACC Men's Basketball Legends Brunch are priced at $35 each and tables of ten are available for $350 each. Information on purchasing tickets may be obtained at the official ACC website—www.theACC.com/ACCtournament.
2014 ACC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT LEGENDS ROSTER
Name School Years Position Hometown (Current Hometown)
Jack MaGee Boston College 1957-59 Guard Bronx, N.Y. (Fairfax, Va.)
Wayne “Tree” Rollins Clemson 1973-77 Center Cordele, Ga. (Apopka, Fla.)
Gene Banks Duke 1977-81 Forward Philadelphia, Pa. (Washington, D.C.)
Al Thornton Florida State 2003-07 Forward Perry, Ga.
Travis Best Georgia Tech 1991-95 Guard Springfield, Mass. (Atlanta, Ga.)
John Lucas Maryland 1972-76 Guard Durham, N.C. (Bellaire, Tex.)
Steve Edwards Miami 1992-96 Guard Miami, Fla. (same)
Eric Montross North Carolina 1990-94 Center Indianapolis, Ind.(Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Julius Hodge NC State 2001-05 Forward New York, N.Y. (Raleigh, N.C.)
Pat Garrity Notre Dame 1994-98 Forward Las Vegas, Nev. (New Canaan, Conn.)
Don Hennon Pitt 1956-59 Guard Wampum, Pa. (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Dave Bing Syracuse 1962-66 Guard Washington, D.C. (Detroit, Mich.)
Terry Holland Virginia 1974-90 Head Coach Clinton, N.C. (Greenville, N.C.)
Bobby Stevens Virginia Tech 1972-74 Guard Chester, Pa. (Rock Hill, S.C.)
Sam Ivy Wake Forest 1986-90 Forward St. Louis, Mo. (Clinton, Md.)
Complete Lucas Bio:
Lucas (1972-76), a leader of some of the best Maryland basketball teams in school history under coach Lefty Driesell, is also one of the best all-around athletes in ACC history. He earned All-America honors in both basketball and tennis and was the winner of the ACC's prestigious McKevlin Award in 1976 as the Conference's top all-around athlete. On the court, he started four seasons for Maryland at point guard, earning All-America honors three times, including being named first-team consensus All-America in both his junior and senior years (1975-76). Named to the first-team All-ACC Tournament team as a freshman, he is also one of only 24 ACC basketball players to be named first-team All-ACC three straight years (1974, 75, 76). He was one of the key figures in what is regarded as the greatest ACC Basketball Game of all-time, a 103-100 Maryland overtime loss to eventual National Champion NC State, in the 1974 ACC Tournament Championship. Lucas helped guide the Terps to a four-year record of 92-23 (.800) as Maryland had three top ten national finishes and never finished below 11th in the final AP poll during his four seasons in College Park. The first overall selection of the 1976 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, Lucas enjoyed a 14-year NBA career with Houston, Golden State, Washington, Milwaukee and Seatte. He totaled 9,951 points and 6,454 assists during his playing career. He also served as a coach with the Miami Tropics of the USBL and San Antonio, Philadelphia and Cleveland of the NBA. In tennis, he was the ACC's No. 1 singles champion in both 1974 and 1976. He also competed professionally in several Grand Prix Tournaments, played World Team Tennis and also served as coach of the Houston Wranglers. Originally a native of Durham, N.C., he now resides in Houston.
