Former Ole Miss basketball All-American Johnny Neumann has been named to the 2016 SEC Legends class, the conference office announced in Feb. 19. He completed all the requirements for a B.A.J. last December.
One of the most exciting players in college basketball history, Neumann electrified crowds in Oxford and throughout the Southeast in his one season at with the Rebels and set records that might never be touched. Neumann led the nation in scoring as a sophomore at 40.1 points a game and was named to several 1971 All-America squads. The SEC Player of the Year, Neumann holds the Ole Miss single-season scoring record with 923 points.
Off the court, he received Academic All-America and Academic All-SEC accolades. He left Ole Miss after the 1971 season to play for the ABA Memphis Tams. His professional career also included stints in Indiana, Los Angeles and Utah, and he has played or coached overseas including serving as a head coach in China, Greece, Israel and Japan.
In addition to Neumann, the 2016 class includes Ennis Whatley, Alabama; Pat Bradley, Arkansas; Jack Stewart, Auburn; Lee Humphrey, Florida; Jarvis Hayes, Georgia; Larry Conley, Kentucky; Stanley Roberts, LSU; Mario Austin, Mississippi State; Devan Downey, South Carolina; Vincent Yarbrough, Tennessee; Carroll Broussard, Texas A&M; Shan Foster, Vanderbilt.
Each SEC Basketball Legend will be recognized at halftime of his institution’s first game at the tournament.
Highlighting the schedule of events at the Sunkist Soda SEC FanFare will be appearances by selected legends.
This article appeared in The Oxford Eagle on Feb. 21, 2016.
