Aug. 16, 2011
RUSTON, La. - On Saturday, August 13, players, coaches and administrators from the 1973 through 1977 Louisiana Tech men's basketball teams held a reunion at Squire Creek Country Club. The highlight of the squads' years was the 1975-76 team winning the Southland Conference Championship.
"We had a group of 10 guys come in together as freshmen and developed into a Southland Conference Champion," said Mike McConathy, the Bulldogs' second all-time scorer. "It was special because we had a bond and this group has remained pretty close. I think that is because we had a large group and grew up together."
Three of the players, Tim Floyd, Jim Wooldridge and McConathy, from those teams are current collegiate basketball head coaches. Floyd is at Texas-El Paso, McConathy is at Northwestern State and Wooldridge, who organized the event, is at UC Riverside.
"We have been talking about this for a long time," said Wooldridge. "It seems the older we get the more important Louisiana Tech becomes to us. Because of what the school provided and the relationships, it means a great deal to reunite and talk about the experiences."
Also making an appearance was Athletic Director Bruce Van De Velde and current men's basketball head coach Michael White.
After having time to mingle while game film from the Dec. 11, 1976 matchup against Northwestern State was shown and eat dinner, Floyd showed off his comical side with his impersonation of "Carnac the Magnificent." Awards, such as least amount of hair, most grandchildren and least amount of shots made during their college career, were handed out with an open mic session afterwards where the former players told stories of their time at Tech and what the school means to them.
"Tech represents a place that was significant in my family," Floyd said. "My wife's great-grandparents attended the university and graduated in the early 1900s. My father and mother-in-law, my wife, both of her sisters and I all graduated from Tech."
The finale of the night was a slide show presentation of the team during their playing days.
