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March madness is upon us and while the team at UpThink is busy getting psyched to watch the Mountaineers take on Gonzaga for a spot in the elite eight we thought highlighting a few outstanding athletes from the pantheons of WV hall-of-fame sports history would be a great way to get in the mood.
Jerry West
Hometown: Cheylan
Claim to fame: Two-time All-America at West Virginia University. He led the Lakers to 1972 NBA title as player and in the 1980’s as G.M. helped build an L.A. dynasty that won five NBA championships
Fun Fact – West’s silhouette is featured in the NBA logo.
Mary Lou Retton
Hometown: Fairmont
At 1984 Olympics she became first U.S. gymnast to win gold in women’s all-around competition.
Fun Fact – Retton is the first woman to be featured on the Wheaties box.
Hal Greer
Hometown: Huntington
Greer is the first African-American to play basketball for a major West Virginia University scoring a whopping 1,377 points for Marshall and going on to average 19.2 points for 15 seasons in the NBA.
Fun Fact – Greer played in 10 consecutive NBA All-Star Games from 1961-1970
Hot Rod Hundley
Hometown: Charleston
Hundley was a two-time All-America at West Virginia University and he was a top pick of 1957 NBA draft, by Cincinnati Royals he averaged 8.4 points in six seasons. Hundley finished his six-year professional career at age 28. His career totals were 3,625 points, 1,420 rebounds and 1,455 assists.
Fun Fact – In 2000, Hundley graduated from WVU with a bachelor’s degree in arts and sciences, 43 years after leaving his alma mater without a degree to play in the NBA.
Anne White
Hometown: Charleston
White attended John Adams Junior High School and George Washington High School in Charleston, and went on to become a two-time All-American tennis player at the University of Southern California.
Fun Fact – White is best known for waring a controversial full-body white spandex jumpsuit during a match at Wimbledon sparking outrage at the conservative tournament.
Like party favors, but for your brain. Enjoy these weekly goodies including viral videos, interesting articles, curated playlists, and more!
- LISTEN: “Jock Jams” inspired UpThink playlist.
- WATCH: Marry Lou Retton win gold!
- CHECK OUT: Trick shots like you have never seen before!
- READ: Let’s be honest basketball isn’t the only game being played this month, learn about the strange origins of your favorite drinking games.