Counts and Payton Headline All-Century Team
March 09, 2016 | Men's Basketball
Two of the most iconic Oregon State University men's basketball student-athletes in the history of the program have been selected to the Pac-12 Conference's All-Century team, which was released Wednesday by the Pac-12 Networks.
Counts lettered at Oregon State from 1962-64 and was among the premier big men in college basketball during his era earning All-American status as a junior and senior. He led Oregon State to the 1963 Final Four, scoring 20-plus points in all five games, including 30 vs. Seattle in the first round. He left the school as then the program's top all-time scorer with 1,973 points and is still the school's leading career rebounder with 1,375. Counts continued on to a lengthy NBA career, which included stints with the Celtics, Bullets, Lakers, Suns, Jazz, and 76ers. He was inducted into the State of Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1982 and the OSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988. In addition, Counts earned a gold medal while playing for the USA basketball team at the 1964 Olympic Games.
“Mel was one of the most focused, competitive players to ever play for the Beavers,” former OSU head coach and 2016 Pac-12 Hall of Honor inductee Jimmy Anderson said. “I remember driving to Coos Bay to recruit him and he was always polite. He loved the game of basketball, loved his teammates and worked hard. This is a very deserving honor for him.”
Payton is one of the greatest guards to ever play the game at any level and among the most decorated student-athletes in Oregon State history. He was named the Sports Illustrated, the U. S. Army Reserve, and the Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1990. He was a consensus All-American in 1990, three-time All-Pac-10 selection, and tabbed the conference's 1987 Freshman of the Year. Payton also was named to the Pac-10's All-Decade Team. He still holds Beaver career records, among others, for points with 2,172, field goals with 839, assists with 938 and steals with 321. During the Payton era, the Beavers made three NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT. At the conclusion of his college career, he was the second pick (highest ever for an OSU player) in the NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. His NBA career included nine appearances in the All-Star Game, being named Defensive Player of the Year in 1996 and winning an NBA title in 2006. He won a gold medal in the 1996 Olympic Games while playing for Dream Team II, was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2013, the OSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996 and the State of Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
“What can you say that hasn't already been said about Gary?” Anderson said. “Ultra-competitive, never had a bad game, always full speed who could put it into overdrive. The biggest thing is that Gary always rose to the occasion.”
For the complete list of the All-Century team follow this link to Pac-12.org.
The Oregon State men's basketball team's push toward an NCAA Tournament berth continues Wednesday night at 8:40 p.m. vs. Arizona State in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas. The game will air live on the Pac-12 Network and Pac-12 Oregon, as well as the Beaver Sports Radio Network with Mike Parker courtside.
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