While the LSU men’s basketball team was preparing for its Southeastern Conference match against Florida, assistant coach Ronald Dupree received some unexpected news.
Dupree, a former LSU standout, was named to the 14-member Allstate SEC Basketball Legends team and will represent the university during the 2014 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament, the league announced Tuesday.
The 14 players will be recognized during halftime of their respective institutions’ first game in the tournament, which takes place March 11-15 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
This is Dupree’s first season as an assistant on LSU coach Johnny Jones’ staff, but Tiger fans who followed the team in the early 2000s are familiar with the high-scoring Biloxi, Mississippi, native.
Dupree played at LSU under former coach John Brady from 1999-2003. In Dupree’s freshman season, the Tigers finished as SEC champions and reached the Sweet 16 round of the 2000 NCAA Men’s Division 1 Basketball Tournament.
Dupree averaged only 4.9 points per game during his rookie campaign but notched a career-best and SEC-leading 17.3 points a game the following season.
Dupree scored 16 points a night during his final two seasons and currently sits at No. 9 on LSU’s all-time scoring list with 1,726 points. The 6-foot-7 Dupree is also No. 9 in career rebounds with 907 boards (7.0 per game).
During Dupree’s four seasons, the Tigers went 81-48 and reached two NCAA Tournaments (2000, 2003) and one National Invitation Tournament (2002).
The following are the 13 other members who were also named to the SEC Basketball Legends team: C.M. Newton, Alabama; Darrell Walker, Arkansas; Chris Porter, Auburn; Eddie Shannon, Florida; Jacky Dorsey, Georgia; Bob Burrow, Kentucky; B.L. Graham, Ole Miss; Doug Hutton, Mississippi State; Derrick Chievous, Missouri; Jack Thompson, South Carolina; Johnny Darden, Tennessee; Sonny Parker, Texas A&M; Bruce Elder, Vanderbilt.