We hit the hardwood for today's Forgotten Superstars with a star from the old American Basketball Association and one of my all time favorite players-Dan Issel.
Issel was a two time All-American at Kentucky in the days that players could only play three years of varsity sports and was drafted by both the NBA (Detroit Pistons) and the ABA's Dallas Chapparals.
Issel tells the story to Terry Pluto in Loose Balls about how he signed with the ABA in that when Dallas talked to Issel to gauge his interest in the league,Issel told them that the only team in the ABA he was interested in was Kentucky.
The next time that he heard from an ABA representative,his rights belonged to the Colonels!
The ABA worked loosely and was able to have players that wanted to play in certain markets be able to sign there as part of a "best for the league" policy.
The 6'9 Issel made an immediate impact in Louisville leading the league in scoring and was named Rookie of the Year in the 1970-71 season.
Issel was never lower than third in the league in scoring in any of his first four seasons in the league and played in the All-Star game in each of his six ABA seasons.
"The Horse" helped the Colonels to their only ABA title in 1974-75,but the bloom was short-lived as the Colonels traded him to a team that would never play a game in the Baltimore Claws.
Many basketball observers believe that had Issel remained in Kentucky for the final season of the ABA that the Colonels would have been one of the four ABA teams to enter the NBA as part of the merging of the two leagues.
Issel would wind up in Denver,where he would spend the final ten years of his career with the Nuggets,where his point average remained high,but yet surprisingly made just one All-Star game in the NBA.
Issel coached the Nuggets for three seasons in the early 90's with the most memorable event being his 8th seeded Nuggets eliminating the top seed in the West (Seattle) in the first round of the playoffs.
That was the first time an 8 seed had ever defeated a 1 seed.
Issel would leave in the 94-95 season,but would return a few years later for another run as coach and general manager.
Dan Issel was voted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993......
The Ohio State Buckeyes travel to Madison for a battle with
Wisconsin.Wisconsin was upset last week and they are hungry for a win.
The Badgers have had the most success of any Big Ten team against Jim Tressel.
I have a bad feeling about this one.
Prediction:Wisconsin in a shocker 21-20.
Photo Credit-Remember the ABA.com
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