Stallworth Photos
WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State mourns one of its all-time men's basketball legends, Dave Stallworth, who passed away Thursday morning at the age of 75.
Nicknamed "the Rave," Mr. Stallworth was a three-time All-American for the Shockers over parts of four seasons from 1961-65. He led the program to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 1964, and his No. 42 jersey is one of five hanging from the rafters of Charles Koch Arena.
The 6-foot-7 Stallworth averaged 24.2 points a game during his career and ranks third on the Shockers' all-time scoring list with 1,936 points (despite appearing in just 80 games).
Wichita State head men's basketball coach,
Gregg Marshall said: "In my interactions with Mr. Stallworth – one of the greatest Shockers of all-time – I found him to be a consummate gentleman. He was a great supporter who attended games faithfully, up until the time his health failed him. We mourn his passing. He will be missed by all."
Born Dec. 20, 1941 in Dallas, Texas, he was recruited to the University of Wichita by head coach Ralph Miller and made his varsity debut in the second semester of the 1961-62 season. His impact was immediate. In eight games, Stallworth averaged 19.8 points to help Wichita secure a bid to the 1962 NIT (its first postseason appearance since 1955).
In his first full season, Stallworth averaged 22.6 points and 10.2 rebounds. The Shockers spent the final two months ranked in the nation's top-10 and secured their second-straight NIT. Stallworth was named First Team All-American by Converse Yearbook.
On Feb. 16, 1963, Stallworth delivered one of the finest performances in Roundhouse history against two-time defending national champion and No. 1-ranked Cincinnati. Behind Stallworth's 46 points, Wichita scored a 65-64 victory to end the Bearcats' 37-game winning streak.
Beating Cincinnati was significant. In an era of one-NCAA-qualifier-per-conference, the Shockers' hopes of securing a bid rested on their ability to overcome some of the era's most powerful programs, such as Cincinnati, Bradley, Saint Louis and Drake.
The Shockers finally broke through in 1963-64. Stallworth (26.5 points and 10.1 rebounds) became the program's first consensus First Team All-American, and Wichita climbed as high as No. 4 in the polls.
The 1964 Shockers tied with Drake atop the MVC standings at 10-2, and the teams waged a one-game playoff at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan. A 58-50 victory gave Wichita its first MVC title since joining the league in 1945.
The win also punched the school's first-ever ticket to the Big Dance, and WU Fieldhouse played host to a four-team Midwest Regional.
A semifinal battle of All-Americans saw Stallworth put up 22 points and 23 rebounds, while Creighton's Paul Silas logged 22 points and 17 boards, but the Shockers were the better overall team, rolling 84-68.
Despite Stallworth's monster 37-point, 16-rebound effort in the Midwest Regional Final, Wichita fell behind early and never recovered in a 94-86 loss to Kansas State.
Because he made his debut as a second-semester freshman, Stallworth's eligibility came to an end at semester of his senior season, but not before he bestowed one more gift on Shocker Nation. On Dec. 15, 1964, he helped the program to its first – and only – No. 1 ranking.
Despite missing the final two-and-a-half months of the season, Stallworth (25.0 points, 12.1 rebounds in the fall semester) made enough of an impression to earn 1965 consensus Second Team All-America honors.
Hall of Famer, Ralph Miller – who coached Stallworth in his first three seasons – later called him the best all-around offensive player that he had ever had the privilege of working with.
Stallworth was a first-round draft choice of the New York Knicks in 1965 and played in the National Basketball Association with three teams over 10 years. He was instrumental during the 1970 Knicks' NBA title run, averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds over 19 games.
Stallworth retired following the 1974-75 NBA season and returned to Wichita. He was a charter inductee to both the Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame (1980) and Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame (1997).
