| Hank Gathers | |
|---|---|
| Gathers at Sportscasters Camps of America in 1989 | |
| College | Loyola Marymount University |
| Conference | West Coast Conference |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Position | Forward |
| Jersey # | 44 |
| Height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | February 11, 1967 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Died | March 4, 1990 (aged 23) Los Angeles, California |
| High school | Dobbins Technical High School |
| Former school(s) | University of Southern California |
| Awards | |
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| Honors | |
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| Records | |
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WCC[1]
LMU[2]
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| Championships | |
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Individual Team[3]
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| Tournaments | |
| 1988 NCAA, 1989 NCAA | |
Eric "Hank" Gathers (February 11, 1967 – March 4, 1990) was an American college basketball star at Loyola Marymount University who collapsed and died during a game. He was the second player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in scoring and rebounding in the same season. He originally played at the University of Southern California, but transferred with teammate Bo Kimble to LMU after his freshman year. Gathers was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was listed as 6'7" in height.
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Gathers played prep ball with Kimble at Dobbins Technical High School in Philadelphia with the pair leading the team to the Public League City championship in 1985.[4]
Both Gathers and Kimble were recruited to the University of Southern California by Head Coach Stan Morrison and his top assistant, David Spencer. They were joined by high school All-American, Tom Lewis, and Rich Grande as the "Four Freshmen" star recruiting class.[5][6] Following an 11-17 season coaching USC, Morrison and Spencer were fired after the 1985-86 season was over, despite winning the Pac-10 Conference the previous year. It was reported that the players would not remain unless certain conditions were met, including having a say in the next coaching staff.[5] USC hired George Raveling as the next head coach of the Trojans.[7] Raveling gave the players a deadline to respond whether they would remain on the team. When they did not respond, he revoked the scholarships of Gathers, Kimble, and Lewis.[8] Raveling's controversial[9] statement was, "You can't let the Indians run the reservation," he said. "You've got to be strong, too. Sometimes you have to tell them that they have to exit."[5] Kimble and Gathers transferred together from USC to Loyola Marymount. Lewis transferred to Pepperdine. Grande remained at USC.[10]
Gathers and Kimble could not play in the season following their transfer, due to NCAA regulations. They helped lead the Lions to a 28–4 record in 1987–88.[11] Gathers led the team that year in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 22.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, and he was named to the All-West Coast Conference (WCC) first team and was awarded the WCC Tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP).[12][13] In the 1988–89 season, Gathers became the second player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in scoring and rebounding in the same season, averaging 32.7 points and 13.7 rebounds per game.[11][14] He was named WCC Player of the Year and again won the WCC Tournament MVP.[13] As a senior in 1989–90, he was a candidate for player of the year and had been projected as an NBA lottery pick.[14] Gathers' head coach while at LMU, Paul Westhead, had instituted an extraordinarily fast-paced game plan. On offense, the Lions took numerous three-point shots, and typically shot the ball within 10 seconds of gaining possession; their defense was a full court press designed to force their opponents into a frenzied up-and-down game. Gathers' teams led Division I in scoring in 1988 (110.3 points per game), 1989 (112.5), and 1990 (122.4).[15] LMU's 122.4 point per game in 1990 was still a record as of October 2010.[16] As of October 2010, Loyola Marymount held the five highest combined score games in Division I history. Four of the five occurred during Gathers' career, including a record 331 in the 181–150 win over United States International University on January 31, 1989.[11][17]
At 6'7" and 210 pounds, Gathers was Loyola Marymount's strongest inside player. He had a high field goal percentage because he seldom shot from beyond 10 feet. He used his power and quickness for follow-up baskets and scoring on fast breaks. "I don't care much about the points," said Gathers. "In fact, I should lead the nation in scoring because of my rebounding. Anybody can score 30 points a night if that's what he's concentrating on. But rebounding is special because it comes from the heart."[11]
Gathers' first sign of trouble came on Saturday, December 9, 1989, when he collapsed at the free-throw line during an LMU home game against UCSB.[18]
He was found to have an abnormal heartbeat (exercise-induced ventricular tachycardia), and was prescribed a beta blocker, Inderal.[18] However, Gathers felt that the medication adversely affected his play, and he soon cut back on his dosage.[19] As the West Coast Conference (WCC) Tournament neared, Gathers did not show up for repeated appointments to test if the reduced medication was still suppressing the arrhythmias. It was suspected Gathers was not taking any dosage on game days.[18]
On Sunday, March 4, 1990, in Los Angeles, he collapsed again with 13:34 left in the first half of the WCC tournament quarterfinal game against Portland, just after scoring on his trademark tomahawk dunk on an alley-oop pass pass from point guard Terrell Lowery that put the Lions up 25–13.[14][19] He collapsed a yard or two away from the current head coach of the Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra, then a point guard for the Pilots.[20] He attempted to get up, telling the trainers, "I don't want to lay down!", then shortly after stopped breathing.[21] He was declared dead on arrival at a nearby hospital at the age of 23. An autopsy found that he suffered from a heart-muscle disorder, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.[18]
Following his death, Gathers' family filed a $32.5-million lawsuit charging negligence.[22] Loyola Marymount settled out of court for $1.4 million, while the cardiologist who treated Gathers settled for $1 million.[23][24]
As a result of Gathers' death, the 1990 WCC tournament was canceled. Loyola Marymount was given the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament due to its regular season championship and was placed in the West Region as the #11 seed. During LMU's subsequent run to the Elite Eight before falling to eventual national champion UNLV, Gathers' teammate Bo Kimble (a right-handed player) shot his first free throw of each game left-handed in memory of Gathers, who, while naturally right-handed, was a poor free-throw shooter and had, for a time, attempted to shoot left-handed.[25] Kimble made all three attempts (he did not have any free-throw attempts in the Sweet 16 win over Alabama); from that point onward, and deep into his professional career, Kimble continued to honor his fallen friend by making his first free throws left-handed.
Gathers was named a consensus second team All-America and first team All-WCC selection for the season.[26][13] He finished his career averaging 28.0 points and making 59 percent of his field goals, which were both school records as of 2010. He also averaged 11.1 rebounds for his career. He was voted WCC Player of the Decade for the 1980s.[2]
In 1992, Gathers' life was dramatized in a TV movie, as Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story.[27]
Gersten Pavilion, LMU's on-campus athletics facility, is known to Lions fans as "Hank's House", although that is not part of its official name.[28][29] His number 44 jersey was retired by LMU in 2000.[2] On January 29, 2005, the entire 1989–90 team was inducted into the Loyola Marymount's Hall of Fame during halftime of a 63–46 win over cross-town rival Pepperdine. Gathers' mother, Lucille Gathers Cheeseboro, also attended the ceremony.[30]
Gathers' nephew D.J. Rivera was the top scoring player during the 2008-09 America East Conference and attends Binghamton University. Due to his strong play that season, the Binghamton Bearcats won the America East and for the first time earned a bid to the NCAA tournament.[31]
Gathers was part of story line in the ESPN film Guru of Go about Westhead that is part of their 30 for 30 series.[32]
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