Hall of Famers
Prairie View A&M has a professional basketball hall of famer in their ranks. Former Panther center Zelmo Beaty. Beaty, was selected to be inducted into the 2014 National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame class and the 2016 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class.
"Zelmo Beaty played for Coach John Payton at Woodville's Scott High School and won back to back Prairie View Interscholastic League 1A state championships in 1957 & 1958. From 1958-1962 at Prairie View A&M Beaty averaged 25 points and 20 rebounds per game and was a two-time first team NAIA All-American (1960 & 1962). The "Big Z" led Prairie View A&M to the NAIA national basketball title in 1962 and was named the Chuck Taylor Tournament MVP. He was picked third overall by the St. Louis Hawks in the 1962 NBA Draft. A 6'9" center who was known for his tough, hard-nosed play he averaged 17.4 points and 11.2 rebounds in 7 seasons (1962-1969) for the St. Louis Hawks. He made the NBA All-Rookie first team and 2 All-Star Games before switching to the rival ABA's Utah Stars in 1970. Beaty led the Stars to the 1971 ABA title while averaging 22.9 points and 15.7 rebounds, and was named MVP of the playoffs. In Utah he averaged 19.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and was 3-time All-Star in 4 seasons (1970-1974). In He played his final NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975. Beaty scored 15,207 points and had 9,665 rebounds during his 12-season professional career. He was named to the ABA's 30-man all-time team in 1997 and was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame 2014. Beaty died on August 27, 2013."[3][4]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prairie_View_A%26M_Panthers_basketball
It is the second-oldest institution of higher learning in the Lone Star State, and for 128 years has lived up to its motto of ''Proud Producers of Productive People.'' It has turned out more African-American three-star generals than any other school in the country and is renowned for its engineering school.
But on the fields of play, Prairie View A&M has built a reputation of being the worst of the worst. The Panthers' football team is in the middle of a National Collegiate Athletic Association record 77 consecutive losses. The basketball team has gone 43-174 over the last eight seasons, and has posted such lowlights as 0-28 and 1-26 seasons in 1991-1992 and 1992-1993. A four-victory season two years ago was notable for a 92-point loss to Tulsa. It's no wonder that the Panther faithful's rallying cry has become ''Thank goodness for the band.''
But that all changed last weekend when Prairie View's basketball team rallied to upset Texas Southern and win the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament and its first berth in the N.C.A.A. tournament.
''They'd tell me I was at the worst program in the country,'' said Sylvester Lilly, a junior, speaking of his dreaded trips back home to Dallas. ''Now we are at least the 64th best. I've got that answer for them now.''
Click on the link to read more https://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/11/sports/1998-ncaa-tournament-team-no-64-who-are-you-with-unlikely-upset-prairie-view-13.html
Submitted by Lisa Stafford, Special Collection Librarian, Prairie View A&M University
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