It's back.
The Utah State University Athletics Hall of Fame had not had an induction ceremony in 10 years. That changed when five members were added to the Hall of Fame that now includes 33 former Aggie greats.
"Four of the most important years of my life was spent at Utah State," basketball great Marvin Roberts said. "... My time in Logan prepared me for life after basketball, which was a very good thing."
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Can you imagine USU reaching the Elite Eight and missing the Final Four because it lost to eventual champion UCLA?
Roberts was on arguably the best Aggie basketball team that did just that in 1970. Roberts had 33 points and 16 rebounds in that loss to the Bruins, but all he wanted to talk about Friday was having "great" coaches and teammates.
"My parents loved (coach) Ladell (Andersen)," Roberts said. "As a 17-year-old from Brooklyn coming to Cache Valley, it was different.
" The year was 1967." No team I was involved with was ever like the team I was on here at Utah State," Roberts said. "... The folks made it an easy transition. For that, I am thankful forever. I greatly appreciate how I was treated. "I still have my Brooklyn accent."
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"The year we played the Bruins, that was wonderful," Roberts said. "... We went from 9-17 to 22-7. That was a fun year. We had a nice blend of players. What I remember best is how we all got along so well."
In fact, Nate Williams is planning on returning to witness Roberts' induction.
Roberts will also be accompanied by his wife and a son, along with some other friends.
The former Aggie great also credited a good coaching staff for the memorable season."We had the great Dale Brown of legendary status and Dutch Belnap as assistants.
Roberts still holds down fifth place for career scoring with 1,844 points, is third in career rebounding with 997 and 17th in career assists with 228. During his junior season, Roberts set a school record for rebounding average in a season with 13.9. He also holds the school record for career rebounding average at 12.8. Marvin is the USU leader in double-doubles with 54 and double-figure rebound games with 55. He twice scored 43 points in a game and has the top two consecutive double-double streaks in school history with 17 and 13, respectively.
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After his Aggie career, Roberts was drafted by Detroit in the 1971 NBA Draft. He ended up playing for Denver and the Kentucky Colonels of the ABA, where he saw action in 374 games, averaging 8.8 points and 4.1 rebounds. Roberts also played with Los Angeles. His professional career ended after two years in Italy.
Roberts also is part of the NBA/ABA retired players association and meets every year to discuss issues and attend the NBA All-Star game."I was fortunate to learn a long time ago basketball is what I did, not who I was," Roberts said. "I didn't spend time bemoaning that I couldn't play any longer. I was ready to move on."
The Utah State University Athletics Hall of Fame had not had an induction ceremony in 10 years. That changed when five members were added to the Hall of Fame that now includes 33 former Aggie greats.
"Four of the most important years of my life was spent at Utah State," basketball great Marvin Roberts said. "... My time in Logan prepared me for life after basketball, which was a very good thing."
**************
Can you imagine USU reaching the Elite Eight and missing the Final Four because it lost to eventual champion UCLA?
Roberts was on arguably the best Aggie basketball team that did just that in 1970. Roberts had 33 points and 16 rebounds in that loss to the Bruins, but all he wanted to talk about Friday was having "great" coaches and teammates.
"My parents loved (coach) Ladell (Andersen)," Roberts said. "As a 17-year-old from Brooklyn coming to Cache Valley, it was different.
" The year was 1967." No team I was involved with was ever like the team I was on here at Utah State," Roberts said. "... The folks made it an easy transition. For that, I am thankful forever. I greatly appreciate how I was treated. "I still have my Brooklyn accent."
******************
"The year we played the Bruins, that was wonderful," Roberts said. "... We went from 9-17 to 22-7. That was a fun year. We had a nice blend of players. What I remember best is how we all got along so well."
In fact, Nate Williams is planning on returning to witness Roberts' induction.
Roberts will also be accompanied by his wife and a son, along with some other friends.
The former Aggie great also credited a good coaching staff for the memorable season."We had the great Dale Brown of legendary status and Dutch Belnap as assistants.
Roberts still holds down fifth place for career scoring with 1,844 points, is third in career rebounding with 997 and 17th in career assists with 228. During his junior season, Roberts set a school record for rebounding average in a season with 13.9. He also holds the school record for career rebounding average at 12.8. Marvin is the USU leader in double-doubles with 54 and double-figure rebound games with 55. He twice scored 43 points in a game and has the top two consecutive double-double streaks in school history with 17 and 13, respectively.
************
After his Aggie career, Roberts was drafted by Detroit in the 1971 NBA Draft. He ended up playing for Denver and the Kentucky Colonels of the ABA, where he saw action in 374 games, averaging 8.8 points and 4.1 rebounds. Roberts also played with Los Angeles. His professional career ended after two years in Italy.
Roberts also is part of the NBA/ABA retired players association and meets every year to discuss issues and attend the NBA All-Star game."I was fortunate to learn a long time ago basketball is what I did, not who I was," Roberts said. "I didn't spend time bemoaning that I couldn't play any longer. I was ready to move on."
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