HAMMOND, La. – Recognized as the most decorated player in Southeastern Louisiana men's basketball history, Lion legend C.A. Core has been selected to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame's Class of 2017, the Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday.
Core, who starred on the hard court for the Lions from 1964-68, will be a part of a class that includes jockey Calvin Borel, gymnastics coach D-D Breaux, baseball coach Raymond Didier, football player Eddie Kennison, baseball player Juan Pierre, football player Ed Reed and golfer David Toms.
The class will be enshrined on June 24, 2017 in Natchitoches to culminate the 2017 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration. The 2017 class will be showcased in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Museum, situated adjacent to Cane River Lake in the National Historic Landmark District of Natchitoches.
Core's career has been recognized in many ways since he finished his Southeastern career. The only men's basketball player in school history to have his jersey retired, Core's No. 34 hangs in the rafters of the University Center. In 1974, he was named to the Southeastern Athletics Hall of Fame and earned a spot in the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1979-80.
A native of Noblesville, Indiana, Core was recognized for his high school exploits by being named to the Hamilton County Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. Core passed away at the age of 41.
During his time with the Lions, Core set standards that still stand nearly 50 years later. The only All-American selection in program history, Core was a NAIA All-American as both a junior and senior, while also earning Associated Press All-American accolades as a junior. He was also a four-time All-Gulf States Conference selection.
During his time at Southeastern, Core set career records for points (2,046), scoring average (21.3 ppg), rebounds (1,475), rebounding average (15.4 rpg), field goals made (759) and free throws made (524). His 22.3 points per game in 1964-65 remains the highest single-season scoring average in school history. In his four years in Hammond, Core never posted a season scoring average of less than 20 points per contest and owns four of the top six single-season performances.
His rebounding averages were even more staggering. He averaged a double-double every season, highlighted by a single-season school record of 18.5 rebounds per contest as a senior. Core owns three of the top four averages in school history and never averaged less than 12.3 rebounds per game in any season.
Core is the eighth Southeastern Louisiana selection to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Former women's basketball legend Queen Brumfield Nard and legendary football coach Stan Galloway proceeded Core, while Southeastern graduate Jim Corbett was also inducted.
Two Southeastern graduates – longtime sports information director
Larry Hymel and Bud Johnson – have received the Hall's Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism, while SLU alums Emmanuel Bourgeois and Elmo Aldoph were both recipients of the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award.
A 35-member Louisiana Sports Writers Association committee selected the 2017 inductees. The panel considered a record 125 nominees from 28 different sports categories on a 26-page ballot, according to Hall of Fame chairman Doug Ireland.
