He listened to his mom and the rest is history.
Dedric Willoughby Passes Away at 49
- Thread starter isufbcurt
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He and Pete Taylor are linked forever to me...I can still hear Pete saying over and over again. "Willoughby for three....GOOOOOD! Dedric Willoughby!"
"Over to Dedric, 3 on the way....gooood again!"
It just rolled off his tongue, like Pete was created to yell the words Dedric Willoughby.
"Over to Dedric, 3 on the way....gooood again!"
It just rolled off his tongue, like Pete was created to yell the words Dedric Willoughby.
Was my boyhood hero. Smoothest player we’ve ever had.
If my kids were to ask me to describe him, I’d say he is the closest I’ve seen to MJ in terms of grace, fluidity, clutch, charisma, charm, and smile. He made it look so damn effortless and exciting. And he knew how to stick a lethal dagger.
None have matched him in my eyes for how he played the game like a ballerina dancer. There have been guys like Niang and Burton with swagger, guys like Tyrese and Fred with charisma, dragon slayers like Naz and Christopherson, but nobody that did it all like Dedric.
First time a player or celebrity passing has actually brought tears to my eyes.
If my kids were to ask me to describe him, I’d say he is the closest I’ve seen to MJ in terms of grace, fluidity, clutch, charisma, charm, and smile. He made it look so damn effortless and exciting. And he knew how to stick a lethal dagger.
None have matched him in my eyes for how he played the game like a ballerina dancer. There have been guys like Niang and Burton with swagger, guys like Tyrese and Fred with charisma, dragon slayers like Naz and Christopherson, but nobody that did it all like Dedric.
First time a player or celebrity passing has actually brought tears to my eyes.
Look at a photo of Dedric at the foul line and you swear you see MJ.
This. We've had so many what ifs in men's basketball.
Youur comment about playing like a ballerina is spot on. He was just so crazy smooth on the court. He glided out there. And his smile was great.
There is a clip out there from (I think) WHO interviewing the players after winning the Big 8 championship. And the joy that he and all of his teammates had during those interviews will always stick with me.
Totally correct. He had everything. I had so much attachment to him, others will argue a few others were better players. But to me he was our best ever.
Don’t usually make requests for content but this might be a place where someone like @brentblum could write up a short article about what he meant to a group of Cyclone fans to inform some of the younger people.
Blum and I are the same age. Guessing this was tough news for him
Blum and I are the same age. Guessing this was tough news for him
Sad deal. The best player on what some would argue the best team (certainly one with the most heart), that ever played at Hilton.
This is a player that if he played in the age of social media and HD would be nearly unanimous on the Mount Rushmore of ISU athletics.
Terrible news. My favorite Cyclone BB player of all-time. He could really shoot the 3.
Tim didn't originally even want to bring him to Ames. The story goes that Dedric's mother told Floyd, "you will be taking him to Ames with you."
I agree. He averaged 25 ppg in 5 NCAA tournament games on teams that played real slow.
I
I went to the ISU-Kansas game in "97 at Hilton. #1 vs #6. Willoughby absolutely went off. I think he had 36 in the loss.
Nailed it. I was at the KU game in Allen Fieldhouse his senior year and fans around me went out of their way to tell me what a great player he was. Keep in mind until that time pre Floyd, ISU was not a place where talent went.
If not a written piece, i'm sure it'll be a major part of this sunday's Williams and Blum pod.
Every great shooter since has always drawn a comparison to Dedric in my mind. Just an amazingly hard working player who flew around the floor, with an uncanny ability to come around a screen at 100 mph and drain a three. Too young, this makes me sad.
