From David Vaughn to Charles Davis, meet The Tennessean's 1970s All-Decade boys basketball team

The Greater Nashville area produced some of its greatest high school boys basketball players in the 1970s.

It was a decade that produced more players who went on to play for major college basketball teams, including many in the SEC, than in either of the 1950s and 1960s combined.

The Tennessean has released its 1970s All-Decade boys basketball team and it includes several players who were highly recruited prospects. Vanderbilt signed six of the 15 players on the team and Tennessee signed three, but one of those players, Gallatin's Eddie Sherlin, opted to play professional baseball. And one player signed with national power UCLA.

The final year each player on the team played is listed in parenthesis.

Cecil Beard

Cameron | Forward (1971)

All-Nashville Interscholastic League first team as a senior and honorable mention as a junior ... a 6-foot-3 versatile athlete, who helped lead Cameron to back-to-back state championships in his junior and senior seasons when his team had a combined 61-1 record ... averaged 12.9 points and 16.0 rebounds as a senior ... led Cameron with 18 points and nine rebounds in the 1971 championship game win over Lexington ... also played receiver on the Panthers' football team ... signed with Fisk where he played football.

Carl Crain

Father Ryan | Center (1975)

All-American ... NIL player of the year ... two-time All-NIL first team ... a 6-11 star who became one of the most heavily recruited basketball players ever from Nashville after being contacted by more than 200 colleges ... had 14 recruiters show up for one game ... averaged 16 points and 17 rebounds per game as a senior and led the Irish to back-to-back 20-win seasons ... blocked seven shots in a game against Cohn ... TSSAA East-West All-Star game participant ... three-year starter ... signed with Vanderbilt after also considering Western Kentucky ... started as a freshman joining fellow former Father Ryan star John Sneed in the lineup ... Father Ryan Athletics Hall of Fame.

Johnny Darden

Springfield | Guard (1975)

Midstate player of the year as a senior ... All-Midstate first team as a junior and third team as a sophomore ... a 5-9, 130-pound spark plug averaged 22.1 points and 5.0 assists per game as a senior while leading Springfield to a runner-up finish in the TSSAA state tournament to Memphis Northside ... "Johnny is the best player I have ever been associated with," said Springfield coach Gene Beck at the time. "He can run the offense, shoot and handle the ball." ... while recruiting him as a high school senior, legendary Tennessee coach Ray Mears promised Darden a starting position as a freshman and followed through with that after Darden signed with the Vols ... became the Vols' all-time assists leader (715) while averaging 6.3 points per game as a four-year starter ... returned to Springfield as the boys basketball coach ... honored as an SEC Legend in 2015 ... Springfield High School Athletic Association inaugural Hall of Fame class.

Charles Davis

McGavock | Forward (1976)

A muscular 6-7 power forward, Davis led McGavock, in only its fifth year, to the Class AAA state championship with a 97-77 win over Nashville North as a senior ... scored 30 points in the championship game ... NIL player of the year ... averaged 20.0 points per game in the regular season ... averaged 26 points and 11 rebounds in the state tournament ... state tournament most valuable player ... scored a game-high 15 points in the TSSAA East-West All-Star game ... state's No. 1 college prospect ... chose Vanderbilt over Tennessee ... All-SEC first team in 1979, third-team in 1978 ... led Vanderbilt in rebounds all four seasons ... became Vanderbilt's eighth all-time leading scorer (1,675 points) ... selected in the second round of the NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets ... played eight seasons in the NBA with four different teams ... 2,214 career NBA points, 1,008 rebounds ... Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame and Metro Nashville Public Schools Sports Hall of Fame.

Lee Fowler

Columbia | Forward (1970)

UPI All-State ... Midstate player of the year ... a versatile 6-6 star who averaged 20.2 points per game and was known for his unselfishness ... "Lee's truly a great basketball player, the best I've ever coached and the finest ever at Columbia," coach Hardy Loyd said during his playing days. "He's been contacted by every member of the SEC, North Carolina, Duke, Southern California, Kansas, Kansas State, Pittsburgh, Rhode Island and many more." ... led Columbia to back-to-back state tournament appearances (1969 and 1970) after the Lions hadn't been since 1937 ... led Columbia to a 26-3 record as a senior ... averaged 14 points and 14 rebounds as a sophomore, 15 points and 16 rebounds as a junior and 19 points and 17 rebounds as a senior ... signed with Vanderbilt after also considering Kentucky ... averaged 9.0 points and 4.4 rebounds for his career ... helped lead the Commodores to the 1974 SEC championship ... served as assistant coach at Vanderbilt and Memphis State before moving into administration and then serving as athletic director at MTSU, North Carolina State and USC Upstate ... inducted into Columbia High Hall of Fame in 2019.

Mike Jackson

Stratford | Guard (1973)

AP All-State ... NIL player of the year ... extremely athletic 6-2 swingman who averaged 22.5 points per game as a senior ... "He's just about unstoppable due to his jumping ability, shooting accuracy and quickness," Stratford coach Charlie Anderson said. "He's been defended every way possible and still hasn't been handled." ... led the Spartans to the regional championship and a 19-5 record ... TSSAA East-West All-Star game ... signed with Tennessee and became a starter along with Vols legends Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King ... served as a team captain and helped lead the Vols to the SEC co-championship in 1977 and the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year ... averaged 15.4 points per game that season and scored 1,243 career points ... All-SEC second team ... honored as an SEC Legend in 2019 ... Stratford court named in his honor.

Michael Kinzer

Pearl | Guard (1977)

NIL player of the year ... a 6-0 point guard who led Pearl to the semifinals of the Class AAA state tournament and a 26-4 record along with back-to-back NIL championships ... all-state tournament ... district and region most valuable player ... "Michael ranks right up there with Theodore (Hound) McClain as the finest guards I've ever coached," Pearl coach Cornelius Ridley said. "I've never seen a player in Nashville I'd rather have running my club than Kinzer." ... only second Pearl player to win NIL player of the year joining James Douglas (1967) ... averaged 17.4 points per game ... scored 25 points and made the game-winning shot in the Tigers' 62-60 win over Father Ryan in the NIL championship game ... TSSAA East-West All-Star game ... signed with Cumberland then transferred to Fisk after one season.

Bill Ligon

Gallatin Union | Guard (1970)

Four-year starter who also starred as quarterback on Union's football team ... while attending Union, an all-Black school, the 6-4 Ligon led his team to the District 20 basketball championship game, which turned out to be a historic event with desegregation under way in Gallatin. ... Ligon was accepted to Princeton on an academic scholarship, but chose instead to attend Vanderbilt on a basketball scholarship ... averaged 11.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in three years as a starter ... helped lead the Commodores to the 1974 SEC championship ... selected in the 10th round of the NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons ... brother Tyree was a starter on the 1973 Gallatin team, which won the state championship ... Gallatin Sports Hall of Fame.

Glen Moon

Goodlettsville | Center (1972)

AP All-State ... the 6-9 NIL player of the year as a senior led the NIL in scoring with a 22.4 points per game average on the way to becoming one of the South's top college prospects ... gave defenders fits because he was left-handed and a keen outside shooter ... averaged 14.0 rebounds per game ... scored a career-high 43 points in a win over White House ... TSSAA East-West All-Star game ... sister Brenda Moon made The Tennessean's All-Decade 1960s Girls Basketball Team ... signed with Auburn after also considering Vanderbilt ... averaged 2.2 points and 2.2 rebounds over his last three seasons at Auburn.

Mike Rhodes

Perry County | Forward (1977)

A lanky 6-5 senior who led Perry County to Class A state championships in 1976 and 1977 ... scored 46 points in the 1977 championship game against Bolton, two shy of the single-game state tournament record 48 he set the night before in a win over Knoxville Catholic ... set a total of nine state tournament scoring records including most points in one quarter (22) and one half (35) ... two-time state tournament MVP... two-time Midstate player of the year ... led the state in scoring as a senior (1,174 total points, 41.9 ppg) ... scored 60 points in one game and in the 50s in several games ... averaged 15 rebounds, six assists and six steals per game ... more than 3,000 career points (25.0 ppg) ... narrowed college choices to Kentucky, Alabama and Vanderbilt before signing with the Commodores ... led Vanderbilt in scoring as a freshman (18.8 ppg) ... first Commodore to be named SEC freshman of the year ... All-SEC first team as a junior ... slowed by a broken finger as a senior and coach Richard Schmidt's decision to take him out of the starting lineup ... finished his career with 1,699 career points, which is fifth on the Commodores' all-time list.

Spencer Richardson

East | Guard (1979)

Two-time All-State ... NIL player of the year as a senior ... a super athletic 6-3 player who set the NIL record for dunks in a game with six against Glencliff ... led the NIL in scoring in his junior and senior seasons ... averaged 22.3 points per game as a senior while shooting 80% from the free throw line ... modeled his game after Philadelphia 76ers great Julius "Dr. J" Erving ... "Spencer can dribble, shoot, rebound, pass off" East coach Kim Smith said. "If it can be done on the basketball court, Spencer can do it." ... No. 3 on the Knoxville News-Sentinel Top College Prospects in the state list ... heavily recruited by Tennessee and Vanderbilt, but signed with Mississippi State where he played one season before transferring to UT Martin.

Richard Rucker

North | Center (1970)

NIL player of the year ... two-time All-NIL first team ... an undersized 6-3 center, who averaged 16.9 points per game as a junior and 19.6 points as a senior ... also averaged 20.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game as a senior ... 1,524 career points ... four-year starter ... had 15 points and 14 rebounds in a 67-65 win over Pearl, which was ranked No. 1 in the state at the time ... led the Yankees to the state tournament as a freshman ... TSSAA East-West All-Star game ... signed with Tennessee State ... Tigers second-leading scorer as a senior averaging 13.3 points ... named to The Tennessean's All-City College Basketball Team selected by Middle Tennessee fans as a junior.

Eddie Sherlin

Gallatin | Guard (1970)

AP and UPI All-State ... two-time All-Midstate ... a 6-2 guard who was one of the most versatile athletes to play in the Midstate ... still owns four Gallatin records including career scoring, single season scoring, single season points per game, and single game points ... averaged more than 30 points per game as a senior ... also made the All-Midstate football team as an end and kicker ... recruited by more than 50 colleges ... signed to play football, basketball and baseball at Tennessee but opted instead to play professional baseball after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates ... Gallatin Sports Hall of Fame ... coached both men's basketball and women's basketball teams at Volunteer State Community College.

Tommy Springer

Glencliff | Guard (1976)

All-NIL first team as a senior, second team as a junior ... dynamic 5-10 playmaker who was fifth in the state in scoring as senior with a 28.0 points per game ... led the Colts to an 18-8 record losing in the regional quarterfinals 67-66 to eventual state champion McGavock (Springer scored 39 points in that game) ... TSSAA East-West All-Star game ... signed with Vanderbilt ... four-year starter ... earned team's top award (Commodore Award) voted on by players for leadership as a sophomore ... 1979-80 All-SEC second team ... nominated for the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award given annually to the nation's top 6-foot-and-under senior ... averaged 8.8 points and 2.5 assists for his career ... selected by the Denver Nuggets in the seventh round of the NBA Draft ... jersey No. 11 retired by Glencliff ... Metro Nashville Public Schools Sports Hall of Fame

David Vaughn

Cameron | Center (1971)

A 6-10 AP All-American who led Cameron to back-to-back state championships ... had 31 points and 20 rebounds in the 1970 state championship win over Memphis Melrose ... tied the state tournament record by making 19 field goals against Memphis Melrose in the first round in 1971 ... two-time state tournament MVP... NIL player of the year as a senior .... led Cameron to 55 consecutive wins ... averaged 23.8 points per game as a senior ... rated as one of the nation's top 30 college prospects by Letterman magazine ... committed to Memphis State, but changed his mind and signed with Oral Roberts after receiving a home visit from Oral Roberts himself ... averaged 19.2 points and 14.3 rebounds in one season at Oral Roberts and was named an All-American ... transferred to UNLV but never played there ... selected by the New York Knicks in the fourth round of the 1975 NBA Draft, but opted instead to play for the ABA's Virginia Squires.

Coach

Ronnie Lawson Sr.

Cameron

Lawson was a high school All-American as a player at Pearl in 1958 and 1959 who went on to star at UCLA where he set freshmen scoring and rebounding records that stood until Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke them. After playing for the Harlem Magicians, Lawson became the coach at Cameron, Pearl's longtime rival, in 1964. Lawson wasted no time building Cameron into a powerhouse and won the TSSAA state championship in 1970 with a 29-1 record and repeated as state champs in 1971 with a 32-0 record. Cameron put together a 55-game win streak in that stretch. Lawson was nominated by the TSSAA for national coach of the year in 1971. Cameron was closed at the end of the 1971 school year and Lawson became the coach at Fisk where he was named the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference coach of the year in 1973 after leading the Bulldogs to back-to-back championships. Cameron was converted into a middle school and the gym was named in Lawson's honor. Lawson was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and the Nashville Public Schools Sports Hall of Fame.

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: The Tennessean's 1970s All-Decade boys high school basketball team