Texas State notebook: Bobcats honor former star Jeff Foster with court dedication
SAN MARCOS — Before embarking on a 13-year NBA career with the Indiana Pacers, Jeff Foster helped then-Southwest Texas State earn a Southland Conference championship and an NCAA Tournament berth in 1997, going 11-0 at Strahan Arena that season.
Now the Bobcats will play on Jeff Foster Court at Strahan Arena. Texas State renamed its court last Saturday in honor of one of its most distinguished alums. Members of the 1997 team were in attendance and were recognized at halftime.
Foster’s No. 42 jersey was retired and has remained in the rafters at Strahan since 2013, but the floor dedication comes 10 years later after Foster, along with his wife, Jamie, gave an undisclosed donation to the men’s basketball program last May. The gift was intended to “aid in the advancement of the entire program and its student-athletes,” according to a new release from the school at the time.
“Texas State provided me the opportunity to explore my academic interests and develop athletically,” Foster said in the news release. “Jamie and I look forward to watching current and future Texas State men’s basketball players work hard to achieve their goals and feel the support I experienced as a student-athlete.”
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Foster played 13 years in the NBA, all for one team
Foster played in 111 games for the Bobcats from 1995 to 1999, averaging 10 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 51% for his collegiate career. He scored more than 1,000 points and grabbed more than 900 rebounds at Texas State.
The 6-foot-11 center from San Antonio was taken 21st overall in the 1999 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors and immediately traded to Indiana. He remained with the Pacers for his entire 13-year career, averaging five points and seven rebounds in 764 games, with 345 starts.
Bobcats both lose one, win one
Basketball: Both the men’s and women’s teams lost last Saturday before bouncing back with wins Thursday night.
On the night of the Foster court dedication, the men’s team (11-11, 4-5 Sun Belt) lost to Louisiana 60-51, but it got back to .500 in conference with a 70-67 win at home over Georgia Southern on Thursday. The Bobcats will be on the road Saturday at Southern Miss. The women’s team (14-6, 6-3) fell 45-43 last Saturday at South Alabama before closing a three-game road stretch with a 52-46 win at Old Dominion on Thursday. The Bobcats will host Southern Miss on Saturday.
It's on to signing day
Football: South Oak Cliff defensive back Taylor Starling remains committed to Texas State after pledging last month, but he posted his top three choices on Twitter this week, and they included North Texas and UTSA. Starling is one of three unsigned 2023 pledges for the Bobcats, along with Kilgore College linebacker Derrick Mourning and Houston C.E. King defensive end Jo’Laison Landry. Texas State already has signed 27 players. National signing day is next Wednesday.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas State notebook: Bobcats name Strahan court for alum Jeff Foster
