Hank Gathers - Heart of a Lion
...niversity of Southern California on the varsity basketball squad. But after two years of limited playing time and having their athletic scholoarships dropped, Hank and Bo decided to transfer together to Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. At Loyola, Hank and Bo make an instant impact by averaging double doubles and the team averaged more than 120 points per game. Still to this day a NCAA record for a team. On December 08, 1989 during a game against UC-Santa Barbara, Hank was a the free throw line and he collapsed. After missing two games, it was determined that Hank was suffering from an irregular heart beat. Hank was given prescription medicine to take, but if affected his play. After the doctor reduced his medicine, Hank was back to his usual self on the court. He was destined to become a lottery pick in the up coming NBA draft. Then on March 04, 1990, during the WCC Conference Tournament, Hank was on the reciving end of an alley-oop and when he was running back down court, he collapased yet again. This time Hank wouldn't get up. With his mother sitting in the crowd and hundreds of stunned fans, Hank laid motionless on the court. He was rushed to the local hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was 23. With the sports world morning the death of Gathers, the Loyola Marymount Lion decided to throw their name into the 64 team field in the 1990 NCAA Tournament. As an eleven seed, they shocked six-seeded, New Mexico State an...