Man Of The Century
100 Point Shot Video - Feb. 13, 1954
Frank Selvy Obituary (includes funeral arrangements)
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman All-American Frank Selvy, one of the greatest players in college basketball history, passed away this morning at his home in Simpsonville, S.C., surrounded by his family, which made the announcement. He was 91 years old.
"It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Frank Selvy, Furman's all-time greatest athlete, a consensus All-American, NBA all-star, distinguished member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame, and one of the greatest scorers in the history of college basketball," said Jason Donnelly, Furman's Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics. "More than his accomplishments on the court, Frank's devotion to his family was his greatest achievement. Our thoughts and prayers are with Barbara and the entire Selvy family. We will miss Frank dearly but will remember him forever — a true Paladin legend."
"Frank was both a mentor and a friend who had an incredible impact on Furman Basketball as a player and as a coach," said Paladin head coach
Bob Richey. "In addition to being a great basketball player, Frank was a phenomenal person. He was one of the best to ever wear the jersey, and he will be deeply missed."
Selvy, a native of Corbin, Ky., and nicknamed "The Corbin Comet," led the NCAA in scoring twice during his storied Paladin career (1952-54) and averaged 41.7 points per game his senior season, which included a NCAA Division I record 100-point performance in a 145-95 win over Newberry on Feb. 13, 1954, at Textile Hall in downtown Greenville.
The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 32.5 points per game over his 78-game collegiate career and reached the 40-point plateau 22 times.
Named Southern Conference Player of the Year for the 1952-53 season while competing against West Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, N.C. State, Duke, Wake Forest, Clemson, and South Carolina — many of whom would later leave the SoCon to form the Atlantic Coast Conference — Selvy collected the honor a second time as a senior en route to being tabbed 1954 United Press Player of the Year. He was a three-time All-America selection.
All told, he helped lead the Paladins to a 59-21 record over his three seasons of play, including back-to-back 21 and 20-win campaigns in 1953 & '54 under head coach Lyles Alley.
Selvy, whose many NCAA scoring standards stood for years following his collegiate career, was the No. 1 draft pick by the Baltimore Bullets in 1954. He averaged 19.4 points per game his rookie year, was a two-time all-star, and went on the spend nine years in the NBA, including his final five seasons with the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers, where he played alongside Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and Rod Hundley.
Following his professional career Selvy returned to his alma mater in 1966, succeeding Alley, his former coach, as the Paladins' mentor for four seasons.
He is a member of seven halls of fame, including the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame (1960), Furman Athletics Hall of Fame (1981), Corbin High School Redhound Hall of Fame (1982), Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame (1994), Southern Conference Hall of Fame (2009), Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame (2021), and National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (2022).
Furman's male athlete of the year award bears Selvy's name, and his jersey No. 28 is retired.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara, of 65 years, and two children, Valerie S. Miros (Mike) and Mike Selvy (Katherine); his brother, Marvin Selvy (Patty); 11 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements
