Spiders Hall-of-Famer McCurdy Dies at 68
07/29/2020 | Men's Basketball
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. -- Bob McCurdy, a 6'7" forward who remains the greatest scorer in Spiders history, died Wednesday evening at the age of 68. McCurdy, who resided in Connecticut, had been battling cancer since 2018.Â
45 years since he last suited up for the Spiders, McCurdy still holds school records for most points in a game, most points in a season, and highest scoring average in a season after he averaged 32.9 points per game during the 1974-75 season, more than any other player in Division I that year.Â
McCurdy, a native of Deer Park, N.Y., transferred to Richmond in 1972 following two seasons at the University of Virginia. After sitting out the 1972-73 season due to NCAA regulations, McCurdy stepped into the starting lineup as a junior in 1973-74. McCurdy appeared in all 28 games and averaged 17.6 points per game as Richmond finished 16-12, the Spiders first winning season since 1957-58. McCurdy made a team-high 58.5 percent of his shots from the field, a school record at the time and still the fifth-highest field goal percentage in a season at Richmond.
Following the graduation of Southern Conference Player of the Year Aron Stewart in 1974, McCurdy entered his senior season in 1974-75 as a team captain and the unquestioned focal point of the Spiders offense. He would prove more-than-able to bare the burden, averaging 32.9 points over 26 games to set the school's single-season scoring mark and win the Division I scoring title.
During a two-month span that season, McCurdy broke Richmond's single-game scoring record three times. On January 11, 1975, McCurdy scored 44 points against VMI to break Wiley Wood's school record for points in a game - a mark that had stood since 1916 - by one. McCurdy's record would last for little more than a month. On February 17, 1975, McCurdy scored 46 points in an overtime win against West Virginia. Just nine days later, he broke his own record again, pouring in 53 points in a double overtime win against Appalachian State. In 45 years since, no Spider has come within 13 points of matching McCurdy's record. McCurdy finished the season with 855 points, still over 150 points more than any other Richmond player has totaled in a campaign.Â
When McCurdy was named a Third-Team All-American by the Associate Press following the season, he became just the second Spider to land on the AP's All-American Team and the first since George Lacy in 1935. He was inducted into the Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 1998-99.
A persistent foot injury prevented McCurdy from pursuing a professional basketball career, although he was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1975 NBA Draft. Deciding to enter business instead, McCurdy took a job selling radio ads in Richmond following graduation. During his 45-year professional career, McCurdy became a leader in the radio sales and marketing industry. He served as President of Katz Radio and Regional President for Clear Channel Radio Sales. He spent four years as the Vice President of Corporate Sales at Beasley Media Group before retiring in April to focus on his health.Â
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45 years since he last suited up for the Spiders, McCurdy still holds school records for most points in a game, most points in a season, and highest scoring average in a season after he averaged 32.9 points per game during the 1974-75 season, more than any other player in Division I that year.Â
McCurdy, a native of Deer Park, N.Y., transferred to Richmond in 1972 following two seasons at the University of Virginia. After sitting out the 1972-73 season due to NCAA regulations, McCurdy stepped into the starting lineup as a junior in 1973-74. McCurdy appeared in all 28 games and averaged 17.6 points per game as Richmond finished 16-12, the Spiders first winning season since 1957-58. McCurdy made a team-high 58.5 percent of his shots from the field, a school record at the time and still the fifth-highest field goal percentage in a season at Richmond.
Following the graduation of Southern Conference Player of the Year Aron Stewart in 1974, McCurdy entered his senior season in 1974-75 as a team captain and the unquestioned focal point of the Spiders offense. He would prove more-than-able to bare the burden, averaging 32.9 points over 26 games to set the school's single-season scoring mark and win the Division I scoring title.
During a two-month span that season, McCurdy broke Richmond's single-game scoring record three times. On January 11, 1975, McCurdy scored 44 points against VMI to break Wiley Wood's school record for points in a game - a mark that had stood since 1916 - by one. McCurdy's record would last for little more than a month. On February 17, 1975, McCurdy scored 46 points in an overtime win against West Virginia. Just nine days later, he broke his own record again, pouring in 53 points in a double overtime win against Appalachian State. In 45 years since, no Spider has come within 13 points of matching McCurdy's record. McCurdy finished the season with 855 points, still over 150 points more than any other Richmond player has totaled in a campaign.Â
When McCurdy was named a Third-Team All-American by the Associate Press following the season, he became just the second Spider to land on the AP's All-American Team and the first since George Lacy in 1935. He was inducted into the Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 1998-99.
A persistent foot injury prevented McCurdy from pursuing a professional basketball career, although he was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1975 NBA Draft. Deciding to enter business instead, McCurdy took a job selling radio ads in Richmond following graduation. During his 45-year professional career, McCurdy became a leader in the radio sales and marketing industry. He served as President of Katz Radio and Regional President for Clear Channel Radio Sales. He spent four years as the Vice President of Corporate Sales at Beasley Media Group before retiring in April to focus on his health.Â
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