Frank Selvy, who set an NCAA Division I record with a 100-point game in 1954, died Tuesday at 91.
His alma mater, South Carolina’s Furman University, confirmed the passing of the All-America guard.
“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.
A two-time Southern Conference Player of the Year, Selvy led the NCAA with 41.7 points per game in 1953-54.
Selvy’s milestone moment happened Feb. 13 that season in Greenville, S.C. He reached the century mark with 41 field goals and 18 free throws in the Paladins’ 145-95 victory against visiting Newberry.
Dubbed “The Corbin Comet” after his hometown of Corbin, Ky., Selvy averaged 32.5 points over three seasons at Furman and scored 40 or more points 22 times.
Selvy was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1954 NBA Draft by the Baltimore Bullets. The two-time All-Star played nine seasons with the Bullets, Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks, New York Knicks, Syracuse Nationals and Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers.
He averaged 10.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 565 NBA games. His Lakers lost twice in the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics, falling in seven games in 1962 and six games in 1963.
Selvy coached at Furman for four seasons, compiling a 44-59 record from 1966-70. He was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Barbara, along with two children, 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.”