Tuesday, May 19, 2009.

He's a Pro Football Hall of Famer and was an inaugural inductee in Boise State's Athletic Hall of Fame. Now he's a charter member of a newly-formed Hall through the team with which he was so strongly identified in the late 1960's and early 70's. Dave Wilcox was born in Vale and played for Lyle Smith at Boise Junior College before being scooped up by Oregon. He was 6-3, 241 pounds at the time and played defensive end. There weren't many players bigger in those days--at any position. Wilcox starred in the NFL as a linebacker with the San Francisco 49ers, who have introduced a long-overdue team Hall of Fame. Wilcox, father of BSU defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, is one of only 17 players in the inaugural class.

When I saw that Fred Dean was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, I considered tying him in locally. Then I thought, "Naw." Now I see that Dean is also in the charter class of the 49ers Hall of Fame, so let's do it. In the first year of the Division II playoffs in 1973, Boise State qualified as the Big Sky champion. After the Broncos pounded South Dakota in the quarterfinals, they were paired with Louisiana Tech in the semis in Wichita Falls, TX. And they would see the first great defensive opponent in the program's four-year era. Dean was a junior All-America defensive tackle for the Bulldogs, and BSU had to stay away from him. They had success going the other way, but he changed the game in Tech's 38-34 victory.

The Bulldogs went on to win the Division II national championship the following week--they were 44-4 during Dean's four years in Ruston. The 49ers turned the corner as a franchise about the same time Dean was traded from San Diego to San Francisco early in the 1981 season. Dean keyed to Niners' run to their first Super Bowl championship that season--and again in 1984. He and Wilcox be inducted into the 49ers' Hall in September at the team's home opener. The group includes, among others, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Dwight Clark, John Brodie, Y.A. Tittle, and Hugh McElhenny. Anyone who was following Bronco football in 1973 remembers the aura around Dean's name.

The Nevada men's basketball team is getting a head start in retooling itself following the departure of head coach Mark Fox to Georgia. The Wolf Pack is practicing in preparation for a trip to Europe. It's a four-game tour that begins Saturday in Barcelona and also touches down in France and Italy. This pre-planned venture comes at a great time for new Pack coach David Carter, who can work with what he has--seven healthy and eligible players--in the midst of defection and dismissals. And yes, WAC Freshman of the Year Luke Babbitt is still on the team and will be on the trip.

Speaking of Europe, former Boise State guard Matt Bauscher has a new two-year contract to play in The Netherlands. Baucher played this season for Aris Friesland Leeuwarden and led the Dutch League with 22.2 points and 5.9 assists per game and made the league's All-Star Game in his first European stint. The Vallivue High grad will join the GasTerra Flames next season. Bauscher played three seasons at BSU, finishing with the 2007-08 WAC championship team.

Former Boise State star Troy Merritt not only made the cut in his first Nationwide Tour event over the weekend, he made $3500. That's almost half as much as Nampa's Tyler Aldridge has made all season on the PGA Tour. Merritt tied for 35th at the BMW Charity Pro-Am in South Carolina, shooting a pair of three-under 68's in the final two rounds. Merritt finished his BSU career a little over a year ago with five straight tournament victories, including the WAC individual title.

Two of the best pitchers the Boise Hawks have seen in their 22-year history faced off last night at Safeco Field. John Lackey, coming off that bizarre return to the Angels last Saturday that saw him ejected after two pitches, endured five runs allowed over five innings to get the win in the Halos' 10-8 victory. Nonetheless, it's Lackey's sixth straight win over Seattle. His former Angels teammate, Jarrod Washburn, started for the Mariners and was victimized by the Angels' five-run fifth inning. After starting the season 3-0, Washburn is now 3-3.

Some unfinished business in the high school championship department--the girls lacrosse state title will be decided tonight at Bishop Kelly, with the undefeated Knights hosting Eagle. The Mustangs won a dramatic semifinal match over Centennial 12-11 to advance to the finals. Girls lacrosse is the fastest-growing prep sport in the country--it wouldn't be surprising to see it sanctioned at some point. There was some unfortunate unfinished business from the weekend, as the Idaho High School Activities Association determined that a scoring error has taken away Boise High's 5A boys tennis title and given it to Idaho Falls.

This Day In Sports...May 19, 1949:

The day the NFL's current most famous dad was born. Archie Manning, father of Peyton of the Indianapolis Colts and Eli of the New York Giants, made his own mark as an NFL quarterback in the 1970's with the New Orleans Saints. Manning was a two-time Pro Bowl pick and was 1978 NFC Player of the Year and threw for almost 24,000 yards in his career. He starred in college at Ole Miss, where Eli would later play. Archie Manning...60 years old today.

(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment Sunday nights at 10:30PM on KTVB's Sunday Sports Extra and anchors five sports segments each weekday on 1350 KTIK/The Ticket. He also handles color commentary on KTVB's telecasts of Boise State football.)

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