Todd Danen, C ’73-74.

Todd was FTU’s first 7-footer, depending upon which leg you measured him (he was 6’10” off the other). He distinguished himself during the fabled February 1974 “La Noche del Streak” as the World’s Tallest Streaker when he streaked (well, strolled actually) from the Men’s to the Women’s Dormitory wearing only boots and a cowboy hat. Todd left school after that quarter.

Benny Shaw, G ’74-76.

A jet-quick 6’1” lefthander, Benny was FTU’s first All-American (an honor usually attributed to Bo Clark). Even though he’s still the Knight 2nd all-time scoring leader at 25.5 ppg, he was a deceptive scorer. Any estimate of his game total had to include “the Benny Factor” - whatever you thought he made had to be multiplied by two, and then you had to subtract three. Only then would you be close. The media loved to report that the “studious” Shaw would be seen around campus with briefcase in hand, on his way to class. He opened it for Fifi one afternoon and the only things it contained were old, moldy gym clothes and an appointment book used to schedule all of his dates. He played every game with a hatpin resting on his tongue - he claimed it relaxed him and helped him concentrate.

Calvin Linglebach, PG ’73-77

A 5’10” point guard recruited out of Evans HS, Calvin grew 4” by the tip-off of his sophomore year. Watching him (along with Cleveland Jackson and James Walker) over the years made me realize that every successful team requires a warrior like him - someone that can reach up and grab the rest of the team by the throat, willing them to win and just daring them to lose. He didn’t get the numbers that Benny, Bo or Jerry got, but he should get just as much credit for FTU’s rise in Division II. In addition to garnering All-Conference and All-Region honors in basketball, Calvin was an All-Star shortstop for the baseball Knights. He was also QB and MVP of FTU’s National Championship flag football team (played just prior to the Sugar Bowl), 2-time MVP of Orlando’s World Championship slow-pitch softball team, a professional jai-alai player, and a champion amateur Putt-Putt Golfer. No, he did not sell popcorn at halftime.

Faithful Assistant Ray Ridenour

Torchy coached them, but it was Faithful Assistant Ray Ridenour who brought them on campus. Year after year he convinced hordes of 6’3”, 200lb linebacker-like clones to play for the Knights. There’d usually be a pre-Christmas and an after-Christmas roster as 3 or 4 players lost or gained eligibility, but the team would never miss a beat. Always in Torchy’s shadow, Ray (who had a prototypical Dilbert-esque appearance) was just as intense on the sidelines, tugging at his hair or tie, and screaming at players and refs. Faithful Assistant Ray Ridenour left the program a couple of years before the end of the Torchy era, taking the head-coaching job at DBCC, and now is the girls’ BB coach at Oviedo HS.

Jerry Prather, F ’74-78

Jerry immediately made his presence known as a freshman, scoring FTU’s first ever (legal) dunk in his first game. Somehow, Faithful Assistant Ray Ridenour convinced the skinny, long-armed 6’3” All-State basketball AND football player (QB) from New Albany, MS to play for the Knights, and Torchy’s program would never look back. He had a complete game, scoring over 1700 points inside and outside with a 58% career field goal percentage, passing out almost 250 assists, swiping the ball 287 times and grabbing 849 rebounds - all top 5 (and the latter two still first all-time) FTU/UCF career highs. He married in his sophomore year, maintained a B average, worked full-time to support his young family, was annually named to an All-Something team (All-American once), and was always upbeat, friendly and a campus favorite. Today Jerry plays Santa at the office Christmas party. We old-timers measure every young buck putting on a Knight uniform against Jerry Prather.

“Sweet Al” Wilhite, G ’75-76

A seldom-used transfer from Western Kentucky, “Sweet Al” had the smoothest fall-away jump shot on campus, always banked off the backboard and accompanied with a high-pitched singsong “Glass!!” calling his shot. It was simply that he was just too mellow to suit Torchy’s intensity, and “Sweet Al” got “mellow” often. He was the first known male to carry a purse over his shoulder - no one really knew what he carried in it, but he kept a snake in there to keep the contents safe.

Bo Clark, G ’75- 77, ’78-80

Ok, I admit it - I was a part of the Bo Clark critic bunch. That bunch that believed that yeah, he was a great guy, but also a product of his dad’s system, a gunner and a defensive liability. But the years have made me realize that ANYBODY that scores 2,821 points - before the advent of the 3-point line - at ANY level is a damn fine ballplayer! Bo played hard every night, had a deceptively quick first step to the basket, and a stutter-step setup for his jump shot that left defenders mesmerized. He scored on snowbirds after defensive rebounds, scoop-shot lay-ups, free throws (80+% career average), and often, very often on the most reliable long-range jump shot I’ve ever seen. Let’s do the math - if (conservatively) ¼ of his shots were beyond today’s arc, his career point total would have exceeded 3,100! He once scored 70 in a game - it might have been 80-85 today!! And none of it ever went to his head; he was - and is - a class guy.

Larry Gowins, F ’82-84

Larry Gowins could fly - literally. I mean it! I swear he grabbed the top of the backboard once…