Wake Forrest’s Randolph Childress- Defining Moment; 1995 ACC Tournment Championship Vs North Carolina

Randolph Childress’s college basketball legacy rest on one game and what a game it was. Childress averaged 18.4 points per game with accurate and deadly three point shooting for his career. But one game in 1995 defined his legacy at Wake Forrest, which goes down in history as one of the most outstanding ACC tournament performances of all time. Childress led Wake Forrest to the ACC title averaging 35.7 points and 7 assist per game in the process. Playing against a North Carolina team featuring Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace in the tournament finals, Childress was by far the best player on the court, scoring an incredible 37 points and 7 assist, mostly three pointers with hands in his face; capping it off with a game winning jumper with seven seconds left. It was an electrifying college basketball performance, that gave Childress a gunslinger persona. It will go down in history as one of the great collegiate performances of all time.

 

Childress currently plays in Italy for LegADue team Pepsi Juvecaserta

Billy Packer’s Opinions Were Controversial

You know Billy Packer. He’s the announcer who can second guess any coach at any point of a game and have a nationally televised audience tune-in to hear. The same Billy Packer who gave color commentary at the Final Four for the past 35 years. So he is a pretty well known authority on the game. He knows the x’s and the o’s and can talk strategy with the best of them. They say Packer was a pretty good player in his on right at Wake Forrest, playing the point guard position. But how did Packer perform at the event that he has become synonymous with; the Final Four?

Billy Packer was a decent guard. Playing alongside Len Chappell. Packer placed within the top five in three individuals Records category at the NCAA tournament, held at Louisville’s Freedom Hall Arena. Number three in most points scored during the tournament with 89. Number three with most field goals in the Tournament 38. Number 2 with most total field goal attemps with 76. Packer shot 50% for the tournament Pretty good numbers for a stocky guard.

So Packer played an intricate role in leading Wake Forrest to the Final Four Held at Louisville’s Freedom Hall in 1962. So Packer was a star Guard for Wake Forrest, but he was controversial in everything else outside of his playing career. As an announcer, Packer was highly opinionated, Packer often made his points by criticizing coaching decisions, the NCAA selection process or anything else that he could imagine. This was the controversy that Packer brought to the table.

Because he was passionate about the game, Packer was immensely opinionated. And he let his view be known no matter what. We will leave it to you about what you think of Packer. But is will be a refreshing change to listen to a new voice in Clark Kellogg at future final fours.