Lauren "Laddie" Gale

A leading figure in the development of West Coast basketball, Laddie Gale revolutionized the game by using a one-handed shot. This technique made the clever 6-foot-5-inch forward a valuable member of Hall of Fame coach Howard Hobson's University of Oregon Ducks. A star player for the “Tall Firs,” Gale led Oregon to the first official NCAA championship in 1939 and brought credibility relatively unknown to basketball in the Pacific Northwest. The superb-shooting Gale scored 815 points over two college seasons and was named a Helms Foundation All-America in 1939. He was selected to the All-Pacific Coast Conference First Team in 1938 and 1939, the same years he led the conference in scoring. His 408 points as a senior surpassed the Pacific Coast Conference record previously held by Hall of Famer Hank Luisetti.