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(Photo at the left) Kurt Thomas and Tom "Midnite" Burke at the induction ceremony.
(Photo at the right) Tommy Bowman and Tom "Midnite" Burke at the induction ceremony. Tommy and Midnite used to work together at Central Freight Lines and have known each other for nearly 40 years.
Former TCU basketball player Kurt Thomas was one of nine athletes inducted into the Southwest Conference (SWC) Hall of Fame during its 2018 banquet, held on the TCU Campus on Monday, September 10.
The SWC Hall of Fame is part of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, which is located in Waco. The SWC area of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame honors a conference that produced many outstanding student-athletes and was in existence from 1914 to 1996.
Joining Thomas a part of this year's Hall of Fame class are Steve Atwater of the University of Arkansas, Tommy Bowman of Baylor University, Larry Micheaux of the University of Houston, Victor Lopez of Rice University, Denny Holman of SMU, Brooks Kieschnick of the University of Texas, Curtis Dickey of Texas A&M, and Joe Barnes of Texas Tech.
Thomas was at TCU from 1990 to 1995. He had a career total of 1,512 points, which ranks seventh all-time at TCU, and 782 rebounds, which ranks him eighth all-time at TCU. In his senior season at TCU, Thomas led the NCAA in scoring and rebounding. He averaged 28.9 points a game and 14.6 rebounds per game. He became the third player in history to accomplish this feat. He was awarded with the Southwest Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year recognition in 1995.
Following his career at TCU, Thomas was the 10th overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Miami Heat. Thomas retired from professional basketball in 2013, after 18 seasons.
In 2017 TCU retired his No. 40 jersey.
The SWC Hall of Fame is part of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, which is located in Waco. The SWC area of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame honors a conference that produced many outstanding student-athletes and was in existence from 1914 to 1996.
Joining Thomas a part of this year's Hall of Fame class are Steve Atwater of the University of Arkansas, Tommy Bowman of Baylor University, Larry Micheaux of the University of Houston, Victor Lopez of Rice University, Denny Holman of SMU, Brooks Kieschnick of the University of Texas, Curtis Dickey of Texas A&M, and Joe Barnes of Texas Tech.
Thomas was at TCU from 1990 to 1995. He had a career total of 1,512 points, which ranks seventh all-time at TCU, and 782 rebounds, which ranks him eighth all-time at TCU. In his senior season at TCU, Thomas led the NCAA in scoring and rebounding. He averaged 28.9 points a game and 14.6 rebounds per game. He became the third player in history to accomplish this feat. He was awarded with the Southwest Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year recognition in 1995.
Following his career at TCU, Thomas was the 10th overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Miami Heat. Thomas retired from professional basketball in 2013, after 18 seasons.
In 2017 TCU retired his No. 40 jersey.
Atwater was a safety at Arkansas. He still holds the school record of 14 career interceptions. In 1989, he was the 20th pick in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos.
Bowman came to Baylor University in 1966 as the school's first African-American scholarship athlete. He was a two-time All-Southwest Conference player.
Micheaux played basketball at Houston from 1979 to 1983. He was a member of the famous "Phi Slama Jama." He was named All-SWC in 1983. He helped lead Houston to two consecutive NCAA Final Four Appearances in 1982 and 1983.
Lopez is highly regarded as one of the greatest coaches in the history of cross-country and track and field. In January 1980 he started Rice University's Women Cross Country and Track and Field Program.
Holman played basketball at SMU from 1964 to 1967. He helped lead the Mustangs to three consecutive SWC championships, in 1965, 1966 ad 1967. He was named the SWC Player of the Year in 1967. he played professionally for the Dallas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association.
Kieschnick was a three-time All-American baseball player at Texas. He played three seasons, from 1991 to 1993 and earned SWC Player of the Year honors all three years. He was the 10th overall pick of the Chicago Cubs in the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft. In 2003, he became the only player in MLB history to hit a home run as a pitcher, pinch hitter, and designated hitter in the same season. His number 23 jersey is retired at Texas.
Dickey was a running back for the Aggies football team ad a sprinter for the school's track and field team. He won the NCAA Championship in the 60-yard dash three consecutive years, from 1978-1980. In football, he had a personal high of 1,146 yards and nine touchdowns in 1978. He was selected as the fifth overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts.
Joe Barnes played quarterback at Texas Tech from 1971 to 1973. He was named to the All-SWC football team in 1973. Barnes was drafted by the Chicago bears in the 13th round of the 1974 NFL Draft.
In addition to Thomas, other athletes and coaches from TCU who are in the SWC Hall of Fame are:
- Charles "Ki" Aldrich
- Bearnard "Tut" Bartzen
- Sammy Baugh
- W.M. "Matty" Bell
- Marci Bozarth
- Byron "Buster" Brannon
- Darrell Browder
- Lance Brown
- James Cash
- Blair Cherry
- Charles Coody
- I.B. Hale
- Darrell Lester
- Bob Lilly
- Othol "Abe" Martin
- Rayond "Rags" Matthews
- Leo "Dutch" Meyer
- Davey O'Brien
- Dick O'Neal
- Horatio Porter
- Mike Renfro
- Jim Swink
- Johnny Vaught
- Allie White
- Frank Windegger
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