Dwight Lamar

Dwight "Bo" Lamar (April 7, 1951 – February 16, 2026) was an American professional basketball player. Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, he graduated from East High School, where he averaged fewer than 20 points per game as a senior while playing alongside his friend and teammate Ed Ratleff. He went on to attend the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette), which transitioned to NCAA Division I for the 1971–72 season. Under coach Beryl Shipley, who built the offense around him and gave him free rein to shoot, Lamar averaged 22.8 points to earn Freshman of the Year honors in the Gulf States Conference. He led the NCAA in scoring during the 1971–72 season. A two-time consensus All-American in 1972 and 1973, Lamar was named first-team All-America for the 1972–73 season alongside Bill Walton and David Thompson. The basketball program was given a two-year NCAA death penalty during his senior season, which took effect the following year. Lamar was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1973 American Basketball Association Draft.