Hubert "Geese" Ausbie

Hubert Eugene "Geese" Ausbie, born April 25, 1938, is a retired professional basketball player. A native of Crescent, Oklahoma, he attended Douglas High School, where he played both basketball and baseball. He emerged as an exceptional scorer; during a tournament in his senior season he averaged 40 points per game, including a stretch of 70, 54, and 62 points in three consecutive games.

Following an older brother, Ausbie enrolled at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas, attending from 1956 to 1960. He starred there, earning All-Conference and All-American honors and ranking among the leading scorers in the NCAA's College Division (later renamed Division II), where he averaged 30 points per game.

His play drew contract offers from Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs and from National Basketball Association teams. Instead, he joined the Harlem Globetrotters after his wife sent numerous letters describing his ability to the team's founder, Abe Saperstein, prompting Ausbie to attend an open tryout in Chicago in 1961. He gained his fame with the Globetrotters, playing for the team from 1961 to 1985 and becoming a featured performer following the retirement of Meadowlark Lemon.