Photo by: WVU Athletic Communications
1970s Mountaineer Forward Russell Chapman Passes Away
December 04, 2021 02:45 PM | Men's Basketball, Blog
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Russell Chapman, a forward on West Virginia's 1976-77 men's basketball teams, died earlier today in Toledo, Ohio, following a brief illness.
The Toledo, Ohio, native came to West Virginia from Colorado Northwestern Junior College in Rangley, Colorado, where he earned all-conference and all-region honors.
Mountaineer coach Joedy Gardner and his coaching staff beat out California, Seattle and Arizona for Chapman's services, and he rewarded them by becoming a starting forward during his senior season in 1977.
The 6-foot-7, 210-pound forward averaged 13 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in 1977, including scoring a career-best 23 points against Cleveland State on Feb. 21, 1977.
Chapman also pulled down a career-best 12 rebounds in games against St. Joseph's (Ind.) and Duquesne.
In 57 career games, Chapman scored 601 points, grabbed 327 rebounds with 35 double-digit scoring games. He scored 22 points in a 100-91win at Pitt and tallied 10 points and grabbed 10 boards in the Mountaineers' 81-68 upset victory over Notre Dame on Feb. 19, 1977.
Chapman also topped 20 points in games against Bucknell (21), George Washington (20), Duquesne (20) and William & Mary (22).
West Virginia won 15 games during Chapman's junior season in 1976 and posted an 18-11 record before falling to Villanova 83-75 in overtime the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League semifinals at the Spectrum in Philadelphia.
Chapman, who prepped at Toledo's Scott High, was a Mountaineer teammate of current WVU coach Bob Huggins.
Chapman was 67.
The Toledo, Ohio, native came to West Virginia from Colorado Northwestern Junior College in Rangley, Colorado, where he earned all-conference and all-region honors.
Mountaineer coach Joedy Gardner and his coaching staff beat out California, Seattle and Arizona for Chapman's services, and he rewarded them by becoming a starting forward during his senior season in 1977.
The 6-foot-7, 210-pound forward averaged 13 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in 1977, including scoring a career-best 23 points against Cleveland State on Feb. 21, 1977.
Chapman also pulled down a career-best 12 rebounds in games against St. Joseph's (Ind.) and Duquesne.
In 57 career games, Chapman scored 601 points, grabbed 327 rebounds with 35 double-digit scoring games. He scored 22 points in a 100-91win at Pitt and tallied 10 points and grabbed 10 boards in the Mountaineers' 81-68 upset victory over Notre Dame on Feb. 19, 1977.
Chapman also topped 20 points in games against Bucknell (21), George Washington (20), Duquesne (20) and William & Mary (22).
West Virginia won 15 games during Chapman's junior season in 1976 and posted an 18-11 record before falling to Villanova 83-75 in overtime the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League semifinals at the Spectrum in Philadelphia.
Chapman, who prepped at Toledo's Scott High, was a Mountaineer teammate of current WVU coach Bob Huggins.
Chapman was 67.
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