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Buddy Cornelius (’69) was the first basketball player in Jacksonville State University history to make first-team associated press Little All-America. He was also the first gamecock cager to be selected in the NBA draft, going to the Atlanta Hawks. Cornelius, a 6-9 jumping jack, was dominant rebounder in the Alabama Collegiate Conference during the late 1960’s. He set a Gamecock record with 17.0 rebounds per game in 1968, a mark still on the books in 1987. He averaged 15.0 per game in both his sophomore and junior seasons. An unselfish player, Cornelius helped the Gamecocks win four straight Alabama Collegiate Conference titles. One of those teams (1966) averaged 99.3 points per game, a school record. With Cornelius leading the way, JSU earned its first post-season playoff (NAIA) berth since World War II in 1969. During his four years at JSU, the Gamecocks finished 19-5, 15-11, 18-7, and 16-13. He was selected Alabama Small College Player of the Year in ’69.
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