Alumni Carl Short To Be Inducted Into The S.C. Athletic Hall Of Fame

COLUMBIA - Former Newberry College basketball All-American Carl Short will be inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame on May 12 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, as announced by the Hall of Fame.

Short will be Newberry College's 10th inductee into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, joining a star from the early days of Newberry athletics in Ralph Baker (1961 inductee), former athletic director Brad Edwards (2011), former men's basketball coach Nield Gordon (1978), Newberry alumnus and high school baseball coaching legend David Horton (2013), all-star player and longtime coach Harvey Kirkland (1993), legendary coach Billy Laval (1961), one of Newberry's first star athletes in Dutch MacLean (1962), all-around star from the 1930s Cliff Morgan (1990) and 1950s football star Grady Ray (1999).

Short is a 1978 inductee into the Newberry College Athletics Hall of Fame and is one of the most prolific players in the school's storied basketball history. Short finished his career in 1961 by leading the Indians to their first-ever national tournament appearance and held the school's record for career scoring and single-season scoring at the time of his graduation.

In his three seasons in the scarlet and gray after transferring from Butler University in his hometown of Indianapolis, Short scored 1,949 career points, including a nation-best 888 in his final season. Those were both school records when Short's career completed and still stand in the top three in school history 53 years later.

Short was the South Carolina Player of the Year in 1961, scoring 28.7 points and grabbing 12.3 rebounds per game that season. The Indians advanced to the NAIA Tournament in Kansas City that year for the first time in school history and advanced to the second round as the 16th seed nationally.

As a sophomore, he was South Carolinas leading scorer averaging 20.6 points and 13 rebounds per outing, and was named to the All-Conference team and All-State Team. In his junior year, Short averaged 22 points and 13 rebounds, and was named All-Conference, All-State, All-Tournament and First Team All-NAIA District 26. As a senior, he was the NAIAs leading scorer, scoring 888 points for a 28.7 scoring average and 12 rebounds. He earned numerous All-America honors and was named South Carolina Collegiate Player of the Year as well as Athlete of the Year. He led the Indians (now Wolves) to the NAIA District 26 Championship and to the first national tournament of any kind in Newberry history.

His jersey No. 24 is retired and he was inducted into the Newberry Athletic Hall of Fame in 1978.

Following graduation, Short was drafted and signed by the Cincinnati Royals of the NBA. He is the only Newberry player to ever be drafted by an NBA team.

However, his desire to play in the pros was delayed because he was drafted by the Army. While in the service, he was a starter and a star on the All-Army World Championship Team, a team that remained undefeated during his Army career.

He worked for 26 years in the Indianapolis Public School system and had a very successful tenure as a teacher and basketball coach. He continues to live in Indianapolis.