JACKSON, Mich. — Former Drake All-American guard Willie McCarter died of natural causes Tuesday, April 18 at the age of 76. Funeral services are pending.
His noted career at Drake blossomed as a senior, averaging a team-high 20.4 points and keying the Bulldogs to a 25-5 record including the 1969 NCAA Final Four.
"Willie (McCarter) and I were very close not just as teammates, but as brothers and friends," said former Drake teammate Dolph Pulliam. "We have been friends for 63 years since the seventh grade in Gary, Indiana."
Pulliam also relayed the story of how McCarter came to Drake.
"Coach Maury John (former Drake coach) wanted me to attend Drake and asked me if there was anyone else from my Roosevelt High School team to come and I said Larry Wright (forward). He asked me if there was anyone else and I said Willie McCarter. He asked me if he was a starter on our high school team and I said no he was a reserve but he can score. If you want Larry (Wright) and me, you need to sign Willie (McCarter). I'll never forget Coach John saying to me, I sure hope you know what you're doing. I told him you will thank me later for getting WIllie."
McCarter was 6'3", lean and long with a smooth jumper but he also could drive it to the basket. He often shot a fadeaway in near-perfect form, legs together, elevating and releasing the ball high over his head – a tough shot to block. He brought joy and thrills to thousands of Drake fans during his three seasons on the varsity team. When he pulled up at the top of the key to shoot, as a fan you felt it was going in every time.
The 1968-69 season was the glossiest in Drake history. The 22-4 record in the regular season brought the Bulldogs a share of the Missouri Valley Conference championship with Louisville. A 77-73 playoff victory past Louisville put the Bulldogs in the NCAA Tournament for the first time.
Drake earned a berth in the Final Four following impressive victories past Texas A&M (81-63) and Colorado State (84-77) in the NCAA Midwest Regional in Manhattan, Kan.
Drake lost to eventual national champion UCLA, 85-82, in the semifinal round before whipping North Carolina, 104-84, in the third-place game. McCarter scored 24 points against UCLA and collected 28 points and 10 assists against North Carolina en route to being selected to the 1969 Final Four all-tournament team. He also was named the most valuable player in the 1969 NCAA Midwest Regional. He averaged 24.3 points in Drake's four NCAA Tournament games.
He was a two-time first team all-Missouri Valley Conference performer in 1967-68 and 1968-69, setting school records for field goals in a season (272) and in a career (694). He departed Drake ranking second on the school's career scoring list with 1,626 points — just 31 points shy of the Drake school record at the time for a 21.1 scoring average.
McCarter was the 12th pick in the 1969 NBA Draft, playing two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and one season with Portland.
"Willie always had promised his mother that if he made it to the NBA, he was going to buy her a house and he fulfilled that promise," Pulliam added.
McCarter was named to the Drake All-Century team in conjunction with the school celebrating its 100th season of basketball in 2005-06.
In February 2009, Drake University retired McCarter's No. 15 Bulldogs jersey during the 40-year reunion of the 1968-69 Drake Final Four basketball team
As part of the Missouri Valley Conference Centennial Celebration in 2006-07, McCarter was recognized as one of the MVC Men's Basketball 50 Greatest Players.
He also was inducted into the Indiana Hall of Fame in 2019.
McCarter served as head basketball coach at Detroit Mercy from 1979-82.
