Bo Lamar, UL Lafayette’s All-Time Greatest Scorer, Dies at 74
LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — Dwight “Bo” Lamar, the most prolific scorer in Ragin’ Cajuns history and a central figure in Acadiana sports for more than 50 years, died early Monday in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Louisiana Athletics confirmed his death. He was 74.
Lamar played at then-Southwestern Louisiana from 1969 to 1973 under coach Beryl Shipley, finishing with 3,493 career points and a 31.2 points-per-game average — one of the highest marks in NCAA history. His four seasons produced a 90–23 record and put a program still finding its footing at the Division I level onto the national stage.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Bo Lamar,” Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Bryan Maggard said. “Bo was a true legend of Ragin’ Cajuns men’s basketball, and his remarkable career brought pride and excitement to our university and to the countless fans who filled Blackham Coliseum to watch him play. His legacy continues to inspire generations of Ragin’ Cajuns.”
A Scorer Like Lafayette Had Never Seen
Lamar came to Lafayette from East High School in Columbus with just two scholarship offers. He hadn’t averaged 20 points a game as a high school senior, but Shipley put the offense in his hands and told him to shoot.
“I used to play basketball from noon to midnight on the playgrounds,” Lamar said. “You had to be good to play that long. If you lose one on the playgrounds, you don’t get back on the court for an hour or so.”
As a freshman, he averaged 22.8 points alongside senior guard Marvin Winkler and earned Gulf States Conference Freshman of the Year honors. By his sophomore season, there was no sharing the spotlight. Lamar averaged 36.0 points per game, led all Division I College Division scorers, and carried USL to a 25–4 record and a No. 1 national ranking for much of the year. The Cajuns finished third in the national playoffs.
That season also produced one of the most stunning single-game performances in program history: 62 points against Northeast Louisiana on 26-of-48 shooting, with most of those attempts coming from at least 25 feet out.
Back-to-Back National Scoring Titles
USL moved to the University Division in 1971–72, and Lamar responded by averaging 36.3 points per game — topping his college division scoring title from the year before. He became the only player in NCAA history to win national scoring titles in both the college and university divisions in consecutive seasons.
Hall of Fame coach Jerry Tarkanian called him “the purest shooter I’ve ever seen.” Shipley framed it differently: “If there had been a three-point shot in those days, he would’ve averaged 50 points a game.”
USL went 74–13 over Lamar’s final three seasons, a winning percentage that trailed only UCLA nationally during that stretch. As a senior in 1972–73, he took the Cajuns back to the NCAA Tournament. They knocked out No. 7 Houston in the first round before Kansas State ended their run in the second.
That era of success eventually drew NCAA scrutiny. The governing body handed USL a two-year “death penalty” for recruiting violations connected to that period — a consequence that underscored just how aggressively the program had climbed the national ranks.
Louisiana Basketball Hall of Famer Rickey Broussard put Lamar’s legacy in plain terms: “Bo was a phenomenal shooter… he shot with ease and flow… he had a flare about him and was electric… he brought a crowd and ignited them… basketball fans were enamored with him… he was our Pete Maravich.”
The ABA, the NBA, and a Return Home
Detroit drafted Lamar in the third round of the 1973 NBA Draft. A week later, the San Diego Conquistadors took him first overall in the ABA’s senior draft. He picked the ABA, and it made sense — the league had a three-point line, and Lamar had been shooting from that range since his days on the playgrounds in Columbus.
As a rookie with the Conquistadors, he led the entire ABA in three-point attempts with 247, converting 69 of them, and averaged 20.4 points per game under coach Wilt Chamberlain. He made the ABA All-Rookie First Team and set a franchise record with 50 points against the Indiana Pacers on January 13, 1974.
The Conquistadors eventually rebranded as the San Diego Sails and folded 11 games into the 1975–76 season. Lamar landed with the Indiana Pacers and averaged 26.3 points per game in his final ABA season. After the ABA-NBA merger, the Pacers dealt him to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he played 71 games in 1976–77 before his professional career ended. His ABA numbers: 19.7 points and 4.4 assists per game across 202 games.
After basketball, Lamar came back to Lafayette and spent years as a color analyst for Ragin’ Cajuns radio broadcasts.
His Place in Louisiana Sports History
The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inducted Lamar in 1984. The UL Athletics Hall of Fame followed in 1997. In 2018, the Ohio High School Athletic Association added him to its Circle of Champions. One national ranking placed him 64th among the 100 greatest players in NCAA basketball history.
According to Louisiana Athletics, funeral arrangements are pending. The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame contributed to the university’s release.
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