Nate Blackwell (1998) - Hall of Fame

Nate Blackwell

Induction:
1998
Class:
1987

Coach John Chaney's first Temple recruit, Nate Blackwell earned numerous honors including All-American. The Philadelphia native developed into Temple's first great star under Chaney. He finished his career (1984-87) as the Owls' all-time leader in games played and was a unanimous choice as the Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year in 1987. He was named second team All-American by Basketball Weekly and was a third team pick of both the Associated Press and United Press International. The fourth highest scorer in Temple men's history with 1,708 points, he ranked third in assists with 533. At the time, he was No. 1 in season free throw percentage, making 90.4 percent of his attempts as a senior and was second in career free throw percentage (82.8). Following his collegiate career, the San Antonio Spurs made him the 27th overall selection in the 1987 National Basketball Association draft. He played two seasons in the NBA with the Spurs (1987-88) and the Golden State Warriors (1988-89). He was a full-time assistant coach at Coppin State for four years until returning to his alma mater in 1996.