Gus Johnson was only at the University of Idaho for one season, but Johnson’s impact on Vandal basketball was legendary.
Thousands of fans lined up outside Memorial Gym to see Johnson in action in 1963, when he earned All-America accolades and averaged 19 points and 20.3 rebounds per game to lead the Vandals to a 20-6 overall record. His 466 rebounds are still an Idaho single-season record by a margin of 133. His 20.3 rebounding average in 1963 ranked second in the NCAA. He was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets in the second round of the 1963 NBA draft, which sparked an 11-year NBA career, featuring four All-NBA selections, five NBA All-Star Game appearances and recognition as one of the best players in league history. Johnson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.