Back on his family’s farm, Al Eberhard would shoot baskets at a backboard hanging from the barn door. And, if it was too cold outside, the day wasn’t lost.
You see, his dad, who had poured the concrete slab outside to create a makeshift basketball surface, also hoisted a backboard inside, not far from the hay stacks.
In other words, this was the launching pad for one of the best ever to play for the Missouri Tigers basketball program and to earn first-round draft status of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons.
“My high school coach, Larry Dusanek, played for Coach (Norm) Stewart when Stewart was coaching at Cedar Falls, Iowa. I wasn’t recruited by a lot of large colleges,” Eberhard said. “Coach Dusanek told me, ‘Coach Stewart is an excellent coach; you’ll learn a lot about basketball and he will give you a chance.”
Eberhard made the most of his opportunity with Mizzou, ultimately earning distinction on Mizzou’s All-Century team. His path now leads to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, which is proud to induct Eberhard among the Class of 2015.
The ceremony, sponsored by Great Southern Bank and presented by Miller Professional Imaging/Mpix, is Sunday, Nov. 15 with a noon reception and 1 p.m. dinner at the Holiday Inn Executive Center. The Hall will name Mizzou’s Jon Sundvold a Missouri Sports Legend and induct 14 other individuals. For tickets, call 417-889-3100.
Said to be small for his position but strong as a horse, Eberhard is one of only four Tigers ever to average a career double-double with 16.8 points and 10.1 rebounds a game.
Along the way, the 6-foot-5 forward helped the Mizzou basketball team to its first two 20-win seasons in 1972 and 1973 and combined with center John Brown for an elite backcourt duo.
He also earned two MVPs at the Big Eight Holiday Tournament, scoring 33 points to beat Kansas State in one final and finishing second on the team in scoring and rebounding behind Brown.
“I was actually thinking of going to a small college in Iowa,” said Eberhard, who averaged 17 points and 9.3 rebounds as a junior and, a year later, was first team All-Big Eight while averaging 19.7 points and 12 rebounds a game. “I didn’t know if I was good enough to play at the Division I level, and one Division I coach told me, ‘We don’t think you’ll be able to compete at this level.’”
When Eberhard reached campus in 1970, it was a culture shock. His graduating class back in Springville, Iowa was all of 41 students.
Beyond that, while he earned All-State, he was still adjusting to his 6-5 height, having hit his growth spurt only three years earlier.
Fortunately, college rules in that era played to his favor. Freshmen were not allowed to play on varsity. Additionally, his childhood on the farm strengthened his mental toughness in order to survive that first year: academically, socially and athletically.
His parents, Marvin and Hazel, and sister Lorri Zeller and brother Dale readied him for life.
“I remember the first day I walked on campus with 22,000 students and I wasn’t sure what I was doing,” Eberhard said. “I wondered if I made the right decision. That’s why it was so important growing up on the farm. My family’s mental toughness and work ethic taught me valuable lessons.”
As a freshman, Eberhard learned Stewart’s system through freshman coach Walt Shublom and settled in thanks to teammates such as Gary Link.
“I did a lot of growing up that first year away from home,” Eberhard said. “I learned a lot about life. Our freshman year was good for all of us.”
Eberhard burst on the scene as a sophomore, using his strength to his advantage.
“I knew I didn’t have the most ability, but I tried to use my strength and size,” said Eberhard. “I just wanted to play as hard as I could. Coach Stewart was such a great coach because he prepared us. We were mentally tough. Other teams had more ability than us, but we were confident we were going to do well.”
Eberhard also was a team captain and scored 1,347 career points and grabbed 806 career rebounds, including 313 rebounds in 1974 – the fourth-most in Mizzou single-season history.
Eberhard played four seasons for the NBA’s Pistons, scoring 1,490 points along with 760 rebounds.
After basketball, he eventually returned to Columbia and was executive director of the Governor’s Council for Fitness and Health in Missouri.
These days, Eberhard is executive director of the Thompson Foundation for Autism. He and his wife, Cindy, have two grown children, Tony and Christina, and three grandsons.
“I was very blessed. I grew up in a great Christian home with my mom and dad on the farm,” Eberhard said, later adding, “And I thank the people of Missouri. They were so very gracious to my family when they would attend our games. My mom and dad were always grateful for all the friendships. What meant so much was that it was an enjoyable four years them also. I’ll be forever grateful.”
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Want to go?
What: Enshrinement in Columbia Class of 2015 presented by Great Southern Bank and presented by Miller Professional Imaging/Mpix
When: Sunday, Nov. 15 with noon reception, 1 p.m. dinner
Where: Holiday Inn Executive Center in Columbia
Honorees: As a Missouri Sports Legend, former Mizzou basketball star Jon Sundvold; former University of Missouri athletic director Joe Castiglione; former Mizzou/NFL defensive lineman Jerome Sally; Mizzou basketball great Al Eberhard; equestrian standout and instructor Gayle Lampe; former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Charlie James; longtime Show-Me State Games director Ken Ash; Mizzou team physician and sports medicine leader Dr. Pat Smith; Mizzou and Macon High School cheerleading coach Suzy Thompson; longtime Missouri State High School Activities Association director Jack Miles; Columbia high school tennis coach Ben Loeb; powerlifting champion Kate Walker; former Mizzou golf coach Richard Poe; Olympic race walker Larry Young; former Rock Bridge High School football coach and athletic director John Henage; and Mizzou super fan Alvin “Squeaky” Marquart.
Tickets: $150 each, or $1,500 for tables of 10. Sponsorships, including congratulatory ads in the program guide, also are available.
Call: Missouri Sports Hall of Fame at 417-889-3100.