Like his fellow-senior Gus Leeper, Ben Dillard was a joy to
watch and a credit to the college. Like Leeper, he was never spectacular, but
always steady, doing the little things that made the team better. He evidenced
little emotion on the court, but led by his example. Even late in his senior
year, when he inexplicably lost his shooting touch, he was still playing good
defense and making the team better. On a playground, Ben would not have been
someone you notice, but in a team setting, he was a valuable player. A lot of fans did not give him the credit he was due simply because he was not flashy.
His stats:
122 gamesFG - 221 of 580 (38.1%)
3PT - 101 of 286 (35.3%)
FT – 253 of 307 (82.4%)
192 rebounds (1.6 per game)
118 assists (1.0 per game)
60 steals
796 points (6.5 per game)
His 122 career games are the most ever by a Trojan, surpassing Courtney Jackson’s 120.
His 101 career 3PT baskets made is 14th all-time.
His 82.4% career FT% is 5th all-time.
One of my real regrets about Ben’s career is the shooting slump he went into in his senior season. At the end of his junior season, his career 3PT% was first all-time, but he had such a poor final year that he fell off the all-time list in the media guide. Even so, his career percentage is more than respectable.
I have no way of knowing, but I am guessing that Ben Dillard was a joy to coach, and that he could be a coach very soon if he wants to.
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