Ollie Shannon, 53, former Minnesota guard
Ed Varner
By The Associated Press,
Ollie Shannon, who led Minnesota in scoring at 20.5 points per game in 1970-71,
died after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 53.
Shannon died Friday at a hospital in Bridgeport, Conn.
He was diagnosed with cancer in 1998 and underwent treatment, only to suffer a
recurrence this year, said his son, Quincy Shannon, of Fairfield, Conn.
The 6-foot-2 native of Brooklyn, N.Y., averaged 18.9 points in 1969-70.
In 1970-71, he tied the school scoring record with 42 points against Wisconsin,
taking a school-record 42 shots from the field. There was no 3-point shot in
college basketball at the time.
In recent years, Shannon coached at several levels, including high school, and
worked as a scout, his son said.
``He just dedicated his life to basketball,'' Quincy Shannon said. ``He was
very giving. He didn't profit as much as most people, but he really gave back
to the community, and touched a lot of lives in a positive way.''
Besides his son, Ollie Shannon is survived by his wife, Robin, of Fairfield.
Services will be Wednesday in Fairfield.
Bill Schenley
> By The Associated Press,
>
> Ollie Shannon, who led Minnesota in scoring at 20.5 points per game in
1970-71,
> died after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 53.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports Ollie Shannon's age as 54.
Shannon scored 71 points in a game for Minneapolis Community and Technical
College before transferring to the University of Minnesota.
Also, he had a pretty good teammate as a Gopher . . . Drafted by four teams
in three different sports . . . Dave Winfield*.
*The Atlanta Hawks (NBA), the Utah Stars (ABA), the Minnesota Vikings (NFL)
and the San Diego Padres (MLB).