Basketball (1954-57)

James W. Spivey was born in Rush Springs, Oklahoma on January 7, 1935. He graduated from Bray High School in 1953.

James was truly a legend in his own time. He led Coach Bloomer Sullivan’s Savages to four straight trips (1954-55-56-57) to the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City. In 1955 and 1957 Southeastern reached the finals of the thirty-two team tournament.

Spivey’s play in the 1957 national tournament was phenomenal. He averaged slightly over 44 points per game for five consecutive nights in national tournament competition. He was selected as the Most Valuable Player in the tournament.

He set NAIA Tournament records for most free throws in one game and most career free throws. Twenty years later he was still ranked fourth in career points scored in national tournament competition and was third in scoring average per game among the scoring leaders. He was named to the NAIA All-Time Basketball Team for the period of 1952-1970.

Spivey was named to the Oklahoma Collegiate Conference All-Star team three times. He led the OCC in scoring his sophomore and junior years and missed by a single point his senior year.

He was named to the NAIA All-American team in 1955, 1956, and 1957. In 1957 he also was named to the Chuck Taylor and Associated Press Small College All-American Teams. He was named to the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame in 1962.

Following graduation, he played three years with the powerful Phillips 66 Team of the National Industrial Basketball League.

James Spivey was a great basketball player. He was inducted into the Southeastern Athletic Hall of Fame on January 21, 1978.