Wyandotte Basketball - 20 and Counting Project
Wyandotte High School, Kansas City, Kansas --
Celebrating Our Historic State Basketball Championships
Calvin Thompson placing the last plaque in place to complete the Wall of Fame.
Wyandotte High School KCKS, Bulldog Basketball Wall of Fame Plaques.
Phil Heitmeyer (Class of '58) and Charlotte Davis (Class of '67) during the Walk of Fame induction.
Calvin Thompson (Class of '82), LeVert Murray and Willie Vaughn (Class of '85) showing off a piece of the old bleachers made into a plaque.
Dr Nolan Ellison, Wyandotte Basketball Wall of Fame memorial.
David Johnson (Class of '83) and Calvin Thompson (Class of '82).
Bulldog Basketball Wall of Fame
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1923 - Herbert Proudfit - Kansas
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1923 - Harold Zuber - Kansas
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1923 - Harold Schmidt - Kansas
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1925 - Ed Skradski - Kansas State
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1929 - Andy Skradski - Kansas State
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1930 - Paul Harrington - Kansas
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1933 - Roy Holliday - Kansas
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1935 - Clarence Dreier - K-State
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1939 - Lou Steinmeier - Oklahoma State
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1940 - Ray Evans - Kansas
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1940 - John Bortka - Kansas State
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1943 - Owen Peck - Kansas
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1953 - Harry Jett - Kansas
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1955 - Monte Johnson - Kansas
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1956 - Al Donaghue - Kansas
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1957 - Larry Comley - Kansas State
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1957 - Rex Beach - Kansas State
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1958 - Phil Heitmeyer - Kansas State
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1959 - Nolen Ellison - Kansas
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1960 - Harry Gibson - Kansas
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1961 - Wayne Loving - Kansas
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1961 - Ron Shanks - Kansas
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1962 - Steve Renko - Kansas
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1964 - George Yarnevich - Kansas
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1965 - Lucius Allen - UCLA
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1967 - Tom Preston - Northwestern University
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1967 - Pierre Russell - Kansas
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1968 - Joel Heider - Arkansas
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1968 - Alonzo “Skip” Thomas - USC
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1970 - Richard Mordsden - Wichita State
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1970 - Glenn Russell - Kansas
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1971 - Robert Gray - Wichita State
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1976 - Larry Drew - Missouri
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1978 - Kevin Ross - Creighton
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1982 - Calvin Thompson - Kansas
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1983 - David Johnson - Oklahoma
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1985 - Willie Vaughn - Kansas
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1985 - Wendell (Tre) Maddox - NBA Ref
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1986 - Sam Roark - Drake
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1986 - William Davis - Oklahoma
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1986 - Mario Credit - Arkansas
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1989 - Vaughn Taylor, Grambling State
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1996 - Kelley Newton - Oklahoma
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1998 - Victor Williams - Oklahoma State
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1998 - Nate Johnson - Nebraska
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1998 - Willie Young - Oklahoma State
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2004 - Boo Richardson - Illinois State
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2000 - Charles Almond - U. of Arkansas Pine Bluff
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2010 - Trinity Hall - UMKC
The 20 and Counting Project
Preserving Wyandotte High School's rich and historic basketball heritage and restoring the pride of wearing the Bulldog jersey.
Wyandotte High School,
Walter R. Shublom Gymnasium, west doors.
Wyandotte High School, Walter R. Shublom Gymnasium, west doors.
The 20 and Counting Project has been launched by Wyandotte High School and University of Kansas alumnus, Calvin Thompson, with the support of several other Wyandotte alumni and friends. The organization’s goal is to restore the pride of wearing the Bulldog jersey. --- Read More
News
Get Involved! ... Your Suggestions Are Wanted!
Wyandotte Bulldog Alumni, the time has come for your voice to be heard! As part of our Wyandotte Basketball: 20 & Counting project, we are preparing to honor our history by retiring the jerseys of 18 former players and 2 legendary coaches in our inaugural jersey retirement ceremony. We want your input!
Please email me at calvin.thompson@kckps.org with the names of the players and coaches you believe deserve this honor — and share a brief explanation of why you chose them. Your voice matters. Your choices will help decide how we celebrate the rich tradition of Wyandotte Basketball. Get In The Game, Go Bulldogs!
An Invitation! Celebrate the unveiling of the Bulldog Basketball Wall of Fame, honoring and recognizing forty-seven players who went on to play Division I collegiate basketball and/or professionally. Please RSVP by October 1, 2025 to confirm your attendance.
Coach Anthony Spencer, WYHS men's basketball coach, addresses
Bulldog alumni about the upcoming 2025-26 season.
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The 20 and Counting Project has evolved into an organization of passionate volunteers that have taken the original concept and created several goals. The goals will be updated with accomplishments on this website.
1. Goal: Honor Wyandotte High School’s teams, players, and coaches with permanent displays in the Wyandotte High School gym, on a “20 and Counting” website, and in a documentary film.
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Accomplishments
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Created twenty-four, 24” x 36” permanent acrylic signs to be mounted in the Wyandotte gym to celebrate the 20 state championships.
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Created a website that contains information and pictures of the 20 championship teams, Bulldog Trailblazers, Noteworthy Contemporaries, Project milestones, and much more at 20andcounting.com.
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Activities planned
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In partnership with KCKPS, create and fund a Wyandotte High School Boys’ Basketball Hall / Wall of Fame, Retired Jersey display, and Trophy Case remodel project. If you want to contribute to this initiative, you can do by: Venmo: @hoopservice | CashApp: $hoopservice | PayPal: hoopservice@aol.com | or if by check, please contact Calvin Thompson.
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Produce a documentary on the program’s 20 State Championships, its players and coaches and its amazing connections with U.S. sports history. Interviews began on December 13, 2023, and are continuing.
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2. Goal: Organize and host a yearly Wyandotte basketball program reunion with yearly honors.
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Accomplishments
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Hosted the first ever Wyandotte High School boys’ basketball reunion on March 23, 2024.
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Created the “Lucius Allen – Mr. Bulldog” award for a top Bulldog alumnus to be honored yearly.
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3. Goal: Establish “20 and Counting” scholarship funds at the University of Kansas & Kansas City Kansas Community
College to benefit Wyandotte High School graduates. *These goals have been attained as described below.
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Activities planned
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In honor of Wyandotte High School alumni who went on to compete for the Kansas Jayhawks basketball and football programs (see the “Wyandotte to KU” section of the website), a “Wyandotte to KU” scholarship fund has been established to benefit Wyandotte High School graduates that choose to attend the University of Kansas. Initial funding for this scholarship can be made to the University of Kansas Endowment Association (Attn: Avery Miller) for either the Expendable Scholarship for $5,000 or the Endowed Scholarship for $50,000.
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In honor of Butch and Nolen Ellison, a “Butch & Nolen Ellison 20 and Counting” scholarship fund has been established at Kansas City Kansas Community College to benefit Wyandotte High School graduates that choose to attend KCKCC. Initial funding for this scholarship can be made to the Kansas City Kansas Community College Foundation (Attn: Katie Lindgren) of $5,000 for a Named Scholarship or $25,000 for an Endowed Scholarship.
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established by Wyandotte High School and University of Kansas alumnus, Calvin Thompson, with the support of several Wyandotte alumni and friends, goal is to restore the pride of wearing the Bulldog jersey. --- Read More
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Activities planned
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In honor of Wyandotte High School alumni who went on to compete for the Kansas Jayhawks basketball and football programs (see the “Wyandotte to KU” section of the website), a “Wyandotte to KU” scholarship fund has been established to benefit Wyandotte High School graduates that choose to attend the University of Kansas. Initial funding for this scholarship can be made to the University of Kansas Endowment Association (Attn: Avery Miller) for either the Expendable Scholarship for $5,000 or the Endowed Scholarship for $50,000.
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In honor of Butch and Nolen Ellison, a “Butch & Nolen Ellison 20 and Counting” scholarship fund has been established at Kansas City Kansas Community College to benefit Wyandotte High School graduates that choose to attend KCKCC. Initial funding for this scholarship can be made to the Kansas City Kansas Community College Foundation (Attn: Katie Lindgren) of $5,000 for a Named Scholarship or $25,000 for an Endowed Scholarship.
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Wyandotte High School,
The Home Of 20
State Basketball Champions!
The 20 and Counting Project has been launched by Wyandotte High School and University of Kansas alumnus, Calvin Thompson, with the support of several other Wyandotte alumni and friends. The organization’s goal is to restore the pride of wearing the Bulldog jersey and to honor those teams and teammates who blazed our trail. --- Read More
Join us for our alumni night and view our new Bulldog state basketball championship wall signage.
Tuesday, February 4, 2025, home game.
Our Wall of Fame and Retirement Banners are still being worked on; updates will be posted as they become available. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and continued support. Things are delayed because of the many school cancellations, rescheduling, and maintenance work that that have interrupted our plans.
We are also in the process of gathering pictures and editing the information for our Wall of Fame plaques that will be mounted on the wall behind our home bleachers in the gymnasium. The Wall of Fame will consist of players that went on to further their playing careers at major D-1 colleges and / or played professional basketball.
More information will be provided, when available.
Wyandotte High School, Walter R. Shublom Gymnasium, west doors.
The 20 and Counting Project has been launched by Wyandotte High School and University of Kansas alumnus, Calvin Thompson, with the support of several other Wyandotte alumni and friends. The organization’s goal is to restore the pride of wearing the Bulldog jersey. --- Read More
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The 20 and Counting Project, has been initiated by Wyandotte High School and Kansas University alumnus, Calvin Thompson (WY H.S. Class of 1982 / KU Class of 1986), with the support and involvement of several other notable Wyandotte alumni.
The organization’s goal for the future is to bring back the awareness and pride of wearing the Bulldog jersey by sharing the past accomplishments of the school's historical 20 State Basketball Championships... their teams, their players, and their coaches, as well as a few other noteworthy Wyandotte teams.
4. Goal: Supplement the Wyandotte High School boys’ basketball program’s budget with funding from a booster club.
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Activities planned
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Establish a “Bulldog Basketball Booster Club Fund” to cover Wyandotte High School boys’ basketball program expenses that aren’t covered by the program’s normal budget supplied by Wyandotte High School. Funding opportunities include team gear & team entry fees for off-season team camps, summer leagues, and fall leagues.
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The 20 and Counting Project has been launched by Wyandotte High School and University of Kansas alumnus, Calvin Thompson, with the support of several other Wyandotte alumni and friends. The organization’s goal is to restore the pride of wearing the Bulldog jersey. --- Read More