Jordan, Cuny, DuPris & '36 Thorpes team named to LNI Hall of Fame

By The Journal Sports Staff | Friday, December 20, 2002

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The Lakota Nation Basketball Tournament Hall of Fame will induct its newest additions today at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

Three individuals - coach Father C.P. Jordan, player Terry DuPris, contributor Chuck Cuny and the 1936 State Class B champion Pine Ridge Thorpes basketball team are to be honored this year.

Summary of each inductee follows:

* Father Collins P. Jordan, known as C.P. Jordan, distinguished himself as a player, coach, and role model for the Indian students throughout the state.

As a player during the 1930's, Jordan played in four National Catholic high school tournaments held in Chicago. His St. Francis team finished third in 1937; the same year Jordan was named to the All-State team. St. Francis took runner-up honors another year.

Old-timers recall the St. Francis team beating the famed Harlem Globetrotters. C.P. stole the ball, put on a dribbling exhibition, drove through the defense and made the lay up allowing St. Francis to win by one point. Later, the legendary coach, Abe Saperstein, asked Jordan to organize a Lakota basketball team to travel with the Globetrotters.

Jordan went on to coach at Assumption Junior College and held various coaching and teaching positions at Marty Mission, Stephan, St. Francis, St. Labre, and at St. Xavier. At Stephan (now Crow Creek), his teams won five straight Indian Basketball Tournament Championships in Rapid City while compiling an overall record of 71-14.

Jordan served in the U.S. Navy during World War II in the Pacific campaigns. He later received his college degree in English from Black Hills State College in 1971, and in 1990, was inducted to the BHSC Yellow Jackets Hall of Fame as a coach.

Jordan received his Master of Divinity degree from St. Luke's Seminary in South Union, Ky., and at the age of 68, was ordained as the first Lakota priest in Rapid City Catholic Diocese by the late Bishop Harold Dimmerling at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral. His priestly duties were associated with St. Francis Mission on the Rosebud Reservation. Jordan retired in June, 1992.

Jordan's basketball philosophy was simple: "Fundamentals and defense." C.P. expresses his appreciation and gratitude to the Lakota Nation Basketball Tournament officials. Jordan presently resides at the Bennett County Health Care Center in Martin.

* Terry DuPris was born to Margaret LeBeau on October 31, 1957 in Rapid City and grew up in Eagle Butte, attending the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School District.

After graduating from high school in 1976, Terry attended Huron College, and graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education and health.

Basketball success came quickly for DuPris. He started on the varsity basketball team when he was in eighth grade at Cheyenne-Eagle Butte.

Over his five-year career, DuPris set and still owns most of CEB's scoring records; was named third team All State Class B in 1974, first team All State "B" in 1975, and first team All State "A" in 1976; was selected to the Class B State All Tournament team; finished his high school career with 2,323 points and still ranks as South Dakota's fifth overall high school career scorer.

At Huron as a freshman, DuPris was a starting guard for coach Bob Swanhorst. During his sophomore-senior years, DuPris played for his former high school coach, Bruce Carrier.

The following lists DuPris' basketball accomplishments while playing for Huron:

1978-SDIC All-Conference team. Team won the SDIC championship.

1979-SDIC All-Conference team. MVP of SDIC. All-District 12 team. NAIA All-American honorable mention. Team was No. 1 defensive team in NAIA with 56.1 points per game.

1980-SDIC All-Conference team. MVP of SDIC. All-District 12 team. Third team NAIA All-American. First team NAIA All-Tournament team. NAIA National Tournament Mr. Hustle Award. Team was 32-4, SDIC champions, District 12 champions, third place in NAIA National Tournament. Drafted by the Detroit Pistons. Named 1980 College Athlete of the Year.

DuPris finished his playing career as Huron's career scoring leader with 2,084 points. Upon graduation, DuPris had set 13 individual records for Huron.

DuPris entered the Huron Hall of Fame in 1993 and the SDIC Hall of Fame in 1995.

* Chuck Cuny, an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, was born in Denver, Colo., in 1946. In 1964, he graduated from the Holy Rosary Mission, Red Cloud High School.

In 1969, Cuny was drafted into the U.S. Army and served one tour of duty in Vietnam as an infantryman with the 25th Infantry Division.

Cuny earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1976 from the University of Colorado, and in 1979, received his Master's in Secondary Education Administration from the University of South Dakota.

Cuny was employed as the principal of Red Cloud High School from the fall of 1979 until the spring of 1990 before retiring for health reasons.

Cuny was involved in the Lakota Nation Invitational for a number of years as Tournament Director and Co-Director. He looks back with pride and happiness on his involvement and is thankful for all of the life-long friendships forged from his work with LNI schools.

Cuny lives with his wife, Deb Claymore, and their two youngest sons, Clay and Gabe, in Loveland, Colo. He is now retired, and is a house husband, and baby sits his grandson, Ryan, and volunteers as an assistant basketball coach for Campion Academy.

* The 1936 Pine Ridge Thorpes boys basketball team won the State "B" Championship under coach Elijah Smith.

This year's Hall of Fame inductees include Smith and the players on the 1936 squad: Raymond Chief, Dave Brewer, Lawrence Ecoffey, Frances Brewer, Irving Jumping Eagle, Ben Brewer, Walter Means, and Sterling Big Bear.