South Carolina Basketball: Ranking the top-15 forwards in Gamecock history
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina Basketball’s No. 5 Greatest Forward of All-Time:
Art Whisnant
Art Whisnant (1959-1962) was a tough-as-nails post player for the Gamecocks of the early ’60s. At just 6’4″, he was shorter than many of the players he battled down low, but that didn’t stop Whisnant from being one of the best forwards in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
#44 made the All-ACC team all three years he was active (freshmen were not allowed to play back then), and he improved his scoring totals and shooting efficiency each year he was on campus. By the time he was a senior, Whisnant scored 21 points per game and earned the South Carolina Sports Writers State Player of the Year across all sports.
Whisnant was the grandfather of professional golfer Dustin Johnson, and like his grandson, Whisnant was a professional athlete as he was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers after his Carolina career ended.