Hall of Honor
John Epperson came to Lubbock Christian on a basketball scholarship and played for the Chaps during the transition from junior college to senior college status from 1969 to 1972.
The Pampa native was recruited to LCC by fellow Hall of Honor member Larry Hays, who was taking over as the Chap head coach after Larry Rogers led LCC to a 7-26 record in the 1968-69 season. Hays had a strong recruiting class and took to the new position well in Lubbock Christian's last season of junior college competition. LCC won 26 games with just 11 losses during the season, setting a school record for wins that has still not been broken 50 years later. Epperson was a key component to the success of the team, and scored perhaps the most two points of his LCC career in the season finale against Odessa College, leading the Chaps past the Wranglers 57-55 and capturing the Western Junior College Athletic Conference crown.
NAIA competition began in the 1970-71 season, with Lubbock Christian competing as a senior college for the first time ever. The yearbook from that school year noted that "because of a lack of tall players, the team depended on a three-guard offense," that "surprisingly," worked very well. The Chaps ended the season just above .500 at 16-14, but left fans with hope for the following year by winning five of their last six games.
The '71-'72 season was Epperson's last on the hardwood, as he graduated that spring and left to attend the University of Texas Dental Branch. As he was leaving the team, the 1972 yearbook noted that he was the "best defensive guard around." Although he did not score as effectively as some of the team's other guards, the yearbook states, he was often the player called upon to break the press of opposing teams.
Epperson graduated from dental school in 1976 and has since returned to Lubbock to practice. He was inducted into the LCU Athletic Hall of Honor in 1993.
