Hall of Fame
John Barber was the first dominant player in Cal State L.A.’s basketball history. He earned first-team All-California Collegiate Athletic Association honors in 1953 and 1954 and scoring a total of 1,239 points in his two years in the program.
He remains No. 8 on Cal State L.A.’s all-time scoring list and still holds the program record for most points in a season (848 in 1954), a mark that is also still the California Collegiate Athletic Association record. His career scoring average of 22.5 points per game over two years is also a program and conference record. He led the team in scoring in both the 1952-53 and 1953-54 seasons.
Barber gained notoriety when he scored 188, 103 and 150 points in consecutive exhibition games in 1953.
He lettered in football, basketball and track and field at Cal State L.A.
Barber was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers and played five games for the St. Louis Hawks in the 1956-57 season. He later played for several years with the Harlem All-Stars.
