Finishing what they started
Dec. 11, 2009
AUSTIN, Texas -- On the court, former men's basketball players Dexter Cambridge, Corey Lockridge and Tremaine Wingfield played parts in some great moments in Texas Basketball history. Each helped the Longhorns win Southwest Conference titles during their playing days in the early 1990s. Now, they each returned to The University of Texas to make new memories and fulfill new dreams. Cambridge, Lockridge and Wingfield were on campus last weekend, and walked the stage during Fall 2009 graduation. All three received Education degrees. "It's surreal. I'm kind of overflowing with emotion," said Wingfield, who won two-straight SWC titles with the Longhorns from 1994-95. "It's a great accomplishment, not only for myself but for anyone who has gone to school and gone on to graduate." Wingfield was a 6-foot-7 forward for the Longhorns, and his 61.8 percent shooting accuracy as a senior in 1995 still stands as the top single-season mark in UT history. After leaving Texas in 1995, Wingfield went on to play professionally for more than 10 years in Europe. "I got a chance to travel the world," Wingfield said. "But this has always been a goal of mine. The University has been great to me -- to all former and current players. It's really a blessing." Cambridge was a forward with the Longhorns, and as a senior led the team in scoring with 21.7 points a game and helped the team to the 1992 SWC regular season title. After college, Cambridge played briefly with the Dallas Mavericks, and later played all over Europe and Central America. "There was no doubt in my mind that once I finished my basketball career, I was coming back to school to finish up my degree," said Cambridge, 39. Cambridge's mother, Jane, was a major motivator. She passed away in their native Bahamas just two weeks before graduation ceremonies. "It's something my mom has asked me for the past 18 years, `When are you going back to school?'" Cambridge said."I know she's watching. It's real emotional, but I know she's watching."
Lockridge, a 6-10 center, was at UT for four years, but left in 1993 just short of his degree. He's worked professionally in sales in the years since, and credits Randa Ryan, UT Senior Associate Athletics Director for Academic Services, with giving him the strength necessary to return and finish what he started years ago. "The biggest challenge was just getting motivated to come back and do it. Once I got the motivation, it came back pretty easy," Lockridge said. "Randa talked me through it, and I'm just so excited. "To finally come back and get it, everybody's proud of me." |
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