In 1987, Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard got his first glimpse at what a dominant rebounder looked like.
As a ball boy for the 1987 Syracuse team that made it to the Final Four while his father was an assistant coach, Willard had a courtside seat to witness center Derrick Coleman pull down rebounds at a historic pace in his sophomore year. As the years passed, Coleman got better on the glass and finished his Big East career with 701 rebounds, a conference record.
“I don’t remember a game where Derrick didn’t bring it,” Willard said of Coleman’s rebounding prowess.