Local basketball star Steve Vandenberg dies at 75

Jun. 23—CUMBERLAND, Md. — Former Allegany and Duke basketball star Steve Vandenberg passed away Tuesday at the age of 75.

Considered by many to be the greatest basketball player in Cumberland's history, Vandenberg led Allegany to state championships in 1963 and 1964 under head coach Chet Payne.

A Parade All-American, Vandenberg's Campers went 66-9 over three varsity seasons and collected three consecutive Western Maryland Interscholastic League titles.

For his career, Vandenberg scored 1,977 points over 75 games for an average of 26.4 a night, shattering area and city scoring records.

After three years of hardwood domination at Sedgwick Street, Vandenberg accepted a scholarship to play at Duke, where he captained the Blue Devils for coach Vic Bubas as a senior in 1969.

The 6-foot-7 lefthander burst on the area basketball scene as a sophomore in 1963, scoring 23.2 points per game en route to leading the Campers to the Class A state title with a 57-39 rout of Springbrook at Cole Field House.

That season, Vandenberg set the WMIL scoring record with 260 points, surpassing legendary Allegany College head coach Bob Kirk's mark of 235 he established while at Barton High in 1953.

Vandenberg and Payne's Campers repeated as state titleholders a season later, downing defending Class AA champion Towson High School, led by future University of Maryland captain Billy Jones, 84-61.

Vandenberg, who poured on 155 points over five playoff games for a 31 points per game average, garnered a game-high 34 in the championship, outdueling Jones' 32-point output.

In 12 career playoff games, Vandenberg was held under 20 points just three times. He was awarded the state tournament's Most Valuable Player during both conquests in '63 and '64.

"Dandy Vandy" scored 739 points in 25 games as a junior, averaging 29.6 a contest. As a senior, Vandenberg held a scoring average of 26.3.

Vandenberg lost just once in 12 city games over three years, averaging 30.3 points a contest against Fort Hill and LaSalle. It took Vandenberg fouling out for the Sentinels to down his Campers in overtime in 1964.

His greatest city performance was a 48-point outburst against LaSalle during his senior campaign.

He was so good, that just one week after Vandenberg's final high school basketball game, Allegany retired his No. 52 — the first city player to have his jersey retired.

Vandenberg was named an All-American as a senior by a nationwide poll of college and high school coaches for Parade Magazine.

He reportedly had more than 100 suitors entering college, ultimately landing on Duke. Bubas was impressed with Vandenberg's ability to shoot from the outside and believed the Cresaptown native was tough enough to play inside at 215 pounds.

Vandenberg averaged 3.7 points per game in his first varsity season as a sophomore — at the time, freshmen were not permitted to play varsity basketball.

However, Vandenberg was thrust into the line-up on Jan. 3, 1967, after Bubas caught several players out after curfew on New Year's Eve. With just six players suited up, the Blue Devils defeated Penn State, 89-84, and Vandenberg finished with a double-double at 16 points and 14 rebounds.

The following season, Vandenberg averaged double-figures in 1968 with 11.9 points and 8.1 boards a night.

He played a pivotal role in one of the all-time great Duke-North Carolina games on March 2, 1968, scoring the go-ahead points with seconds remaining in triple overtime. Freddie Lind blocked Carolina's Rusty Clark on the other end to give No. 10 Duke an 87-86 win over second-ranked UNC.

As a senior, Vandenberg posted averages of 8.3 points and 5.9 rebounds a game. He delivered a memorable career-high 33-point outburst in his final bout at Cameron Indoor Stadium, as Duke toppled No. 2 North Carolina, 87-81. Vandenberg added 12 boards for a double-double.

North Carolina got revenge in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament final, but Vandenberg was named first team all-tournament.

An excellent teammate, he was awarded the Glenn E. "Tedd" Mann Award, given to the player who made the greatest contribution to team morale, as a senior in 1969.

After graduating from Duke in 1969, Vandenberg was drafted in the seventh round (89th overall) of the NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons before playing internationally in Spain and Belgium.

Alex Rychwalski is a sports reporter at the Cumberland Times-News. Follow him on Twitter @arychwal.