Dave Hoppen
Dave Hoppen | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 13, 1964 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player (retired) |
| Years active | 1986–1993 |
| Known for | NBA player, Nebraska Cornhuskers all-time leading scorer |
David Dirk Hoppen (born March 13, 1964) is a retired American professional basketball athlete who competed both in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and on international courts. During his collegiate career, he played for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, where he became the program’s leading scorer historically and secured First-team All-Big Eight honors for three consecutive seasons. Standing 6'11" and playing as a center, Hoppen was chosen by the Atlanta Hawks in the third round of the 1986 NBA draft with the 65th overall pick, going on to participate in six NBA seasons.
High school career
Hailing from Omaha, Nebraska, Hoppen attended Omaha Benson High School, where he distinguished himself as a versatile athlete across multiple sports. In his junior year, he posted averages of 15.8 points and 13.2 rebounds per game, guiding his team to a 21–4 record and an appearance in the Nebraska Class A state finals. His achievements earned him first-team all-state honors along with selections to both the class A and all-class tournament teams. As a senior, Hoppen elevated his performance, averaging 24.3 points and 12.5 rebounds per contest while once again receiving first-team all-state accolades.
The Nebraska class of 1982 gained recognition for producing exceptional collegiate talent, with all five starters securing NCAA Division I scholarship offers. This group included Hoppen and Mike Martz at Nebraska; Kerry Trotter at Marquette; Ron Kellogg at Kansas; and Bill Jackman, initially recruited by Duke before transferring to Nebraska. Among this cohort was also future NBA player Bart Kofoed. On the national AAU circuit, these athletes formed the nucleus of the "Nebraska Basketball Development Association," which achieved a fourth-place finish at a tournament in Las Vegas.
Hoppen’s high school accomplishments earned him a spot among Nebraska’s top athletes on the Omaha World-Herald's 2005 ranking of the state’s top 100 athletes and led to his induction into the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.
Highly sought after by college programs, Hoppen narrowed his choices to Nebraska, Notre Dame, Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado. Although Notre Dame coach Digger Phelps emphasized Hoppen's potential for a first-round NBA draft selection, he ultimately committed to Nebraska with the goal of contributing to the long-term establishment of a strong program.
College career
Enrolling at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in autumn 1982, Hoppen joined as a 6'11" center, filling a crucial positional need for the Cornhuskers, who had previously lacked height in their starting lineup. He immediately secured a starting role under coach Moe Iba during the 1982–83 season, averaging 13.9 points and 5 rebounds per game. With Hoppen anchoring their inside presence, Nebraska finished tied for third place in the Big Eight Conference standings and received an invitation to the 1983 National Invitation Tournament (NIT), advancing to the semifinals held at Madison Square Garden. Despite Hoppen contributing 15 points, Nebraska fell to DePaul in that round.
In his sophomore campaign, Hoppen emerged as one of the premier players within the Big Eight Conference alongside Oklahoma's star Wayman Tisdale. He recorded double-digit scoring in every contest and earned first-team all-conference distinction. Averaging 19.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, he led Nebraska back to the 1984 NIT. During this tournament run, he propelled his team past rival Creighton by scoring a game-high 25 points, including critical free throws that secured a narrow 56–54 victory. The Cornhuskers were edged out by Xavier with a close score of 58–57 in the subsequent round despite Hoppen’s 22-point effort.
Hoppen developed a notable competitive rivalry with Creighton center and future NBA player Benoit Benjamin. Although Benjamin received greater national attention, Hoppen frequently delivered his strongest performances against Creighton. Known more for finesse than brute strength despite his size, he employed a jump hook along with an assortment of offensive moves inside the paint, demonstrating an advanced shooting touch that was atypical among big men.
Regular season
|- | style="text-align:left;"| 1987–88 | style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee | 3 || 0 || 11.7 || .364 || .000 || 1.000 || 2.3 || 0.7 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 3.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1987–88 | style="text-align:left;"| Golden State | 36 || 8 || 16.9 || .465 || .000 || .864 || 4.6 || 0.8 || 0.4 || 0.2 || 5.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1988–89 | style="text-align:left;"| Charlotte | 77 || 36 || 18.4 || .564 || .500 || .727 || 5.0 || 0.7 || 0.3 || 0.3 || 6.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1989–90 | style="text-align:left;"| Charlotte | 10 || 2 || 13.5 || .390 || .000 || .800 || 3.6 || 0.6 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 4.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1990–91 | style="text-align:left;"| Charlotte | 19 || 0|| 5.9|| .563|| .000|| .800|| 1.6|| 0.2|| 0.1|| 0.1|| 2.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1990–91 | style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia | 11|| 0|| 3.9|| .500|| .000|| .667|| 0.8|| 0.0|| 0.1|| 0.0||1.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1991–92 | style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia |11|| 0||3.6|| .286|| .000|| .500|| 0.9|| 0.2|| 0.0|| 0.0|| 0.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1992–93 | style="text-align:left;"| New Jersey |2|| 0||5.0|| 1.000|| .000|| .000||2.0|| 0.0|| 0.0|| 0.0||1.0 |-class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:left;" | Career | style="text-align:left;" | |169||46||14.2|| .518|| .200|| .751||3.8|| 0.6|| 0.3|| 0.2||5.0
Playoffs
|- | style="text-align:left;" | 1991 | style="text-align:left;" | Philadelphia |3|| 0||3.0||1.000|| .000|| .000||1.0|| 0.0|| 0.0|| 0.0||2.0
College
| Season | Team | G | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982–83 | Nebraska | '32' | '25.9' | '13.9' | '5.0' | '1.3' | '0.5' | ' 0.6 ' | ' .524 ' | ' .748 ' |
| '1983–84 NCAA Division I men's basketball season' | 'Nebraska' | '30' | '35.3' | '19.9' | '6..9' | '1..3' | '..3' | ' ..6 ' | ' ..599 ' | ' ..760 ' |
| '1984–85 NCAA Division I men's basketball season' | 'Nebraska' | '30' | '38..5' | '23..5' | '8..6' | '1..3' | ' ..8 ' | ' '..4' ' | ' '.646' ' | ' '..781' ' |
| '1985–86 NCAA Division I men's basketball season' | 'Nebraska' | '19' | '35..2' | '22..1' | '7..7' | ' ..6 ' | ' '..7' ' | ' '..6' ' | ' '..616' ' | ' '.803' ' |
| 'Totals:' | '111' | '33..4' | '19..5' | '7..' | '1..3' | '..6' | '..5' | '..600' | '..772' |
External links
- 1964 births
- Living people
- American basketball players who played professionally in Italy
- American male basketball athletes
- Atlanta Hawks draft selections
- Basketball athletes originating from Omaha, Nebraska
- Basket Rimini Crabs team members
- Basketball centers
- Charlotte Hornets expansion draft selections
- Charlotte Hornets roster players
- Fargo-Moorhead Fever team members
- Golden State Warriors roster players
- Milwaukee Bucks roster players
- Nebraska Cornhuskers men's basketball team members
- New Jersey Nets players
- Philadelphia 76ers players
- Rapid City Thrillers team members
- Topeka Sizzlers players
- Basketball medalists at the Summer World University Games
- FISU World University Games silver medal recipients representing the United States
- American sportsmen of the 20th century