Shawn Hood
Shawn Hood 2001 Men's Basketball
At 5-7, Shawn Hood definitely wasn't the tallest member of the CSU basketball team. But the contributions of the Boston, Massachusetts native as a player and assistant coach compare favorably to those of anyone the annals of CSU basketball and Hall of Fame inductee Eddie Bryant to give CSU a point-guard tandem that led CSU to some of its most successful years ever. His knowledge and leadership abilities made him the player that then-coach Kevin Mackey wanted as a cornerstone of his team.
Hood began his Viking career in 1983-84 with a solid freshman season. Starting all 30 games, he helped CSU improve to 14-16 after an 8-20 mark the year before. With 61 steals and 129 assists, he led CSU and ranked third and fourth, respectively, in the Association of Mid-Continent Universities. He shot 76.7% from the line and 44% from the floor. He scored a season-high 15 points vs. UW-Green Bay (2-20-84) and totaled 155 points (5.2 ppg) on the season. He passed for a career-best 10 assists versus Maryland-Eastern Shore.
CSU won 20 games for the first time as they went 21-8 in '84-85 and captured their first-ever AMCU regular-season title with an 11-3 mark. Playing in 29 games, with 28 starts, Hood was again a valuable contributor, leading CSU with 60 steals, which ranked second in the league and 111 assists, sixth in the AMCU. He hit 50% of his field goals while scoring 119 points (4.1 ppg).
Recovering from off-season knee surgery, Hood was a reserve off the CSU bench in 1985-86. His role changed but his contributions did not. He was a key member of CSU's first-ever NCAA Tournament team that won a record 29 games, going 29-4 overall and taking the AMCU title with a 13-1 record. Despite averaging nearly seven minutes less per game than in his first two seasons, Hood posted virtually identical numbers. He was second on the team with 111 assists, becoming the only player in school history with 100 assists as a reserve. He was also second on the team, sixth in the AMCU, with 57 steals. He shot 70.8% from the line and 55.4% from the field. With 145 points (4.7 ppg), he was one of a CSU record 10 players with 100+ points.
Hood came off the Viking bench again in '86-87 as CSU went 25-8 overall and 10-4 in the AMCU en route to their first-ever NIT appearance. Unfortunately for Hood and the Vikings, he was unable to play in the season's final nine games. He tore his Achilles tendon in February that ended his playing days. Before the injury though, Hood appeared in 24 games. He finished third on the team in assists and fourth in steals while scoring 110 points (4.6 ppg), including a career high 16 vs. Clarion (12-1-86), and made 52% of his field goals.
Although it ended prematurely, Hood's playing career was a solid one. He ranks among CSU's Top 10 with 227 steals, 395 assists and 114 games. He is also in the Top 20 in free throw percentage, free throws made and games started.
Hood's playing career ended in '86-87, but his Viking career was far from over. In 1988, he was named a Viking assistant coach. He served in the post for six years and was instrumental in the development of All-Conference guards Gravelle Craig and Craig Caldwell and was part of CSU's 1992-93 Mid-Continent Conference championship team.
During his 10 years as a Viking, Hood was a member of NCAA Tournament and NIT squads, three conference championship teams and helped CSU compile an 184111/.624 (89-36/.712 as a player) record over that span. He was an excellent student with numerous appearances on the Dean's List and graduated in 1988 with a bachelor's degree in social services.
Hood has been an assistant at the University of Wisconsin since 1994. Last season, Hood lived the dream of most coaches as the Badgers made the trip to the 2000 Final Four in Indianapolis after winning the West Regional.
Hood and his wife Kim have two daughters - Brittany and Taylor - as well as a son Brian.
