Hall of Fame
With grace and fluid movements uncharacteristic of a man 6’7’’, 200 pounds, Lloyd Higgins’s performances on the basketball court were truly poetry in motion. A delight for Crusaders fans, Higgins’s pinpoint passes, hanging jump shots and effortless dunks were anything but pleasant for the Pasadena opponents of the late ‘60s.
As a sophomore, Higgins was the MVP as the Crusaders won the first Pasadena College Invitational Tournament. In his three years on varsity, he led the Crusaders to 70 wins in 98 games and a district playoff berth each year. As a senior in 1968, Higgins was a First Team All-American as the Crusaders won the District Championship with a 26-5 record and made PC’s fourth appearance in the national tournament. At the NAIA National Championships in Kansas City, Higgins had the rare privilege of appearing solo on the cover of the program for the weeklong tournament.
Higgins was also a member of the NAIA All-Star team that won in the Olympic trials of 1968. That same year, he was named the NAIA National High Jump Champion at both the indoor and outdoor meets. His leap of 6’10 3/4 is still third-best in school history. He was the first Crusader to reach All-American status in two sports in the same year.
Higgins went on to teach at Monrovia High School and coached track and field at Citrus Community College.
The award for Outstanding Achievement as an Athlete was presented to Higgins by Steve Foster.
