Today, as we debate Troy Daniels’ NBA prospects, we flash back to 1974, when the fledgling VCU Basketball program was just getting established. That year, two Rams, Jesse Dark and Bernard Harris, were drafted by not one, but two pro leagues. Below, the Commonwealth Times, VCU’s student newspaper, discusses the recent selections of Dark and Harris by the Virginia Squires of the ABA. Although not a Pulitzer, the article is a good read for its reference to a “secret” ABA draft that saw Dark selected third overall. Officially, Dark was picked in the second round of the ’74 draft, while Harris went in the fifth round. I could not find any reference to an additional “secret” draft, but would love to hear more about it. (Click to enlarge article).
But neither man would play for the Squires. Weeks later, Dark was picked in the second round (32nd overall) of the 1974 Draft by the New York Knicks, while the Buffalo Braves (now the Los Angeles Clippers) grabbed Harris in the fourth round (63rd overall).
Dark would become the first Ram to play in the NBA when he made his Knicks’ debut on Oct. 17, 1974 against the New Orleans Jazz. Harris made his debut one week later. Although both Dark and Harris played just one season each in the NBA, there were trailblazers for the VCU Basketball program. Four players, Gerald Henderson, Ed Sherod, Eric Maynor and Larry Sanders have followed in Dark’s and Harris’ NBA footsteps.
AROUND THE HORNS 
Jul 02, 2013 @ 18:21:34
I just finished reading the 1974 article about Jesse Dark and Bernard Harris. Just a bit of memories from the past. At the bottom of the article is an ad for a Management Training Opening. I wrote the copy for that ad as a part of management consulting job that I was doing for Mr. Harr and Mr. Ripp. They owned several restaurants in the Richmond area. Sorry to bore you but I just had to share that bit of trivia with someone!
Gene Hunt
Jul 03, 2013 @ 11:22:07
Not bored at all, Gene. That’s good stuff.
Jul 22, 2013 @ 18:51:28
Bernard went on to play/coach in Finland and was declared a
National treasure there. I think he is still active in coaching.
Jesse could have had a long career in the NBA but told the coach of the
Knicks that he should be starting in front of guards “Clyde” Frazier and Earl Monroe, who were both at the end of their careers. The coach replied nobody is going to pay to see Jesse Dark from VCU play. That pretty much ended his careerwith the Knicks and the NBA.