Hall of Fame
The late Prentice T. “Duddy” Waller was one of the purest shooters to ever step on the basketball court for Southern Arkansas. He played when SAU was still a junior college and after his Mulerider career, played at the University of Arkansas.
A native of Emerson, Waller might still hold the Mulerider record for scoring had the three-point shot been in effect when he played.
Waller was an All-AIC selection his freshman season of 1947-48, leading Southern Arkansas in scoring 453 points in 27 games, a 16.8 average, and scored 446 points in only 21 games, a 21.2 average, as a sophomore in 1948-49. He poured in 39 points to lead SAU to an upset of powerful Arkansas Tech in 1947-48.
After playing for the Muleriders and Razorbacks, Waller returned as head basketball coach at Southern Arkansas for three years from 1954-1957. SAU posted 42 wins against 24 losses in the three seasons, giving Waller the second-best winning percentage of .636 all-time, second only to W.T. Watson’s .665 percentage.
Waller left the Muleriders to become head basketball coach at Arkansas, where he coached the Razorbacks for four years from 1966-1970, winning 31 games.
Waller’s son, Steve, was an All-AIC defensive back for a strong Southern Arkansas football team in 1974. Waller’s nephew, Ted Waller, won state basketball championships in 1980 and 1985, and also the state overall championship in 1985, as coach of the Magnolia Panthers, after winning a state title at Village.
