THE FRONT ROW WITH BRUCE BOURQUIN: Friday, April 10, 2015

On Saturday at the Best Western Plus Coeur d'Alene Inn, Orlando Lightfoot - No. 34 in your program in the early- to mid-1990s, No. 1 in fans' hearts back then - will be inducted into the Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame, as part of the 53rd North Idaho Sports banquet.

Unfortunately, the all-time scoring leader in the Big Sky Conference and in the University of Idaho men's basketball team's history, with 2,102 points in three seasons from 1991-94, will not be able to make the trip to Coeur d'Alene - but for a good reason.

As the Highland Park unit manager of the Boys and Girls Club of Chattanooga in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tenn., Lightfoot will be helping organize the biggest fundraiser of the year, a Stake N' Burger dinner, which will be held on April 27. Lightfoot is also busy helping out with summer programs put on by the organization, which begin on May 21.

"This is the busiest time of the year," Lightfoot said of the Boys and Girls Club fundraiser. "I love working with kids in a positive way, I have a deep passion for kids. No doubt (I would've gone otherwise). Idaho is like my second home; I haven't been in one city for more than four years. It's great getting inducted, because I'm humbled. I still keep in touch with Reggie Wilson, (former UI men's basketball assistant coach) Mark Leslie, I talk with them once every few weeks. I still keep up with their football and basketball teams."

Lightfoot said he was impressed watching former Post Falls High standout Connor Hill, who this past season shattered Lightfoot's previous record for career 3-pointers with 232, versus Lightfoot's 168, saying "that boy can go."

Lightfoot, a father of a 5-year-old named Dallas Lightfoot, was the youngest of five siblings growing up.

"They were a big influence on my life," Lightfoot said. "They were big on me in school, big in sports."

LIGHTFOOT WAS a 6-foot-7 shooting guard who had two memorable games against area teams. On Feb. 6, 1993, at the Kibbie Dome, as a junior scored a then-school record 44 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a win over Boise State. Idaho finished 24-8 and won a Big Sky championship that season.

On Dec. 21, 1993, at home against Gonzaga, he drilled eight 3-pointers and scored 50 points - both two of 13 school records he holds to this day. Idaho lost to Gonzaga, 76-69. He's the only player in UI history to average more than 20 points per game in a career, with 23.1 points per game. He was also a two-time Sports Illustrated national player of the week - on Feb. 17, 1992, and on Feb. 15, 1993.

"I remember it like it was yesterday," Lightfoot said of his playing days. "I loved playing in the Kibbie Dome. The crowd, the energy, was great, they put their 'O's in the air. When I scored 44 points and had 18 rebounds against Boise State and we won, it was more emotional (than against Gonzaga). It was in front of our home crowd against a hated team."

After originally signing to play at Oklahoma, Lightfoot could not play for the Sooners due to NCAA Proposition 48, which stipulated minimum high school grades and standardized test scores that student-athletes must meet in order to participate in college athletic competition. So Lightfoot instead played for Hiwassee Junior College, then a two-year school that is now Hiwassee College, a four-year, liberal arts school in Madisonville, Tenn. He improved his grades, then former Idaho coach Larry Eustachy recruited him to play at Idaho, where in 1994 he earned his bachelor's degree in social work.

AFTER FINISHING as a two-time Big Sky Most Valuable Player, Lightfoot tried out for the Los Angeles Clippers in 1994.

"I tried out for the Los Angeles Clippers and was the last guy to get cut," Lightfoot said. "After playing in Europe for two years, a couple coaches from the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves invited me to try out for them. But I was late for a flight to Europe, so I had to go."

Lightfoot played for 13 seasons in Europe and countries such as Lebanon and Argentina. In 1995-96, he had his best season while playing for Genevea in Switzerland, averaging 27.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. He retired in 2007 at the age of 36, playing for a team in Sweden.

"I played in 27 different countries," Lightfoot said. "I met so many people from different parts of the world. That stuff was priceless."

So is being inducted into the Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame, where he'll be inducted along with Lake City football coach Van Troxel, University of Idaho women's basketball and volleyball great Mindy (Rice) Madsen and the late Bob 'Marz' Marzulli. Even though Lightfoot won't be in Coeur d'Alene in person, he will be here in spirit.

Bruce Bourquin is a sports writer at The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2013 or via e-mail at bbourquin@cdapress.com