The tall and lengthy Paul Crissman played in a different era of basketball then modern players. In his career, the three-point shot was not king and the shot clock was just new to the NBA and would not be introduced to the NCAA for almost 20 years. But that did not hamper Crissman from being one of the best scorers in Southern California College/Vanguard University history.
His biggest claim to fame his 1966 game against Pacific Christian when he deposited 80 points on his foes. This record is still one of the best in all of college basketball, as according to the NCAA DII Men's Basketball Record
Book from 2022, it sits fourth all-time for points in a game. He is the only man not named Clarence "Bevo" Francis of Rio Grande to hold a scoring record, as Francis holds the top three spots ( with 113 points being the record). While short of a national record, this mark still stands as the VU all-time record by 38 points. Another mark that was found about Crissman is that he is tied with two other players for the most points scored against UC Riverside, as he tallied 42 points against UCR on January 30, 1966.
Crissman would also cement his legacy by averaging 36.3 points per game in 1965-66, pairing that with 10.8 rebounds. His shooting percentage rose as high a 57.4% over his career and he was selected to four all-tournament first teams.
Without a doubt, if the modern college athletic infrastructure of today was around then, Crissman would have won more awards and mostly likely have been an All-American. We would also have a more complete picture of his career, as some stats from that time are lost, but be that as it may, his career accomplishments put him in the record book and helped SCC win at least 17 games in 1965-66.
Paul, a Bakersfield native, graduated from SCC in 1969 and entered the teaching field. He returned to Bakersfield after graduation and spent thirty year teaching in the Lamont School District. He taught fourth grade for many years and then moved to the junior high school. During his time at the junior high he also coached football, basketball and baseball for two seasons.
Paul and his wife Paula have been married for over 36 years. They have a daughter, Melissa, and grandchildren.
