1988/89 B.Y.U. Cougars Basketball

The Oddball Card Collector gets excited when he finds serial numbered sets from the 1980s. He gets equally excited when he finds sets from the 1980s that had a limited run of 5,000 or less. When he finds a set from that decade that is serial numbered and limited to 5,000 or less, he buys early and buys often.

The 1988/89 Brigham Young University Cougars basketball issue is of course one of these forementioned sets. Featuring 25 cards and sold in a clear PVC pack, a serial number is found on the backside of the packaging header (as pictured). The last card in the set states that "BYU has authorized 5,000 sets printed for the 1988-1989 season." The cards are numbered on the backs, along with a substantial amount of personal info, statistics and a team schedule. We assume these sets were sold on the B.Y.U. campus and basketball games, and possibly through local-area card shops.

Pretty much all of the bases are covered with this issue as the players, coaches, a team photo and several action cards add to the 25-card roster. Star Michael Smith can be found on fours cards; his "regular" card, two action cards and the team photo. He would go on to play for the Celtics and Clippers in the NBA, and today is a color commentator for the Clippers with fellow announcer Ralph Lawler.

Junior guard Marty Haws is featured on five cards, thanks to his inclusion on three action cards. Heavily recruited by several football schools, the talented Haws ran the 40-yard in 4.4 seconds. His son, Tyler, recently finished his junior season with the Cougars and has passed his dad on the B.Y.U. all-time scoring list.

Ladell Andersen is represented during his final year as the head coach, a position he held since the 1983/84 season. A card is also here for longtime assistant Roger Reid, who would succeed Andersen as head coach the following year and hold the position for the next seven seasons.

This set does not appear very often; but like most sets of this nature, the waiting game usually pays off with a little patience and regular searching. Our educated guess puts the value of an unopened set in the $10 to $15 range.

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1. Team Photo

2. Michael Smith, Fwd/Ctr

3. Alan Frampton, Guard

4. Alan Astle, Guard/Fwd

5. Mike Herring, Guard

6. Mark Heslop, Guard

7. Steve Andrus, Ctr/Fwd

8. Steve Schreiner, Fwd/Ctr

9. Andy Toolsen, Guard/Fwd

10. Vince Bryan, Forward

11. Marty Haws, Guard

12. Kevin Santiago, Guard

13. David Wolfe, Fwd/Ctr

14. John Fish, Fwd/Ctr

15. Carl Ingersoll, Asst. Coach

16. Roger Reid, Head Coach

17. Ladell Andersen, Asst. Coach

18. Alan Astle (Action)

19. Marty Haws (Action)

20. Michael Smith (Action)

21. Michael Smith (Action)

22. Marty Haws (Action)

23. Andy Toolsen (Action)

24. Marty Haws (Action)

25. 1988/89 BYU Basketball Header