For someone who made the Cardinal basketball team via a tryout, Sasser made the most of the opportunity.

The Cardinals were 50-16 in Sasser’s two seasons, winning one conference title with a 15-1 record and finishing second the other year. He started all but two games in his Cardinal career for Coach Leon Spencer, a member of the Cardinal Hall of Fame.

As a sophomore, he averaged 19.7 points and 10.3 rebounds, earning all-region honors.

After leaving the college, he played two seasons at the University of North Texas. His junior year was his best on the Denton campus, when he averaged 11.8 points and 5.0 rebounds. As the only Texan on the team, he was the team’s second-leading scorer that season.

In his two seasons at UNT, he hit 44 percent of his shots.

Sasser is a graduate of Atlanta High School, where his scoring and rebounding records still stand. He did not play as a junior, opting to perform with the band instead.

He currently resides in Lancaster. Two of his sons were drafted and played in the NBA and another is a Dallas police officer. Sasser’s father, John, also played in the NBA.