Meeks’ big night pales with Pistol

Jodie Meeks went beyond Jamal Mashburn Tuesday night.

Beyond Kenny Walker and Kyle Macy. Past Jack Givens and Cliff Hagan. Beyond Dan Issel. Perhaps even beyond Ashley Judd.

Through 106 years of Kentucky basketball, Meeks stood alone. Meeks entered the UK record book with the single-game scoring mark when he lit up the Tennessee Vols for 54 points.

Fifty-four.

Against an SEC defense.

As his night unfolded, I grabbed a copy of the SEC preseason media guide.

Ironically, Meeks’ performance was the 50th 50-point effort by an SEC player.

It ranks tied for 21st all-time in league annals. It was the most by an SEC player since Chris Jackson of LSU torched Ole Miss for 55 points in 1989.

It’s fair to say Meeks had a once-a-decade night.

Only I looked closer.

He certainly passed a number of SEC legends — not just Kentucky greats. Shaquille O’Neal had 53 against Arkansas State. Gerald Glass of Ole Miss put up 53 on LSU. Tennessee’s Tony White scored 51 against Auburn.

But every time we go scurrying to the record book, one name leaves you shaking your head. Did that really happen? How good was he?

Because as great a night as Meeks had, he barely entered Pistol Pete Maravich’s neighborhood.

Maravich’s numbers in three seasons at LSU aren’t going to be rivaled by Meeks or anyone — maybe ever.

Of those 50 50-point nights I mentioned, Meeks became the 16th different name on that list.

Johnny Neumann of Ole Miss had five games in which he scored 50 points or more. Jackson scored 50 or more four times.

Maravich did it 27 times. That happens when you play three years and are first, second and third on the SEC’s single-season scoring list. He averaged 43.8 points per game as a sophomore in 1968. He raised that to 44.2 ppg in 1969. As a senior, Maravich averaged 44.2 points per game.

The only other SEC player to average 40 points a game was Neumann in 1971.

Maravich is the only player to score more than 1,000 points in a season — and he topped 1,100 points all three years at LSU. His 1,381 points in his senior season of 1970 is 416 more points than Jackson’s 1989 total of 965 points — the next name on the single-season scoring list.

Those totals are more impressive with the understanding that the legendary LSU guard wasn’t firing behind a three-point line. Every one of his 1,387 field goals — 370 baskets ahead of SEC runner-up Chuck Person’s career total — counted two points.

Give Meeks his due. He was royalty for a night. But his excellence also shines light on a freakish talent whose crown still sparkles from the record book after nearly 30 years.

Like Excalibur in a stone, it sits unclaimed. The wait for a successor likely will continue for generations.