Science Hill High School

Elvin Little

Elvin Little

Sidney Smallwood took Science Hill's basketball team to two state tournaments, but Elvin Little took the Hilltoppers to an unprecedented level of excellence during his 19 seasons after arriving in 1960.

Little's hoops roots were thick and deep. He made the 1949 All-State tournament team in high school in Princeton, W.Va., where Rod Thorn's father was chief of police and Thorn was a boy looking up to Little. Little signed with Tennessee on a football scholarship, but ended up lettering his three varsity seasons in basketball(1951-53).

Little coached the Vols freshmen in '54 and began his prep career at Lenoir City. There his team finished third in the state once and won the state title in 1958.

The Hilltoppers finished state runner-up at Science Hill in 1968 with such players as Percy Hairston and D.D. Stewart after finishing third the year before. Science Hill won 10 straight districts during one stretch.

"Coach Little was just a winner," said Kenny Jones, who played for Science Hill in the mid-60s and holds the single-game scoring record (47). "It was because he stressed defense."

Little's most fun at Science Hill might've been overcoming double-digit deficits twice to sweep Dobyns-Bennett when it had been ranked No. 1 when Skip Brown was there.

"We beat them over there first and people said I was crazy when I moved the rematch to State (Brooks Gym)," Little said. "But we put the tickets on sale on a Tuesday and they were gone by Wednesday. That place was packed and they had us down at least 13 again before we came back to win. It liked to killed Buck (Van Huss)."

Little retired in ‘79 with great players coming. His son, Tommy, was the point guard in the group that included 6-8 Herbie Bullock and Albert Sams, who ended up starting at ETSU.

"I believe Elvin might've won another state championship or two if he'd stuck around," former athletic director Sid Smallwood said.

Dennis Greenwell took them to the state in 1982.

Little did have a large hand in three more state basketball titles. He hired George Pitts.

"I'd like to take credit for all of that happening under George," Little said. "But how can you tell a guy's going to do all of those kinds of things."

As Smallwood said, it takes one to know one.