Lamar Heard, UGA’s Final Four team captain, dies

Lamar Heard, a captain on Georgia’s 1983 Final four men’s basketball team, has died. He was 55.

The cause of death was not immediately known. However, he had fallen ill suddenly earlier this month and had been hospitalized since in Atlanta, according to persons with knowledge of the situation. Heard’s family is asking for privacy at this time.

Heard, a Cartersville native, was one of three captains on Georgia’s 1982-83 team, the only one in school history to reach the national semifinals of the NCAA tournament. He started all 34 games at forward and averaged 7.1 rebounds per game. When he graduated he left as the school’s single-game, regular-season and career record holder for steals.