Quintin Dailey, one of the most productive basketball players in USF history but also the one most associated with the shutdown of the program in the early 1980s, died Monday in Las Vegas. He was 49.

The Clark County Coroner's Office said Mr. Dailey died naturally of hypertensive cardiovascular disease.

Mr. Dailey, a 6-foot-3 guard, spent three seasons (1979-82) with the Dons and ranks as the second-leading scorer in school history with 1,841 points. He averaged 25.2 points per game in 1981-82, the best mark in USF history.

In both the 1980-81 and 1981-82 seasons, Mr. Dailey was named the WCC Player of the Year.

In a statement released by the school, Dan Belluomini, who was the Dons' head coach in Mr. Dailey's first season, said "Not only was Quintin a tremendous player, he was a terrific worker.

"When the ball went up, nobody competed harder than he did. I always appreciated his hard work and his ability to rise to the occasion."

In 1982, Mr. Dailey pleaded guilty to attempted assault of a USF nursing student and received three years' probation. During the police investigation, Mr. Dailey said he had received thousands of dollars from a USF booster (or boosters).

The program had been on probation only a few years earlier and the scandal involving Mr. Dailey proved to be the last straw for Rev. John LoSchiavo, then USF's president. He eliminated the basketball program; it was revived for the 1985-86 season.

The Chicago Bulls selected Mr. Dailey with the seventh overall pick in the 1982 draft. He spent 10 seasons in the NBA, also playing for the Los Angeles Clippers and the Seattle SuperSonics. Mr. Dailey averaged 14.1 points per game, but had a star-crossed career; he twice violated the league's drug-abuse policy.