depending on neck length and arm and hand length, not to mention a player va beach's age wouldn't be overstating height like they do today.
i can remember Kawhi Leonard because he was a favorite of mine. He measures 6'6", despite the inflation in his published 6'8", yet has standing reach of 8'10". i don't know how unusual that is. Just don't see how averages are as meaningful when variation is so great.
But perhaps the most important variable you might be overlooking is that the poster was not subject to the rigid standards of today in measuring vertical. Today they are limited to a single step and a jump. Frank Bartley might have gone up over 50 inches for his running block at Gonzaga.
There are likely hundreds of guys who can exceed 44 inches if given a full running start.