Richard Lea Dickey (October 26, 1926 – July 3, 2006) was an American professional basketball player for the National Professional Basketball League's Anderson Packers and National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics, although he is best remembered for his college career while playing at NC State.
Eugene Albert Schwinger (August 20, 1932 – January 16, 2020) was an American basketball player, known for his All-American college career at Rice University in the 1950s.
A native of Houston, Texas, Schwinger committed to play for Rice on a full athletic scholarship in his junior year at John H. Reagan High School. He entered the school in the fall of 1950. Due to NCAA rules at the time, freshmen were ineligible to compete for varsity sports, so Schwinger's college basketball career began as a sophomore in 1951–52.
His three years as a Rice Owl proved to be one for the record books. At the time of his graduation, the 6'6" forward held four school records (all since eclipsed): points and rebounds in a single season (604 and 344), and points and rebounds for a career (1,328 and 810). He was twice a first-team All-Southwest Conference selection while leading the league in points per game both years. In all three seasons he led Rice in scoring and rebounding. As a junior in 1952–53 Schwinger was named a second-team All-American by the Newspaper Enterprise Association, and as a senior in 1953–54 the Associated Press named him an honorable mention All-American. In 1953–54 he led the Owls to a share of the Southwest Conference regular season title and a berth in the 1954 NCAA tournament, where the team finished in third place in their region.
In the spring of 1954 Schwinger was selected by the Minneapolis Lakers in the NBA draft. He was taken in the fourth round (36th overall). Schwinger opted instead to pursue a career in business, bypassing the NBA. He attended Harvard Business School and earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 1959. Schwinger spent his business career in various roles within banking, securities trading, and investment firms until his retirement in 2003.
Richard O'Neal (September 7, 1935 – September 17, 2013) was an American basketball player. He was an All-American college player at Texas Christian University (TCU) and a second round draft pick of the Boston Celtics in the 1957 NBA draft.
O'Neal was born in Dallas, Texas and starred at Polytechnic High School in Fort Worth. For college, the 6'7" forward/center chose nearby TCU. O'Neal would become one of the Horned Frogs' all-time greats as he scored 1,723 points (23.9 per game) and captured 790 rebounds (11.0 per game) in his three-year career from 1954 to 1957. During his time, he was named first team All-Southwest Conference all three seasons and received national recognition as an All-American each year as well (honorable mention as a sophomore and junior and third team honors as a senior).Following his college career, O'Neal was drafted by the Boston Celtics in the second round of 1957 NBA draft (16th pick overall). However, he never played in the league, instead opting for dental school at Baylor University and a long career in the private sector as a dentist, orthodontist and school administrator.
O'Neal was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1985. In 2010, he became the first player in TCU basketball history to have his jersey honored by the school.Dick O'Neal died in his sleep on September 17, 2013.
Tony Yates (September 15, 1937 – May 16, 2020) was an American college basketball player and head coach for the Cincinnati Bearcats. As a player, he won consecutive national championships with Cincinnati in 1961 and 1962. Yates was named a third-team All-American in 1963, when the Bearcats advanced to the national championship game for the third straight season. In the 1980s he was the head coach at Cincinnati for six seasons.
Norman Cottom (March 12, 1912 – July 1, 1972) was an American professional basketball player for the Indianapolis Kautskys in the National Basketball League for two seasons. A native of Terre Haute, Indiana, Cottom attended Wiley High School and earned four varsity letters playing for the basketball team. He led the Red Streaks to 3 IHSAA Sectionals and 1 Regionals, reaching the state semi-finals in 1931 His HS teammate, John Miklozek would become a star at Indiana State University. Cottom was also an all-state performer in football.
Cottom played college basketball at Purdue University under Piggy Lambert. He played on the varsity team for three seasons, and as a junior in 1933–34, Cottom led the Western Conference in scoring. He was named a consensus NCAA All-American at the end of the season.
After college, Cottom played for the Indianapolis Kautskys for two seasons and one season with the U.S. Navy Pre-Flight team. He moved into high school coaching in Alexandria and Terre Haute, Indiana (Gerstmeyer High and Wiley High) before moving to Fullerton, California to become chairman of Fullerton Union High School's social studies department. In 1978, Cottom was enshrined in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
Ralph Albert Hamilton (June 10, 1921 – June 5, 1983) was an American professional basketball player. He played for the Fort Wayne Pistons and Indianapolis Jets of the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America (BAA), precursors to the modern day National Basketball Association (NBA). Hamilton was traded by the Pistons to the Jets in December 1948.Hamilton, a native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, played collegiately at Indiana University in Bloomington. He played for the Hoosiers in 1941–42 and 1942–43 (his sophomore and junior years, respectively) but then served in the United States Army for three years during the end of World War II. When he came back as a 25-year-old senior in 1946–47, he served as team captain and led them in scoring, was named First Team All-Big Ten Conference and was dubbed a consensus First Team All-American. He also scored nearly 1,000 points during his staggered college career.Hamilton died in 1983 just shy of his 62nd birthday.
Robert Louis Kessler (November 25, 1914 – September 5, 2001) was standout basketball player at Purdue University in the NCAA and then with the Indianapolis Kautskys in the National Basketball League (NBL).
Kessler was from Anderson, Indiana and attended Anderson High School where he graduated in 1932. He then enrolled at Purdue and played on the men's varsity basketball team for his final three years under future Hall of Fame coach Ward Lambert. Kessler was a two-time All-American (1935–36), and as a senior he became Purdue's first ever consensus All-American.
After college, Kessler played professionally for three seasons in the NBL for the Indianapolis Kautskys. He was named the league's Rookie of the Year in 1937–38, although Kessler's teams never once qualified for the postseason. In his later life, Kessler worked at General Motors and eventually became its vice president.
Bartus A. Quinn (February 19, 1917 – March 3, 2013) was an American basketball player. He was an All-American college player at the University of Toledo and played one season in the National Basketball League (NBL) of the United States, one of the major American leagues that later became the National Basketball Association.
Quinn, a 6'2", 200-pound forward from Fort Wayne, Indiana, went on to play for his hometown Fort Wayne General Electrics of the NBL directly out of high school. In the 1937–38 season, he averaged 9.4 points per game and was named to the All-NBL Second Team.After his season in the NBL, Quinn went to Toledo to play college basketball. He was a three-year starter for the Rockets, finishing his career with 702 points. As a senior in 1941–42, Quinn led the Rockets to the 1942 National Invitation Tournament. He was named All-Ohio and a first-team All-American by Madison Square Garden. Following his college career, he served in the United States Navy during World War II.Quinn died on March 3, 2013, at the age of 96.
Glenn Roberts (October 25, 1912 – May 21, 1980) was an American National Basketball League player. In college basketball, Roberts was one of the first players to put the "jump shot" to practical use.
Wilfred Otto "Gus" Doerner (February 27, 1922 – December 10, 2001) was an American professional basketball player for the Fort Wayne Pistons and Indianapolis Kautskys of the National Basketball League (NBL). He won two championships with the Pistons and one with the Kautskys, although he is best known for his career at Evansville College.A native of Evansville, Indiana, Doerner attended Mackey High School and was a stand-out basketball player. In three years on the team, he earned all-county and all-sectional accolades twice apiece, and in his senior year was named a team captain. When he graduated in 1938, he decided to stay close to home and attend Evansville College (now known as the University of Evansville). He played on the Purple Aces basketball team for all four years, lettering each season.Doerner was a 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) forward and had a breakout senior season in 1941–42. That year, he recorded the third-highest scoring average in the nation and led Indiana collegians in scoring for the second time. He guided Evansville to the 1942 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament where they would lose in the second round. He was named to the all-tournament team and was also selected as the NAIA Tournament MVP. Doerner became the first Evansville player to receive All-America status when he was honored as a consensus Second Team All-American selection.
After college he played in the NBL, the only viable professional basketball league in the United States at the time. From 1942 to 1946, Doerner played on the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons and won two league championships. He then played for the Indianapolis Kautskys and won one more NBL championship.In his later life he was a basketball coach at Fort Branch High School in Fort Branch, Indiana and won one sectional title. Doerner was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame for his success at the high school, college and professional levels of basketball, all within the state of Indiana.