All-American college men's basketball players

Bart_Quinn

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.

Gus_Doerner

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.

Chips_Sobek

George Edward "Chips" Sobek (February 10, 1920 – April 9, 1990) was a player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played with the Sheboygan Red Skins during the 1949-50 NBA season. Sobek had also played in the National Basketball League, most notably for the Toledo Jeeps.
A native of Hammond, Indiana, Sobek attended Notre Dame, where he earned All-American status in 1941, as chosen by Madison Square Garden, although he did not make the consensus team. After graduating from Notre Dame, he would also play a season with the Naval Station Great Lakes while under service with them.
Sobek also played professional baseball, spending three years in the minor leagues. With the 1946 Superior Blues, he led Northern League second basemen in fielding percentage (.964), double plays (61), putouts (353) and assists (322). He hit .308/~.368/.371. In 1948, he hit .297 for the Hot Springs Bathers and had a brief tenure with the Waterloo White Hawks. In 1949, he hit .244 for Superior to conclude his playing career.Sobek was later a Chicago White Sox scout from 1950 to 1984, signing Denny McLain (most notably), Steve Trout, and Mike Squires. He also managed several seasons in the Sox organization. He also scouted for the San Francisco Giants from 1985 to 1988.Sobek was the athletic director and baseball coach at Thornton Fractional High School in Calumet City, Illinois, for 26 years and he directed the White Sox Boys Camp in Chilton, Wisconsin.Sobek also was a longtime college basketball referee, notably for the Big Ten Conference. He was an official in at least one small college championship contest.

John_Townsend_(basketball)

John Frederick "Jake" Townsend Sr. (September 20, 1916 – December 4, 2001) was an American basketball forward and center. He was an All-Big Ten player for the University of Michigan from 1935 to 1938. In 1938, he was named an All-American. He later played professional basketball for the Indianapolis Kautskys, Oshkosh All-Stars and Rochester Royals.

Joe_Richey

Joseph Richey (March 30, 1931 – April 4, 1995) was an American basketball player. He was an All-American at Brigham Young University (BYU) and later played in the Amateur Athletic Union.
Joe Richey, a 6'1 (1.85 m) forward from St. Johns, Arizona, played at BYU from 1950 to 1953. Richey was a three-year starter and led the Cougars to berths in both the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and NCAA tournament as a sophomore in 1951. While the Cougars bowed out in the second round in the NCAAs, they won the NIT – defeating Dayton 62–43 in the final. This team is regarded one of the best in BYU history.As a junior and senior, Richey led the Cougars in scoring at averages of 14.6 and 17.6 points per game respectively. He was known for his quickness and was a strong rebounder for his size, averaging 6.5 rebounds per game for his career. As a senior in the 1952–53 season, Richey again led the Cougars to the NIT, though this time the Cougars stay was a short one, ending with a first round loss to Niagara. Richey was named a second team consensus All-American at the conclusion of the season. Richey finished with 1,178 points for his BYU career.Joe Richey was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers in 1953. He instead played for several years in the AAU for Kirby's Shoes entry in the league.
After his playing days were over, Richey became a paving contractor. He also remained active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, becoming an Elder. In 1992, Richey was diagnosed with leukemia. He lived for three more years, during which time he performed a Mormon mission in Birmingham, England. Joe Richey ultimately died of leukemia on April 4, 1995.

Don_Grate

Donald Grate (August 27, 1923 – November 22, 2014) was an American former professional baseball and pro basketball player. He played both Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies (seven games pitched over two seasons, 1945–1946) and NBA basketball as a small forward/shooting guard for the Sheboygan Redskins (two games played during the 1949–1950 season). Grate was listed at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and 180 pounds (82 kg).

Bob_Verga

Robert Bruce Verga (born September 7, 1945) is an American retired professional basketball player, who played in the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1967 to 1974. He was a 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) guard and played college basketball at Duke University. He was a two-time ABA All-Star, in 1968 and 1970.
Verga owns the Duke men's basketball record for points per game (26.7) in a single season, which he achieved in 1967.Verga was drafted by the NBA's St. Louis Hawks in the third round of the 1967 NBA draft and by the Kentucky Colonels in the 1967 ABA Draft. Verga opted to play in the ABA and averaged 23.7 points per game in his rookie season for the Dallas Chaparrals. Verga averaged 18.8 points per game in his second ABA season, with the Houston Mavericks. Verga played the next two seasons with the Carolina Cougars, averaging 27.5 points per game during the 1969–70 season and 18.8 the following season. After averaging 17.5 points per game for the Pittsburgh Condors in the 1971–72 season Verga finished his career with the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers in the 1973–74 season.