Erling Platou

Erling Stoud Platou (August 30, 1896 – June 17, 1958) was an American standout college basketball player at the University of Minnesota and, later, a pediatrician at the University of Minnesota Medical Center.

Erling Platou

Personal information
Born	(1896-08-30)August 30, 1896 Cooperstown, North Dakota
Died	June 17, 1958(1958-06-17) (aged 61) Cook County, Minnesota
Nationality	American
Listed height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Listed weight	155 lb (70 kg)
Career information
High school	Valley City (Valley City, North Dakota)
College	Minnesota (1914–1916, 1918–1920)
Position	Guard
Career highlights and awards
Helms Player of the Year (1919) Helms All-American (1919)

As a guard on the basketball team, Platou led the 1918–19 Golden Gophers to an undefeated season (13–0 overall, 10–0 conference) by averaging a then-remarkable 11.6 points per game. In the early days of basketball, such a scoring average was unheard of, and it was his prowess that earned him the Helms Foundation National Player of the Year honor that season as a junior. The Helms Foundation also awarded Minnesota a retroactive national championship years later for the 1918–19 season.

Platou's basketball career was disrupted due to World War I. He played on the team in 1914–15 and 1915–16, but then the war temporarily ceased all intercollegiate sports at Minnesota. They resumed play in 1918–19, and Platou finished his career in 1919–20 before graduating that spring.

References

1. "2009 Minnesota Business Hall of Fame". Twin Cities Business Magazine. MSP Communications, Inc. 2010. Archived from the original on October 3, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
2. "1918–19 Season Summary". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
3. Mortensen, Kristine (Winter 2009). . Minnesota Medical Foundation. University of Minnesota. Archived from the original on July 23, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2010.