Wayne Stevens (basketball)
Wayne Leroy Stevens (June 19, 1936 – January 23, 2021) was an American professional basketball player.[1]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 19, 1936 Chillicothe, Ohio |
| Died | January 23, 2021 (aged 84) Ocala, Florida |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Chillicothe (Chillicothe, Ohio) |
| College | Cincinnati (1955–1958) |
| NBA draft | 1958: 7th round, 49th overall pick |
| Selected by the Cincinnati Royals | |
| Position | Small forward |
| Number | 20 |
| Career history | |
| 1959 | Cincinnati Royals |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Biography Edit
Stevens was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, and attended Chillicothe High School, where he was a three-time All-Central Ohio League selection in basketball.[2] As a junior in 1952–53, he was named Class A (big-school) second-team all-state by the Associated Press (AP). As a senior in 1953–54, he was again named second-team all-state, along with future basketball hall-of-famer Wayne Embry and baseball hall-of-famer Bill Mazeroski.[3] In track, he was also the state high-jump champion.[4]
Stevens played college basketball for coach George Smith at the University of Cincinnati. As a sophomore starting forward in 1955–56, Stevens scored 10.3 points per game and grabbed a team-leading 13.9 rebounds[5] per game for the 17-7 Bearcats.[6]
As a junior in 1956–57, Stevens averaged 13.0 points and 11.3 rebounds per game, both second on the team behind center Connie Dierking, for the 15-9 Bearcats.[6]
As a senior in 1957–58, third-year starter Stevens and Dierking served as co-captains and Stevens averaged 10.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. The Bearcats, who welcomed sophomore starters Oscar Robertson and Ralph Davis to the team, went 25-3 and won the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, where, in the Midwest Regional, they fell to Kansas State in overtime before defeating Arkansas.[citation needed]
Stevens was selected in the seventh round (49th overall) of the 1958 NBA draft by the Cincinnati Royals.[7] He played in eight games for the Royals during the beginning of the 1959–60 NBA season, and averaging 1.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.[7]
Stevens died on January 23, 2021, in Ocala, Florida.[8]
References Edit
- ^ Wayne Stevens. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on May 16, 2013.
- ^ "Chillicothe High School - Arrow Yearbook - Class of 1952". e-yearbook.com. p. 44.
- ^ "Associated Press All-Ohio Teams".
- ^ . Archived from the original on 2014-03-22. Retrieved 2014-03-21.
- ^ "Cincinnati Basketball: The Top 50 Players in School History". Bleacher Report.
- ^ a b (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 16, 2018.
- ^ a b "Wayne Stevens Stats".
- ^ "Wayne Leroy Stevens". legacy.com. Retrieved February 4, 2021.