Andy Tonkovich

Andrew Edward Tonkovich (November 1, 1922 – September 2, 2006) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He was selected as the first overall pick in the 1948 BAA draft by the Providence Steamrollers. He played college basketball for the Marshall Thundering Herd.

Andy Tonkovich

Tonkovich as a senior at Marshall
Personal information
Born	(1922-11-01)November 1, 1922 Wheeling, West Virginia
Died	September 2, 2006(2006-09-02) (aged 83) Inverness, Florida
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight	185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school	Union (Benwood, West Virginia)
College	Marshall (1944–1948)
BAA draft	1948 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Providence Steamrollers
Playing career	1948–1952
Position	Point guard
Number	7
Career history
As player:
1948	Providence Steamrollers
1949–1952	Wheeling Blues
As coach:
1949–1952	Wheeling Blues
1952–1954	St. John Central HS
Career highlights and awards
Third-team All-American – Helms (1948)
Career BAA statistics
Points	44 (2.6 ppg)
Assists	10 (0.6 apg)
Games played	17
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Tonkovich led the Thundering Herd as team captain to the NAIB championship in 1947. He was named to the All-Tournament team and the NAIB All-American first-team. Tonkovich scored 1,578 points for the Thundering Herds, which was a record for the program at the time of his retirement.[1]

Tonkovich played 17 games for the Steamrollers during the 1948–49 BAA season. He left the team midseason and signed with the Wheeling Blues of the All-American Basketball League as a player-coach.[2][3]

After his playing retirement, Tonkovich became a high school coach and physical education teacher in West Virginia and Florida.[1] He served as the basketball coach at St. John Central High School in Bellaire, Ohio, from 1952 to 1954.[3] Tonkovich was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1973 and the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985.[1]