Wayne Stevens (basketball)

Wayne Stevens (June 19, 1936 – January 23, 2021) was an American professional basketball player.[1]

Wayne Stevens
Personal information
Born(1936-06-19)June 19, 1936
Chillicothe, Ohio
DiedJanuary 23, 2021(2021-01-23) (aged 84)
Ocala, Florida
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High schoolChillicothe (Chillicothe, Ohio)
CollegeCincinnati (1955–1958)
NBA draft1958 / Round: 7 / Pick: 49th overall
Selected by the Cincinnati Royals
PositionSmall forward
Number20
Career history
1959Cincinnati Royals
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

Biography

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.[7]

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.[8]

Stevens was selected in the seventh round (49th overall) of the 1958 NBA draft by the Cincinnati Royals.[9] 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.[10]

Stevens died on January 23, 2021 in Ocala, Florida.[11]

References

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