Rick Wilson (basketball)

Last updated

Rick Wilson
Personal information
Born (1956-02-07) February 7, 1956 (age 68)
Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school Atherton (Louisville, Kentucky)
College Louisville (1974–1978)
NBA draft 1978: 2nd round, 25th overall pick
Selected by the Atlanta Hawks
Position Shooting guard
Number42
Career history
19781980 Atlanta Hawks
1979–1980 Utica Olympics
1980–1981 Atlantic City Hi-Rollers
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Stats at Basketball Reference  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Richard Wilson (born February 7, 1956) is a retired American basketball player. He played for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1978 to 1980.

Contents

College career

Wilson graduated from Atherton High School in Louisville, Kentucky. He played collegiately for the University of Louisville from 1974 to 1978. As a freshman, Wilson was a reserve on the Cardinals' 1975 Final Four team. Wilson then entered the starting lineup for the rest of his Louisville career. As a sophomore, he averaged 14.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game and led the Cardinals to the 1976 National Invitation Tournament. As a junior, Wilson teamed with senior backcourt mate Phil Bond and led the Cardinals back to the 1977 NCAA tournament, where they lost to UCLA.

In his senior year, the 1977–78 season, Wilson averaged 17.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists as he led the Cardinals to a Metro Conference championship and was named MVP of the 1978 Metro Conference men's basketball tournament. Wilson was named Metro Conference player of the year that season. [1]

Professional career

Following his senior season, Wilson was drafted in the second round of the 1978 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks (25th pick overall). He played in 81 games as a rookie in 1978–79, averaging 3.0 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in a reserve role. The next season, Wilson played in 5 games before being released by the Hawks. [2] He finished the season with the Utica Olympics of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). The next season, Wilson played with the Atlantic City Hi-Rollers. [3]

Life after basketball

Wilson became a regular contributor in professional softball, playing the outfield for the Kentucky Bourbons of the United Professional Softball League from 1981 to 1982, helping Kentucky to a World Series title in 1981 in a 5–3 series victory over the New England Pilgrims. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] Wilson left the Bourbons early in the 1982 season. [9]

Wilson went to work for the Jefferson County, Kentucky sheriff's department, but resigned in 1990 with a conviction for dealing cocaine. Battling an addiction, Wilson was later sentenced on a probation violation and ordered to a work-release program, [10] but was sentenced to 10 years in prison after a shooting incident. [11] [12]

Related Research Articles

The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the men's college basketball program representing the University of Louisville in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) of NCAA Division I. The Cardinals have officially won two NCAA championships in 1980 and 1986 ; and have officially been to eight Final Fours in 39 official NCAA tournament appearances while compiling 61 tournament wins.

The Detroit Caesars were a professional softball team played in the American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL) from 1977 to 1979.

The Kentucky Bourbons were a professional softball team that played in two men's professional softball leagues between 1977 and 1982 at Bishop David Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. The Bourbons, Cincinnati Suds and Pittsburgh Hardhats were the only three teams to play all 6 seasons of professional softball.

The Pittsburgh Hardhats were a professional softball team that played in two men's professional softball leagues from 1977 through 1982. The Hardhats, Cincinnati Suds and the Kentucky Bourbons were the only franchises to play all 6 seasons of professional softball.

The Baltimore Monuments were a professional softball team that played in the American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL) during the 1977 season. They played their home games at Rips Memorial Stadium in Bowie, Maryland.

The Metro Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year was an award given to the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Athletic (Metro) Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1976–77 season and was discontinued after the 1994–95 season. In 1995 the Metro Conference merged with the Great Midwest Conference to form Conference USA.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, several men's professional slow-pitch softball leagues were formed in the United States to build on the growth and talent in the booming men's amateur game during this period. The American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL) was the first such league, launching in an era of experimentation in professional sports leagues. The APSPL was formed in 1977 by former World Football League executive Bill Byrne, who would go on to found the Women's Professional Basketball League. Former New York Yankees star Whitey Ford was the first APSPL commissioner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Johnson (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 2001)

David Ricardo Johnson is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals, and was drafted by the Toronto Raptors in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamarr Kimble</span> American basketball player

Lamarr "Fresh" Kimble is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Worcester Wolves of the British Basketball League (BBL). He played college basketball for Saint Joseph's and Louisville.

The Milwaukee Schlitz were a professional softball team that played in three men's professional softball leagues from 1977 through 1982 at Wilson Stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Rochester Express, originally named the Rochester Zeniths, were a professional softball team that played in two professional softball leagues from 1978 through 1982 at various locations in the Rochester, New York area.

The Cincinnati Suds were a professional softball team that played in two men's professional softball leagues at various stadiums in the Cincinnati, Ohio region from 1977 through 1982. The Suds, Pittsburgh Hardhats, Milwaukee, and Kentucky Bourbons were the only franchises to play all 6 seasons of professional softball.

The New England Pilgrims were a professional softball team in Connecticut that played in two different men's professional softball leagues between 1977 and 1981.

The Cleveland Jaybirds (1977–78), later named the Cleveland Stepien's Competitors (1979–80) and finally the Cleveland Competitors (1982), were a professional softball team that played in three professional softball leagues between 1978 and 1982 at two different locations in the Cleveland, Ohio area.

The Cincinnati Rivermen were a professional softball team who played at Newport Recreation Center in Newport, Kentucky in the North American Softball League (NASL) during the 1980 season.

The Philadelphia Athletics, later named the South Jersey Athletics, were a professional softball team that played in two professional softball leagues at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia (1978), Dyer Field in Wilmington, Delaware (1979-1980) and finally the Cjonacki Sports Complex in Berlin, New Jersey (1981-1982).

The New Jersey Statesmen, sometimes seen as Trenton's New Jersey Statesmen, later named the Trenton Statesmen and the Trenton Champales, were a professional softball team that played in the American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL) from 1977 through 1979 at Mercer County Park in West Windsor, New Jersey (1977–78) and Wetzel Field in Chambersburg, New Jersey (1979).

The Lexington Stallions were a professional softball team who played at Southland Park in Lexington, Kentucky in the North American Softball League (NASL) during the 1980 season.

Lima Steele's were a professional softball team based in Lima, Ohio. Lima Steele's played at the baseball diamond on the campus of the Ohio State University at Lima in the United Professional Softball League (UPSL) in 1982.

The Syracuse Salts were a professional softball team based in Syracuse, New York who played at Hopkins Road Field in Liverpool, New York in the United Professional Softball League (UPSL) in 1981.

References

  1. "2011-12 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball media guide" (PDF). University of Louisville Athletics. 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  2. "Basketball-reference profile". basketball-reference.com. 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  3. 1981-82 Continental Basketball Association Guide and Register
  4. "Clipped From The Courier-Journal". The Courier-Journal. July 5, 1981. p. 35 via newspapers.com.
  5. "Clipped From The Courier-Journal". The Courier-Journal. August 1, 1981. p. 22 via newspapers.com.
  6. "Clipped From The Courier-Journal". The Courier-Journal. May 17, 1982. p. 22 via newspapers.com.
  7. "Clipped From The Courier-Journal". The Courier-Journal. September 13, 1981. p. 18 via newspapers.com.
  8. "Clipped From Lexington Leader". Lexington Herald-Leader. September 14, 1981. p. 13 via newspapers.com.
  9. "Clipped From The Courier-Journal". The Courier-Journal. June 1, 1982. p. 22 via newspapers.com.
  10. "AROUND THE COLLEGES" via www.washingtonpost.com.
  11. "Clipped From The Courier-Journal". The Courier-Journal. March 31, 1993. p. 6 via newspapers.com.
  12. "Clipped From Messenger-Inquirer". Messenger-Inquirer. August 5, 1993. p. 10 via newspapers.com.