Togo Palazzi

Last updated

Togo Palazzi
Togo Palazzi at NEBBHOF.jpg
Palazzi in 2013
Personal information
Born(1932-08-08)August 8, 1932
Union City, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedAugust 12, 2022(2022-08-12) (aged 90)
Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school Union Hill
(Union City, New Jersey)
College Holy Cross (1951–1954)
NBA draft 1954: 1st round, 5th overall pick
Drafted by Boston Celtics
Playing career1954–1962
Position Small forward / shooting guard
Number12, 6, 17
Coaching career1960–1961, 1980–1985
Career history
Playing
1954–1956 Boston Celtics
1956–1960 Syracuse Nationals
1960–1962 Scranton Miners
Coaching
1960 Babson (interim)
1960–1961Scranton Miners
1980–1985 Holy Cross (women's)
Career highlights
Career NBA statistics
Points 2,382 (7.4 ppg)
Rebounds 1,113 (3.4 rpg)
Assists 233 (0.7 apg)
Stats at NBA.com  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Stats at Basketball Reference   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Togo Anthony Palazzi (August 8, 1932 – August 12, 2022) was an American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Boston Celtics and Syracuse Nationals.

Contents

Playing and coaching career

Palazzi was named by his father after Japanese admiral Tōgō Heihachirō. [1] A 6'4" forward/guard born and raised in Union City, New Jersey, Palazzi played at Union Hill High School, where he was recognized as one of the top prep basketball players nationwide. [2] He played at the College of the Holy Cross in the 1950s and was captain of the Crusaders team that won the 1954 NIT Championship and was named MVP of the tournament. [3]

Palazzi was selected by the Boston Celtics with the fifth pick of the 1954 NBA draft. He played six seasons in the NBA as a member of the Celtics and Syracuse Nationals and averaged 7.4 points per game in his career. [3]

Palazzi played for the Scranton Miners in the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL) from 1960 to 1962. [4] He was selected to the All-EPBL Second Team in 1961. [4] Palazzi served as head coach of the Miners during the 1960–61 season and accumulated an 11–7 record. [5]

In January 1960, Palazzi took over as interim basketball coach at Babson College after head coach and athletic director Tom Smith was seriously injured in an automobile accident. [6] The Beavers went 10–8 under Palazzi. [7]

Palazzi coached the Holy Cross women's team from 1980 to 1985, going 103–28 as coach; he coached them to an NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament appearance in his final year, the first ever appearance by the women's team. [8]

Later life and death

Palazzi later gave speeches at basketball camps for young adults interested in the sport. He was a prominent fixture at camps such as the Scatlet Hawks Basketball Camp run by Steve Manguso in Milford, MA. Along with conducting area speeches he was the camp director of the Togo Palazzi/Sterling Recreation Basketball Camp in Sterling, Massachusetts.[ citation needed ]

Palazzi died on August 12, 2022, at the age of 90. [9]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high

NBA

Source [10]

Regular season

YearTeamGPMPGFG%FT%RPGAPGPPG
1954–55 Boston 539.5.399.7502.8.64.7
1955–56 Boston 6311.2.389.6852.9.76.0
1956–57 Boston 2111.1.347.7193.6.45.0
1956–57 Syracuse 4218.6.373.7904.51.010.7
1957–58 Syracuse 6714.9.394.7193.6.68.6
1958–59 Syracuse 7114.8.392.7283.7.98.4
1959–60 Syracuse 710.0.317.5002.0.44.3
Career32413.4.386.7303.4.77.4

Playoffs

YearTeamGPMPGFG%FT%RPGAPGPPG
1955 Boston 56.0.500.5002.8.25.8
1956 Boston 23.5.200–1.0.01.0
1957 Syracuse 517.4.388.7783.61.09.0
1958 Syracuse 38.3.214.5001.3.03.0
1959 Syracuse 88.4.295.7142.6.84.5
Career239.4.353.6412.6.55.3

References

  1. ↑ Watson, Rip (March 15, 1954). "Togo Palazzi Not Sure He Will Play Pro Ball". The Newport Daily Express. p. 4. Retrieved December 28, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ Doyle, Bill. "Togo Palazzi a 'coach, mentor, friend'", Telegram & Gazette , February 14, 2015. Accessed November 26, 2019. "Palazzi was named one of the top five high school players in the nation when he played for Union Hill High School in Union City, N.J., the same hometown as his future HC teammates Earle Markey and Tommy Heinsohn."
  3. 1 2 Goode, Jon. (May 10, 2005). "No stopping Togo; Catching up with Togo Palazzi". Boston.com. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Togo Palazzi minor league basketball statistics". Stats Crew. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Togo Palazzi minor league basketball coaching records". Stats Crew. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Palazzi Gets Coaching Job". The Telegraph. January 9, 1960. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Men's Basketball Yearly History and Coaching Records". Babson College Athletics. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 27, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ↑ "Per the Celtics, Boston alumnus Togo Palazzi has passed away at the age of 90". USA Today. August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Togo Palazzi NBA stats". Basketball Reference . Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
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