Willie Somerset

Last updated

Willie Somerset
Personal information
Born (1942-03-17) March 17, 1942 (age 82)
Sharon, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Listed weight170 lb (77 kg)
Career information
High schoolFarrell (Farrell, Pennsylvania)
College Duquesne (1961–1965)
NBA draft 1965: 7th round, 56th overall pick
Selected by the Baltimore Bullets
Playing career1965–1973
Position Point guard
Number24, 12, 33
Career history
1965 Baltimore Bullets
1965–1966Johnstown C.J.'s
1966–1967 Scranton Miners
19671969 Houston Mavericks
1969 New York Nets
1969–1970 Scranton Miners
1970–1972Scranton Apollos
1972–1973 East Orange Colonials
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA and ABA statistics
Points 3,129 (21.9 ppg)
Rebounds 652 (4.6 rpg)
Assists 514 (3.6 apg)
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Willard F. Somerset (born March 17, 1942) is an American former professional basketball player. Born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, Somerset attended Farrell High School in Farrell, Pennsylvania and later, Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [1] [2]

Contents

A 5'8" guard from Duquesne University, Somerset played eight games for the Baltimore Bullets during the 1965–66 NBA season, averaging 5.6 points per game. He blossomed in the American Basketball Association, where he averaged 22.8 points in 135 games with the Houston Mavericks and New York Nets from 1967 to 1969. During the 1968–69 ABA season, when he was named an All-Star, Somerset ranked fifth in the league in points per game, eighth in assists per game, and third in free throw percentage.

After his playing career, Willie became a pharmacist and retired from the profession in 2012. [3]

Somerset was named one of the "Outstanding Young Men of America" in 1968. He was inducted into the Duquesne University Sports Hall of Fame in 1976 and into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1982 (Western Chapter) and in 1994. In 1997, Somerset was inducted into the Mercer County Hall of Fame. [2]

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/ABA

Source [1]

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGPPG
1965–66 Baltimore 812.3.419.8181.91.15.6
1967–68 Houston (ABA)6138.3.448.308.7805.03.721.7
1968–69 Houston (ABA)4341.7.395.227.8364.64.023.5
1968–69 N.Y. Nets (ABA)3142.7.429.297.8204.43.424.1
Career (ABA)13540.4.426.280.8084.73.722.8
Career (overall)14338.8.425.280.8084.63.621.9
All-Star (ABA)1017.0.2861.0001.51.53.0

Playoffs

YearTeamGPMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGPPG
1968 Houston (ABA)343.7.411.286.7948.33.030.3

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References

  1. 1 2 "Willie Somerset NBA/ABA stats". Basketball Reference . Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Willie Somerset – '97 Inductee, Mercer County Hall of Fame". The Herald . Sharon. January 13, 1997. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  3. Lacis, Reinis (September 11, 2017). "The Handle Podcast – Willie Somerset: 09/11/17". LamarMatic's NBA Blog (The Handle Podcast). Archived from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2018. Alt URL