A. L. Bennett was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 player. He was an NCAA All-American

NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans

The NCAA Men's Basketball All-American teams are honorary teams made up of those NCAA basketball players voted the best in the country by a variety of organizations.-History:...

 at Oklahoma State University

Oklahoma State University–Stillwater

Oklahoma State University–Stillwater is a land-grant, sun-grant, coeducational public research university located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. OSU was founded in 1890 under the Morrill Act...

 and a member of the school's 1945–46 national championship team

1945–46 Oklahoma A&M Aggies men's basketball team

The 1945–46 Oklahoma A&M Aggies men's basketball team represented Oklahoma A&M College, now known as Oklahoma State University, in NCAA competition in the 1945–46 season.-NCAA tournament:*West** Oklahoma A&M 44, Baylor 29*Final Four...

.

Bennett, a 6'3" forward from Holdenville, Oklahoma

Holdenville, Oklahoma

Holdenville is a city in Hughes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 4,732 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hughes County....

, came to Oklahoma State (then known as Oklahoma A&M) in 1942. However, he was soon volunteered for service in the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Bennett fought in the Battle of the Bulge

Battle of the Bulge

The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...

 and was wounded, earning a Purple Heart

Purple Heart

The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...

.

After the war, in 1945, Bennett returned to Oklahoma A&M and was a key reserve for the Aggies' 1946 NCAA championship

1946 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

-External links:* on Shrp Sports * , source for much of the information on this page....

 team under coach Henry Iba

Henry Iba

Henry Payne "Hank" Iba was an American basketball and baseball coach.-Early life:Iba was born and raised in Easton, Missouri...

. Bennett became a starter for his last two seasons, earning first team All-Missouri Valley Conference

Missouri Valley Conference

The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...

 honors in 1947 and 1948. Bennett was also named a third team All-American by the Associated Press

Associated Press

The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...

 in 1948, his senior year. He scored 628 points in his Aggie career, averaging 7.7 points per game.

After graduation, Bennett was drafted by the Providence Steamrollers

Providence Steamrollers

The Providence Steamrollers were a National Basketball Association team based in Providence, Rhode Island. As of November 2011, the Steamrollers remain the last pro sports franchise from one of the Big Four leagues to be based in Rhode Island....

. He opted to play in the Amateur Athletic Union

Amateur Athletic Union

The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...

 with the Phillips 66ers

Phillips 66ers

The Phillips 66ers basketball team was an amateur squad sponsored and run by the Phillips Petroleum Company. The team, which began play in 1919, participated in the Amateur Athletic Union, the nation’s premier basketball league before the National Basketball Association...

 instead, and worked for the Phillips Petroleum Company for over 18 years.

A. L. Bennett died on June 25, 2008.