Bill Erickson
Encyclopedia
William B. "Bill" Erickson (June 8, 1928 – September 21, 1987) was an NCAA All-American
basketball player at the University of Illinois during a career that spanned from 1947 to 1950, and then a player in the National Professional Basketball League for the Saint Paul Lights.
, Erickson attended Rockford East High School
from 1942–43 to 1945–46. He was a guard who led the team to the final 16 of the Illinois High School Association
state basketball tournament as a junior
, and then a fourth place finish in Illinois as a senior
. In his final year, Erickson was named First Team All-State by the Champaign News Gazette and Second Team All-State by the Chicago Daily News
.
after high school. He played in every single game during his four year career and was a starter for the final three. In his junior season of 1948–49, the Fighting Illini won the Big Ten Conference
title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament
. Illinois would defeat Yale
to earn a berth in in the Final Four (only eight teams played in the tournament back then), but would lose to eventual national champion Kentucky, 76–47. They would defeat Oregon State
in the third place game, however. After the season, Erickson was named to the All-Big Ten team and was dubbed a consensus Second Team All-American
. He played one more season for Illinois, where once again was an All-Big Ten selection and this time an Honorable Mention All-American. During his career as a Fighting Illini, every team had both winning conference and overall records.
by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks in a late round. He never ended up playing for them, however, and instead played for one season in the NPBL after a stint touring with the Harlem Globetrotters
(Erickson would always play for the Globetrotters' opponents). In the NPBL he averaged 4.6 points per game.
After his brief professional basketball career ended he returned home to Rockford. He coached high school basketball before starting the Rockford College
men's basketball program, of which he was the first head coach. Erickson also worked as personnel director for Elco Tool and Screw, and then later became the assistant vice president of American National Bank.
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:...
basketball player at the University of Illinois during a career that spanned from 1947 to 1950, and then a player in the National Professional Basketball League for the Saint Paul Lights.
High school
A native of Rockford, IllinoisRockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
, Erickson attended Rockford East High School
Rockford East High School
Rockford East High School is a comprehensive four year high school in Rockford, Illinois.-Notable alumni:*Bill Erickson – consensus Second Team All-American basketball player at Illinois....
from 1942–43 to 1945–46. He was a guard who led the team to the final 16 of the Illinois High School Association
Illinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
state basketball tournament as a junior
Junior (education)
"Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman...
, and then a fourth place finish in Illinois as a senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
. In his final year, Erickson was named First Team All-State by the Champaign News Gazette and Second Team All-State by the Chicago Daily News
Chicago Daily News
The Chicago Daily News was an afternoon daily newspaper published between 1876 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The Daily News was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty in 1875 and began publishing early the next year...
.
College
Erickson chose to play basketball at IllinoisIllinois Fighting Illini men's basketball
The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at Assembly Hall, located on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's campus in Champaign....
after high school. He played in every single game during his four year career and was a starter for the final three. In his junior season of 1948–49, the Fighting Illini won the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament
1949 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1949 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 8 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 1949, and ended with the championship game on March 26 in Seattle, Washington...
. Illinois would defeat Yale
Yale Bulldogs men's basketball
The Yale Bulldogs men's basketball team represents Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, competing in the Ivy League. The team plays home games in the John J. Lee Amphitheater of the Payne Whitney Gymnasium...
to earn a berth in in the Final Four (only eight teams played in the tournament back then), but would lose to eventual national champion Kentucky, 76–47. They would defeat Oregon State
Oregon State Beavers men's basketball
The Oregon State Beavers men's basketball program, established in 1901, is the intercollegiate men's basketball program of the Oregon State University Beavers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference. The team is coached by Craig...
in the third place game, however. After the season, Erickson was named to the All-Big Ten team and was dubbed a consensus Second Team All-American
1949 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
The Consensus 1949 College Basketball All-American team, as determined by aggregating the results of four major All-American teams. To earn "consensus" status, a player must win honors from a majority of the following teams: the Associated Press, Look Magazine, The United Press International, and...
. He played one more season for Illinois, where once again was an All-Big Ten selection and this time an Honorable Mention All-American. During his career as a Fighting Illini, every team had both winning conference and overall records.
| Season | Games | Points Point (basketball) Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws .... |
PPG Points per game Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in... |
Big Ten Record |
Overall Record |
Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946–47 | 20 | 61 | 3.1 | |||
| 1947–48 | 20 | 147 | 7.4 | |||
| 1948–49 | 25 | 261 | 10.4 | NCAA Final Four 1949 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1949 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 8 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 1949, and ended with the championship game on March 26 in Seattle, Washington... |
||
| 1949–50 | 22 | 229 | 10.4 | |||
| Totals | 87 | 698 | 8.0 | 1 appearance |
Professional career and later life
Erickson was selected in the 1950 NBA Draft1950 NBA Draft
The 1950 NBA Draft was the fourth annual draft of the National Basketball Association . This is the first draft after the Basketball Association of America was renamed the NBA. The draft was held on April 25, 1950 before the 1950–51 season. In this draft, 12 remaining NBA teams took turns...
by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks in a late round. He never ended up playing for them, however, and instead played for one season in the NPBL after a stint touring with the Harlem Globetrotters
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
(Erickson would always play for the Globetrotters' opponents). In the NPBL he averaged 4.6 points per game.
After his brief professional basketball career ended he returned home to Rockford. He coached high school basketball before starting the Rockford College
Rockford College
Rockford College is a private American liberal arts college in Rockford, Illinois. It was founded in 1847 as Rockford Female Seminary and changed its name in 1892. The college is known as the alma mater of Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams, who was a member of the class of...
men's basketball program, of which he was the first head coach. Erickson also worked as personnel director for Elco Tool and Screw, and then later became the assistant vice president of American National Bank.