Bill Henry (basketball)
Encyclopedia
William Gambrell "Bill" Henry (December 27, 1924 – January 1, 1985) was an American professional basketball player. Henry played for one season with the Fort Wayne Pistons (1948–49) in the Basketball Association of America
(BAA) before splitting the following season with the Pistons and Tri-Cities Blackhawks of the National Basketball Association
(NBA). He recorded career totals of 613 points and 103 assists. Although he played professionally, Henry is better known for his college basketball career at Rice University
.
At Rice
, Henry played three varsity seasons (1942–43 to 1944–45
). A , 215 lb center
, Henry was twice selected as a consensus NCAA All-American
, once in 1944
and again in 1945
. As a senior
in 1944–45, he led the Owls to an undefeated Southwest Conference season and only lost one game all season. He scored 280 points in 12 conference games that year, good for a 23.3 points per game
average. He was also one of the biggest players in the league and led Rice to Southwest Conference first-place finishes all three years he played for them. In his sophomore
season of 1942–43, Rice qualified for the National Invitation Tournament
(NIT), which at the time was as popular and respected as the modern day NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. Rice would lose to the eventual tournament champion St. John's
, 51–49, in the first round.
Henry was listed as Rice University's all-time greatest men's basketball player in the 2009 book ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. He was also inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame as part of the 1970 class.
Basketball Association of America
The Basketball Association of America was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. The league merged with the National Basketball League in 1949, forming the National Basketball Association ...
(BAA) before splitting the following season with the Pistons and Tri-Cities Blackhawks of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). He recorded career totals of 613 points and 103 assists. Although he played professionally, Henry is better known for his college basketball career at Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
.
At Rice
Rice Owls men's basketball
The Rice Owls men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball program of Rice University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in Conference USA...
, Henry played three varsity seasons (1942–43 to 1944–45
1944–45 NCAA men's basketball season
-Season headlines:*More than 18,000 fans attended Madison Square Garden for the final installment of an annual American Red Cross benefit game between the NCAA Tournament and NIT champions. Oklahoma A&M, led by Bob Kurland, defeated George Mikan's DePaul 52–44...
). A , 215 lb center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
, Henry was twice selected as a consensus 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:...
, once in 1944
1944 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
The Consensus 1944 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 Helms Athletic Foundation, Converse, The Sporting News, and Pic...
and again in 1945
1945 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
The Consensus 1945 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 Helms Athletic Foundation, Converse, The Sporting News, and Argosy...
. 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 1944–45, he led the Owls to an undefeated Southwest Conference season and only lost one game all season. He scored 280 points in 12 conference games that year, good for a 23.3 points per game
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...
average. He was also one of the biggest players in the league and led Rice to Southwest Conference first-place finishes all three years he played for them. In his sophomore
Sophomore
Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...
season of 1942–43, Rice qualified for the National Invitation Tournament
1943 National Invitation Tournament
The 1943 National Invitation Tournament was the 1943 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 8 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket....
(NIT), which at the time was as popular and respected as the modern day NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. Rice would lose to the eventual tournament champion St. John's
St. John's Red Storm men's basketball
The St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team represents the St. John's University in Queens, New York. The team participates in the Big East Conference. The men’s coach Norm Roberts was fired on March 19, 2010...
, 51–49, in the first round.
Henry was listed as Rice University's all-time greatest men's basketball player in the 2009 book ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. He was also inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame as part of the 1970 class.