Ed Warner (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Edward L. Warner was an American
college basketball
player. He was one of the stars of the 1949–50 CCNY Beavers men's basketball team
, the only team to win both the NCAA tournament
and the National Invitation Tournament
(NIT) in the same year. He was also a central figure in the point shaving scandal
that came to light in the aftermath of that season.
in the Bronx
to play college basketball for Nat Holman
at the City College of New York
. A 6'3 forward, Warner regularly battled with bigger men to average 14.8 points per game as a sophomore for the Beavers during their championship year. In the 1950 NIT
, Warner upped this average to 21.7 per game and was named tournament Most Valuable Player as CCNY defeated Bradley
in the final at Madison Square Garden
. A couple of weeks later, Warner and the Beavers again beat Bradley, this time in the 1950 NCAA tournament
, to become the only team to win both tournaments.
were named co-captains for the Bravers and were poised to defend their championship titles. However, in January of 1951, New York City
District Attorney
Frank Hogan
arrested seven men for shaving points - including Ed Warner. While a number of the implicated CCNY players received suspended sentences, Warner was sent to prison for six months. One lawyer in the case remarked:
For his involvement in fixing games, Ed Warner was permanently banned from playing in the National Basketball Association
.
prison, Warner played several years in the Eastern Basketball Association
. In the 1960s, he again found himself in prison for attempting to sell heroin. Warner then officiated high school basketball games until he was partly paralyzed in a car accident in 1984. Ed Warner died on September 7, 2002.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
college 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 one of the stars of the 1949–50 CCNY Beavers men's basketball team
1949–50 CCNY Beavers men's basketball team
The 1949–50 CCNY Beavers men's basketball team represented the City College of New York. The Head Coach was Nat Holman. The team is the only team to win both the National Invitation Tournament and the NCAA Tournament in the same year...
, the only team to win both the NCAA tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
and the National Invitation Tournament
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
(NIT) in the same year. He was also a central figure in the point shaving scandal
CCNY Point Shaving Scandal
The CCNY point shaving scandal of 1950-1951 was a college basketball point shaving gambling scandal that involved seven schools in all, with four in Greater New York and three in the Midwest...
that came to light in the aftermath of that season.
College career
Warner came from DeWitt Clinton High SchoolDeWitt Clinton High School
DeWitt Clinton High School is an American high school located in the Bronx, New York City, New York.-History:Clinton opened in 1897 at 60 West 13th Street at the northern end of Greenwich Village under the name of Boys High School, although this Boys High School was not related to the one in Brooklyn...
in the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
to play college basketball for Nat Holman
Nat Holman
Nat Holman was one of the early pro basketball players and one of the game's most important innovators.-Career:...
at the City College of New York
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
. A 6'3 forward, Warner regularly battled with bigger men to average 14.8 points per game as a sophomore for the Beavers during their championship year. In the 1950 NIT
1950 National Invitation Tournament
The 1950 National Invitation Tournament was the 1950 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition. For the only time in history, the same school won both the NIT and NCAA tournaments as CCNY took both championships, beating Bradley in both finals...
, Warner upped this average to 21.7 per game and was named tournament Most Valuable Player as CCNY defeated Bradley
Bradley Braves men's basketball
The Bradley Braves men's basketball team represents Bradley University, located in Peoria, Illinois, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2006, reaching the...
in the final at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden (1925)
Madison Square Garden was an indoor arena in New York City, the third of that name. It was built in 1925 and closed in 1968, and was located on Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets in Manhattan on the site of the city's trolley car barns. It was the first Garden that was not located near...
. A couple of weeks later, Warner and the Beavers again beat Bradley, this time in the 1950 NCAA tournament
1950 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1950 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 23, 1950, and ended with the championship game on March 28 in New York City, New York...
, to become the only team to win both tournaments.
Point shaving scandal
The next season, Warner and teammate Ed RomanEd Roman
Edward Roman was an American college basketball player. He was the leading scorer of the 1949–50 CCNY Beavers men's basketball team, the only team to win both the NCAA tournament and the National Invitation Tournament in the same year...
were named co-captains for the Bravers and were poised to defend their championship titles. However, in January of 1951, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
Frank Hogan
Frank Hogan
Frank Smithwick Hogan was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Dubbed "Mr. Integrity" due to his perceived honesty and incorruptibility, he was D.A. of New York County for more than 30 years.-Life and career:...
arrested seven men for shaving points - including Ed Warner. While a number of the implicated CCNY players received suspended sentences, Warner was sent to prison for six months. One lawyer in the case remarked:
"(Judge Saul) Streit considered Warner to be incorrigible and uncontrollable. Warner was too flamboyant and he also had a record as a juvenile delinquent. Streit believed in rehabilitation by deprivation"
For his involvement in fixing games, Ed Warner was permanently banned from playing in 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...
.
Later life
After serving his sentence at Rikers IslandRikers Island
Rikers Island is New York City's main jail complex, as well as the name of the island on which it sits, in the East River between Queens and the mainland Bronx, adjacent to the runways of LaGuardia Airport. The island itself is part of the borough of the Bronx, though it is included as part of...
prison, Warner played several years in the Eastern Basketball Association
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
. In the 1960s, he again found himself in prison for attempting to sell heroin. Warner then officiated high school basketball games until he was partly paralyzed in a car accident in 1984. Ed Warner died on September 7, 2002.