Not to be confused with Gus Dorner

Gus Dorner

Augustus "Gus" Dorner , was a professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from -. He played for the Boston Beaneaters, Cincinnati Reds, and Cleveland Naps.-References:...

, an American professional baseball player.

Wilfred O. "Gus" Doerner (February 27, 1922 – December 10, 2001) was an American

United States

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

 professional basketball player for the Fort Wayne Pistons and Indianapolis Kautskys of the National Basketball League

National Basketball League (United States)

Founded in 1937, the National Basketball League, often abbreviated to NBL, was a professional men's basketball league in the United States. The league would later merge with the Basketball Association of America  to form the National Basketball Association  in 1949.- League history :The...

 (NBL). He won two championships with the Pistons and one with the Kautskys, although he is best known for his career at Evansville College

University of Evansville

The University of Evansville is a small, private university with approximately 3,050 students located in Evansville, Indiana. Founded in 1854 as Moores Hill College, it is located near the interchange of the Lloyd Expressway and U.S. Route 41. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church...

.

A native of Evansville, Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...

, Doerner attended Mackey High School and was a stand-out basketball player. In three years on the team, he earned all-county and all-sectional accolades twice apiece, and in his senior year was named a team captain. When he graduated in 1938, he decided to stay close to home and attend Evansville College (now known as the University of Evansville). He played on the Purple Aces basketball team

Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball

The Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball team represents the University of Evansville, located in Evansville, Indiana, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. Evansville's athletics teams were originally known as the Pioneers in the early part of the 1900s...

 for all four years, lettering each season.

Doerner was a forward and had a breakout senior season in 1941–42. That year, he recorded the third-highest scoring average in the nation and led Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

 collegians in scoring for the second time. He guided Evansville to the 1942 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

1942 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

The 1942 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 6th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format ....

 where they would lose in the second round. He was named to the all-tournament team and was also selected as the NAIA Tournament MVP

NAIA Basketball Tournament Most Valuable Player

The Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player Award was created to honor the most outstanding player for the NAIA Men's Division I National Championship Tournament. Established in 1939, it has been awarded every year with the exception of 1944....

. Doerner became the first Evansville player to receive All-America status when he was honored as a consensus Second Team All-American

1942 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans

The Consensus 1942 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, Madison Square Garden, and Pic...

 selection.

After college he played in the NBL, the only viable professional basketball league in the United States at the time. From 1942 to 1946, Doerner played on the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons

Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...

 and won two league championships. He then played for the Indianapolis Kautskys and won one more NBL championship.

In his later life he was a basketball coach at Fort Branch High School in Fort Branch, Indiana

Fort Branch, Indiana

Fort Branch is the largest town and second largest community in Gibson County, Indiana, United States after Princeton. The population was 2,320 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Fort Branch is located at ....

 and won one sectional title. Doerner was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame

Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame

The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame is a sports museum and hall of fame in New Castle, Indiana. It honors men and women associated with high school, college and professional basketball in Indiana....

for his success at the high school, college and professional levels of basketball, all within the state of Indiana.