Paul Unruh
Encyclopedia
Paul R. Unruh is an American
former college basketball standout at Bradley University
from 1946 to 1950. He finished as Bradley's all-time leading scorer and was a Consensus First Team All-American
as a senior
in 1949–50. A native of the greater Peoria, Illinois
metropolitan area, Unruh attended Toulon High School prior to matriculating at Bradley.
scoring record at Bradley until Mitchell "J.J." Anderson
surpassed it in 1979. Over the course of his four-year career, Unruh scored 1,822 points and led Bradley in scoring all four seasons. When he graduated he was the school's all-time leading scorer and is one of two players to lead the Braves
in scoring all four years. In his senior season, Unruh scored 475 points while leading Bradley to second place finishes in both the National Invitation Tournament (NIT)
and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament
—a team accomplishment that had never been accomplished, nor will ever be accomplished again to due the impossibility of a team participating in both postseason tournaments in the same season. When Unruh's career ended, he had won 112 of the 135 games he played in during his tenure and is considered one of the pioneers of the modern jump shot
.
Unruh was selected as the 9th pick in the second round (20th overall) of the 1950 NBA Draft
by the Indianapolis Olympians
, but never ended up playing in the league.
, however, and missed out on an opportunity to win a gold medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics
in Helsinki
, Finland
. He played for the National AAU Basketball League's Peoria Cats after his stint in the military, but did not play competitively afterward.
Unruh returned to Peoria and entered the insurance business. He got married and had three children—Brent, Brenda and Bryce.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former college basketball standout at Bradley University
Bradley University
Bradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
from 1946 to 1950. He finished as Bradley's all-time leading scorer and was a Consensus First Team All-American
1950 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
The Consensus 1950 College Basketball All-American team, as determined by aggregating the results of five 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,...
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 1949–50. A native of the greater Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
metropolitan area, Unruh attended Toulon High School prior to matriculating at Bradley.
Bradley career
As a freshman in 1946–47, Unruh scored 383 points, which was a freshmanFreshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
scoring record at Bradley until Mitchell "J.J." Anderson
J. J. Anderson
Mitchell Keith Anderson is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . His position was power forward. He stood at 6'10" and weighed 235 lbs...
surpassed it in 1979. Over the course of his four-year career, Unruh scored 1,822 points and led Bradley in scoring all four seasons. When he graduated he was the school's all-time leading scorer and is one of two players to lead the Braves
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 scoring all four years. In his senior season, Unruh scored 475 points while leading Bradley to second place finishes in both the National Invitation Tournament (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...
and National Collegiate Athletic Association (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...
—a team accomplishment that had never been accomplished, nor will ever be accomplished again to due the impossibility of a team participating in both postseason tournaments in the same season. When Unruh's career ended, he had won 112 of the 135 games he played in during his tenure and is considered one of the pioneers of the modern jump shot
Jump shot
In basketball , a jump shot is an attempt to score a basket by jumping, usually straight up, and in mid-jump, propelling the ball in an arc into the basket. It is accomplished by the player bringing his or her elbow up until it is aligned with the hoop, then sent towards the hoop in a high arc. It...
.
Unruh was selected as the 9th pick in the second round (20th overall) of the 1950 NBA Draft
1950 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 Indianapolis Olympians
Indianapolis Olympians
The Indianapolis Olympians were a National Basketball Association team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. They were founded in 1949 and folded in 1953. Their home arena was the Hinkle Fieldhouse.-Franchise history:...
, but never ended up playing in the league.
Post college
Two years after graduating from Bradley, Unruh earned a spot on the United States Olympic basketball team's roster. He was drafted into the armyUnited 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...
, however, and missed out on an opportunity to win a gold medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. He played for the National AAU Basketball League's Peoria Cats after his stint in the military, but did not play competitively afterward.
Unruh returned to Peoria and entered the insurance business. He got married and had three children—Brent, Brenda and Bryce.