Steve Nisenson
Encyclopedia
Steve H. Nisenson is an American former basketball player, who played the guard
position.
He set Hofstra University
's all-time scoring record in basketball, which stood for 43 years. He also set the all-time national college season free-throw record in 1964, becoming the first college player to have a free throw percentage of better than .900.
where he played basketball for Livingston High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in business management at Hofstra, and a Master's degree in guidance and counseling at Long Island University
.
from 1962–65, where he was an All American in both 1963 and 1964, and was the team's ball-handler and playmaker. He was also elected to the Eastern College Athletic Conference
small college All-East team in 1963, 1964, and 1965. In 1964, he was a unanimous selection as the most valuable basketball player in the Middle Atlantic Conference northern college division.
He set the school's career scoring record with 2,222 points, and it was not broken until 2008. At the time that he set the record, there were only three years of eligibility, and there were not any 3-point shots. The record stood for 43 years.
His 1963–64 season scoring average of 27.7 points per game is the second-highest total in Hofstra history. His career average of 26.8 points per game is also the second-highest in school history.
He set the all-time national college free-throw record in 1964, becoming the first college player to have a free-throw percentage of better than .900. In 1963–64 he had a .913 free throw percentage, which is still a Hofstra single-season record. Nisenson also holds the Hofstra single-season record for free throws made (230), in the same season. His career free throw percentage (.879) is the second-best all-time in Division II history.
in Israel, along with Tal Brody
and Ron Watts
.
Nisenson was drafted by the New York Knicks
with the 37th pick overall, in the fifth round of the 1965 NBA draft. He was at the team's training camp, but did not make the team.
He turned down an offer to play with the Kentucky Colonels
of the ABA
. Instead, he chose to coach basketball at Hofstra.
Nisenson later was the director of admissions at C.W. Post for 16 years.
He was inducted into the Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006. Hofstra also retired his jersey number (13), during the 2008–09 season.
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
position.
He set Hofstra University
Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
's all-time scoring record in basketball, which stood for 43 years. He also set the all-time national college season free-throw record in 1964, becoming the first college player to have a free throw percentage of better than .900.
Early life
Nisenson is Jewish, and was from Livingston, New JerseyLivingston, New Jersey
Livingston is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 29,366.Livingston was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813, from portions of Caldwell Township and Springfield...
where he played basketball for Livingston High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in business management at Hofstra, and a Master's degree in guidance and counseling at Long Island University
Long Island University
Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:...
.
College career
Nisenson played basketball for Hofstra UniversityHofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
from 1962–65, where he was an All American in both 1963 and 1964, and was the team's ball-handler and playmaker. He was also elected to the Eastern College Athletic Conference
Eastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
small college All-East team in 1963, 1964, and 1965. In 1964, he was a unanimous selection as the most valuable basketball player in the Middle Atlantic Conference northern college division.
He set the school's career scoring record with 2,222 points, and it was not broken until 2008. At the time that he set the record, there were only three years of eligibility, and there were not any 3-point shots. The record stood for 43 years.
His 1963–64 season scoring average of 27.7 points per game is the second-highest total in Hofstra history. His career average of 26.8 points per game is also the second-highest in school history.
He set the all-time national college free-throw record in 1964, becoming the first college player to have a free-throw percentage of better than .900. In 1963–64 he had a .913 free throw percentage, which is still a Hofstra single-season record. Nisenson also holds the Hofstra single-season record for free throws made (230), in the same season. His career free throw percentage (.879) is the second-best all-time in Division II history.
After college
He played on the United States basketball team at the 1965 Maccabiah Games1965 Maccabiah Games
Twenty-five nations send 1,200 athletes to compete in 21 sports at the 7th Maccabiah Games in 1965.First-time Maccabiah Games flags belonged to Iran, Jamaica, Peru, and Venezuela....
in Israel, along with Tal Brody
Tal Brody
Tal Brody is an American-Israeli former basketball player, and current Goodwill Ambassador of Israel, who lives in Israel. Brody was drafted # 12 in the National Basketball Association draft, but chose to pass up an NBA career to instead play basketball in Israel...
and Ron Watts
Ron Watts
Ronnie Watts is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'6" forward from Wake Forest University, Watts played in the NBA for two seasons as a member of the Boston Celtics. He scored 40 points in his NBA career....
.
Nisenson was drafted by the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
with the 37th pick overall, in the fifth round of the 1965 NBA draft. He was at the team's training camp, but did not make the team.
He turned down an offer to play with the Kentucky Colonels
Kentucky Colonels
The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did...
of the ABA
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
. Instead, he chose to coach basketball at Hofstra.
Nisenson later was the director of admissions at C.W. Post for 16 years.
Honors
In 2002, Nisenson was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in New York.He was inducted into the Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006. Hofstra also retired his jersey number (13), during the 2008–09 season.