Tom Kozelko
Encyclopedia
Thomas William "Tom" Kozelko (born July 1, 1951 in Traverse City, Michigan
) is a retired American
basketball
player.
Kozelko starred at Central High School in Traverse City, and moved on to play collegiately at the University of Toledo
from 1970–73. Kozelko went on to become one of the best players in Rocket history, as he finished 1,561 points in his three-year career (freshmen were ineligible). He was the first player in Mid-American Conference
history to be named MAC player of the year
twice, in 1972 and 1973. He was named to the University of Toledo athletic Hall of Fame in 1983.
After completing his eligibility, Kozelko was drafted by the Capital Bullets
in the third round (48th pick overall) of the 1973 NBA Draft
. He played three seasons for the Bullets (who later renamed themselves the Washington Bullets), averaging 10.1 minutes and 2.2 points per game.
Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 14,674 at the 2010 census, with 143,372 in the Traverse...
) is a retired American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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.
Kozelko starred at Central High School in Traverse City, and moved on to play collegiately at the University of Toledo
University of Toledo
The University of Toledo is a public university in Toledo, Ohio, United States. The Carnegie Foundation classified the university as "Doctoral/Research Extensive."-National recognition:...
from 1970–73. Kozelko went on to become one of the best players in Rocket history, as he finished 1,561 points in his three-year career (freshmen were ineligible). He was the first player in Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
history to be named MAC player of the year
Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the most outstanding men's basketball player in the Mid-American Conference. The award was first given following the 1967–68 season. Four players have won the award multiple times: Tom Kozelko, Ron...
twice, in 1972 and 1973. He was named to the University of Toledo athletic Hall of Fame in 1983.
After completing his eligibility, Kozelko was drafted by the Capital Bullets
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
in the third round (48th pick overall) of the 1973 NBA Draft
1973 NBA Draft
The 1973 NBA Draft was the 27th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 24, 1973 before the 1973–74 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
. He played three seasons for the Bullets (who later renamed themselves the Washington Bullets), averaging 10.1 minutes and 2.2 points per game.