George Davidson (basketball)

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George Davidson
Personal information
Born(1925-10-17)October 17, 1925
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedMarch 5, 2017(2017-03-05) (aged 91)
Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
CollegeLafayette (1948–1951)
NBA draft1951: 8th round, 77th overall pick
Selected by the Rochester Royals
Playing career1951–1952
PositionGuard
Career history
As player:
1951–1952Reading Merchants
1952Lancaster Rockets
As coach:
1955–1967Lafayette
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at Basketball-Reference.com

George E. Davidson (October 17, 1925 – March 5, 2017)[1] was an American basketball coach and professional player. He played college basketball for the Lafayette Leopards from 1948 to 1951. After a brief professional career, Davidson returned to serve as head coach of Lafayette from 1955 to 1967.

Playing career[edit]

Davidson served as the captain of the Leopards basketball team during his senior season.[2] He set team records in single-season scoring with 473 points and a single-game performance with 34 points.[2] Davidson's points were ranked 13th highest in the nation.[2]

Davidson was selected in the 1951 NBA draft by the Rochester Royals but chose to sign with the Reading Merchants of the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL).[2] He split the 1951–52 season in the EPBL with the Merchants and the Lancaster Rockets.[2][3] Davidson averaged 9.7 points per game in 17 games played.[3]

Coaching career[edit]

Davidson began his coaching career at the Pennsylvania Military Preparatory School and Germantown Academy.[2] He returned to Lafayette and replaced Butch van Breda Kolff to become the youngest head coach in the basketball team's history at the age of 28.[2] Davidson's 1956–57 team accumulated a 22–5 record and secured the team's first appearance in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.[2] His Lafayette teams compiled a 170–116 record during his 12-year tenure.[2]

Davidson spent more than 20 years as an assistant athletic director for Lafayette where he was responsible for ticketing and business affairs. He also coached the college's golf team.[2]

Davidson was inducted into the Lafayette Maroon Club Hall of Fame for its 1977–78 class.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "George E. Davidson". The Express-Times. March 13, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Maroon Club Hall of Famer George Davidson Passes Away at 91". Lafayette College. March 7, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "George Davidson minor league basketball statistics". StatsCrew. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  4. ^ "George Davidson". Lafayette College. Retrieved November 17, 2021.

External links[edit]