John Barnhill (basketball)
![]() | |
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | Sturgis, Kentucky | March 20, 1938
Died | November 11, 2013 | (aged 75)
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Lincoln (Evansville, Indiana) |
College | Tennessee State (1955–1959) |
NBA draft | 1959: 11th round, 77th overall pick |
Selected by the St. Louis Hawks | |
Playing career | 1960–1972 |
Position | Guard |
Number | 20, 21, 35, 30, 11, 12, 23, 15 |
Career history | |
1960–1962 | Cleveland Pipers |
1962–1965 | St. Louis Hawks |
1965–1966 | Detroit Pistons |
1966–1967 | Baltimore Bullets |
1967–1968 | San Diego Rockets |
1968–1969 | Baltimore Bullets |
1968–1969 | Scranton Miners |
1969–1971 | Indiana Pacers |
1971 | Denver Rockets |
1971–1972 | Indiana Pacers |
Career highlights and awards | |
Career NBA and ABA statistics | |
Points | 5,085 (8.6 ppg) |
Rebounds | 1,501 (2.5 rpg) |
Assists | 1,693 (2.9 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
John Anthony "Rabbit" Barnhill (March 20, 1938 – November 11, 2013) was an American former professional basketball player.[1]
Barnhill, along with Porter Meriwether, led the Evansville Lincoln High School Lions to an undefeated regular season and the city co-championship in 1954–55.
Born in Sturgis, Kentucky, the 6'1" guard was raised in Evansville, Indiana; he attended Tennessee State University, where he won an NAIA championships in 1957, 1958 and 1959. Barnhill's 1957 TSU Tigers were notable as the first all-black team to win a major American basketball tournament.[2] Meriwether joined him in time for the 1959 title.
He finished his career as the #2 scorer (1,253 points) behind Dick Barnett on the all-time TSU scoring list; today, he ranks #18. He was a 3 time NAIA All-American (1957, 1958 and 1959) and helped the Tigers to a 3-year record of 94-8 (.922).[3]
After his 1st season with the Pipers, he was selected for an American All-Star that toured the Soviet Union; other members of the U.S. State Department-sponsored team included Jerry Lucas, Les Lane, Dan Swartz, Ben Warley, Roger Taylor, Jack Adams, Mike Moran, Jerry Shipp, Gary Thompson, Jim Frances and Tom Meschery.[4]
From 1962 to 1969, Barnhill played in the National Basketball Association as a member of the St. Louis Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Baltimore Bullets, and San Diego Rockets. He averaged 8.6 points per game in his NBA career. Barnhill later spent time in the rival American Basketball Association, mainly as a member of the Indiana Pacers.[5] Additionally, Barnhill was selected in three separate NBA expansion drafts in three consecutive years, 1966 (Chicago Bulls), 1967 (San Diego Rockets), and 1968 (Phoenix Suns).
Following his playing career, Barnhill was an NBA assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, assisting Bill Sharman; he acted as the Lakers' interim coach during the 1974–75 season, while Sharman's wife was ill with cancer.[6]
Notes
- ^ "Barnhill passes away | Pacers Blogs". Blogs.pacers.com. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
- ^ Another all-black team was the first on Glory Road.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-04-24. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=748447
- ^ Career statistics.
- ^ "View Image". Local.evpl.org. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
- 1938 births
- 2013 deaths
- Amateur Athletic Union men's basketball players
- American Basketball League (1961–62) players
- American men's basketball players
- Baltimore Bullets (1963–1973) players
- Basketball players from Indiana
- Chicago Bulls expansion draft picks
- Denver Rockets players
- Detroit Pistons players
- Indiana Pacers players
- Phoenix Suns expansion draft picks
- San Diego Rockets expansion draft picks
- San Diego Rockets players
- Sportspeople from Evansville, Indiana
- St. Louis Hawks draft picks
- St. Louis Hawks players
- Tennessee State Tigers basketball players
- Guards (basketball)