Bill Buntin

Bill Buntin

Buntin from 1965 Michiganensian
Personal information
Born	(1942-05-05)May 5, 1942 Detroit, Michigan
Died	May 9, 1968(1968-05-09) (aged 26) Detroit, Michigan
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school	Northern (Detroit, Michigan)
College	Michigan (1962–1965)
NBA draft	1965: Territorial
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Playing career	1965–1966
Position	Power forward / Center
Number	17
Career history
1965–1966	Detroit Pistons
Career highlights and awards
Consensus second-team All-American (1965) Third-team All-American – AP, NABC, UPI (1964)
Career NBA statistics
Points	324 (7.7 ppg)
Rebounds	252 (6.0 rpg)
Assists	36 (0.9 apg)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference

William L. "Bill" Buntin (May 5, 1942 – May 9, 1968) was an American basketball player. He played collegiately for the University of Michigan and in the NBA.

In three seasons playing center for Michigan, the 6' 7" Buntin had 1,037 rebounds, ranking second in school history. He averaged 15.7 rebounds a game in 1963 and recorded 58 double-doubles in 79 games, still a school record. His 1,725 points ranks 9th in school history. Playing with Cazzie Russell in the 1963-1964 season, Buntin helped Michigan win its first Big Ten title in 16 seasons and advance to the Final Four. In his senior year, the Wolverines advanced to the 1965 NCAA title game, where they lost, 91-80, to John Wooden's UCLA. He was named an All-American in both 1964 and 1965.

Buntin was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 1965 NBA Draft and played for the Pistons for 42 games in the 1965-66 season.

During a pick-up basketball game on May 9, 1968, Buntin suffered a fatal heart attack.

Buntin has received numerous posthumous honors for his accomplishments in basketball, including:

• He was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1980 as part of the third induction class. Only two basketball players, Cazzie Russell and Rudy Tomjanovich were inducted into the Hall of Honor before Buntin.
• In 2006, Buntin's jersey (#22) was honored and hung from the rafters at Crisler Arena. Buntin's jersey became the fifth to be honored in Crisler Arena. Only Cazzie Russell's jersey is retired.
• The award given each year to the best player on the Michigan basketball team is the Bill Buntin Most Valuable Player Award. Past winners include Lester Abram (2004), Dion Harris (2005), and Daniel Horton (2006).

See also

• University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor

External links

• Career statistics from NBA.com  and Basketball Reference
• Rafters at Crisler have company, by Jack Herman, Michigan Daily, 1/10/06
• Bentley Historical Library: Bill Buntin
• Bruce Madej, Champions of the West, p. 141