1950s All-Decade Team: Illinois High School Basketball Legends
The best Illinois high school basketball players of the 1950's as chosen from multiple All-State teams, multiple sports outlets, IHAS.org records and statistics, and the Basketball Museum of Illinois.
I started with 25 players that I had chosen from the All-State teams from the Champaign News-Gazette, Chicago Daily News, and Chicago Tribune. I also looked at the HOF players in the Basketball Museum of Illinois that is associated with the Illinois High School Association. I am sure that in my researching 10 years of Illinois high school basketball I overlooked some worthy players.
The All-Decade Team
Max Hooper — Mt. Vernon (1949-50)
6'7" Center — 2xAll-State, Parade All-American, College (Illinois). Back-to-back state championships in '49 and '50. (60-3 record) Scored 36 points in title game in '50. The 1950 Rams team was picked as the best high school team in America in 1950. (All-State Walt Moore was a guard on the state championship teams.)
Bruce Brothers — Quincy (1951-52)
6'5" Forward — 2xAll-State, Chuck Taylor HS All-American, College (Illinois). 1,464 Career Points (21 points and 17 rebounds career average). Runner-up to Hebron in State Tournament in 1952 (82-15 record in 3 years). He is #10 all-time in state tournament scoring.
Archie Dees — Mt. Carmel (1953-54)
6'8" Center — 2xAll-State, Chuck Taylor All-American, College (Indiana). 2,823 Career Points, HS Record (47-11). 2xAll-Big Ten. Led Big Ten in scoring in '57 and '58. 1st Round Draft Pick by the Cincinnati Royals.
Bobby Joe Mason — Centralia (1951-55)
6'0" Guard — 2xAll-State (3xAll-State in 3 other sports), College (Bradley). 2,025 Career Points, High School Record (105-22). Only player to be named 4xAll-Centralia Holiday Tournament. 2xAll-Missouri Conference. Drafted in 1960 by Cincinnati but chose to play with the Harlem Globetrotters.
Terry Bethel — Collinsville (1954-57)
6'7" Center — 2xAll-State, Chuck Taylor All-American, College (Vanderbilt & Illinois). Averaged 20 points over 78-game career at Collinsville (810 Rebounds). The Kahoks' record was 78-8 during Bethel's career. His 1956-57 team finished 2nd in the state tournament.
Charles 'Chico' Vaughn — Egyptian (Tamms HS) (1954-58)
6'2" Guard — 2xAll-State, 2xHS All-American, College (SIU). 3,358 Career Points — #1 in Illinois HS History. 1,085 Points in Sr. Season (67 points in one game). All-Time leading scorer at SIU with 2,088. Played 5 years in the NBA and 3 years in the ABA with the Pipers, including the 1968 championship.
*George Wilson — Chicago (Marshall) (1958-60)
6'8" Center — 3xAll-State, 2xHS All-American, College (Cincinnati). 2,285 Career Points. Marshall won the state championship in 1958 and 1960. Wilson's career record was 87-6 in 3 years on the varsity. The University of Cincinnati won the NCAA Championship in 1962. Wilson played on the 1964 Olympic team that won the Gold. Drafted in the 1st round and played for 7 years in the NBA.
Paxton Lumpkin — Chicago (DuSable) (1953-54)
6'0" Guard — 2xAll-State (Arguably #1 player in the state in '54). College (Indiana). Averaged 27 points as a senior. Lost to Mt. Vernon in the finals of the state tournament in 1954 (31-2). Lumpkin's DuSable team was 58-5 in his junior and senior year. After 2 years at Indiana, Lumpkin joined the Globetrotters. The DuSable team is remembered for their great play and for their high character. They are still regarded by many as Chicago's favorite high school basketball team.
Ted Caiazza — LaGrange Lyons (1953-54)
6'7" Center — 2xAll-State, HS All-American, College (Illinois). 1,704 Career Points. 30-point average in 1953 state tournament games, which they won. Three-year career record was 71-4.
John Tidwell — Herrin (1957)
6'4" Forward, College (Michigan). All-State, 2nd Team Parade All-American. Herrin won the state tournament in '57. Tidwell averaged 28.3 points as a junior and 31.2 his senior year. The Tiger team was 59-5 his junior and senior seasons. Scored 1,386 points in his career as a Wolverine (20.1 average). All-Big Ten. 4th round draft pick of the Philadelphia Warriors.
The Sleeper Pick
Oliver 'Ollie' Rollins — Carrier Mills (1956) — The Sleeper Pick
My final pick and my "sleeper" pick is a player that did not make any all-state teams. He was 5 years ahead of me in school, so I did not play against him. But everyone from Southern Illinois knew that Oliver 'Ollie' Rollins from Carrier Mills was a great player. He finished his 4-year career in 1956 with 2,362 points. He was 6'3" and about 240 lbs., all man. Carrier Mills won 64 games in the 4 years Rollins played. He definitely is one of the best high school players in the 50s. He passes my eye test. Rollins went straight from high school to play for the Harlem Globetrotters.
*George Wilson belongs in the 1960s decade when he graduated from Marshall. He was a 3xAll-State player, but his graduation year is 1960.
The 1950 State Champion Mt. Vernon Rams
This is a picture of the 1950 State Champion Mt. Vernon Rams. In two years, '49 and '50, they were 60-3. They were voted the best high school team in America. Max Hooper and Walt Moore made All-State. This is the first of my all-decade teams.
Comments (1)
Bruce Brothers and Archie Dees were both named national player of year in high school. Both by Converse magazine and by MaxPreps. The nomination of Archie Dees as player of the year in 1954 kept Philadelphia Overbrook junior Wilt Chamberlain from being a 2 time POTY nominee. Dike Eddleman was previously chosen as a 2 time Player of the Year, 1941 and 42.
