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Bill Chambers (basketball)

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Bill Chambers
Personal information
Born(1930-12-13)December 13, 1930
Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S.
DiedJuly 11, 2017(2017-07-11) (aged 86)
Alexander City, Alabama, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Career information
High schoolE. C. Glass (Lynchburg, Virginia)
CollegeWilliam & Mary (1950–1953)
NBA draft1953: – round, –
Selected by the Minneapolis Lakers
PositionCenter
Number32
Career history
As coach:
1953–1954Warwick HS
1954–1957Newport News HS
1957–1966William & Mary
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

William B. Chambers (December 13, 1930 – July 11, 2017) was an American college basketball player and coach for the William & Mary Tribe.[1]

Playing career

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High school

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He attended E. C. Glass High School in Lynchburg, Virginia where he led his team to a state championship and an undefeated season (22–0) during his senior year.[1]

William & Mary

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Chambers then went on to play collegiately for the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia from 1950 to 1953. He earned all-state, All-Southern Conference and Helms All-American status while playing for the Tribe. On February 14 of his senior year, Chambers set an NCAA single game rebound record of 51 against the University of Virginia.[1] It is a record that still stands to this day. He was also selected as Virginia's Outstanding Collegiate Basketball Player that same year.[2]

Chambers ended his William & Mary career with 1,456 points. He also set the Virginia schools' record for rebounds in a single season when he grabbed 509 in 1951–52.[3] His jersey number (#32) was retired and now hangs in the rafters of Kaplan Arena.[2]

NBA

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In the 1953 NBA draft, Chambers was selected by the Minneapolis Lakers as their 11th pick.[2] Despite the selection, he was cut by the Lakers during preseason.

Coaching career

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In 1957, Chambers returned to his alma mater to coach his former team after several years of highly successful high school coaching.[1] Over the course of the next nine seasons (six of which were winning years), he compiled at 113–110 career record, a win total not surpassed by any other W&M men's basketball coach until Tony Shaver passed the mark in February 2013.[2][4] The most notable win during his tenure was on January 30, 1960, when his unranked Tribe defeated No. 4 West Virginia University 94–86. The win broke the Mountaineers' 56-game Southern Conference winning streak.[2] For his accomplishments, Chambers has been inducted into the William & Mary Hall of Fame. In 1995, Chambers was also inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.[1]

Head coaching record

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
William & Mary Indians[5] (Southern Conference) (1957–1966)
1957–58 William & Mary 15–14 9–9 5th
1958–59 William & Mary 13–11 7–7 4th
1959–60 William & Mary 15–11 10–5 3rd
1960–61 William & Mary 14–10 9–6 4th
1961–62 William & Mary 7–17 5–11 T–8th
1962–63 William & Mary 15–9 10–5 3rd
1963–64 William & Mary 9–13 5–9 7th
1964–65 William & Mary 12–13 6–8 6th
1965–66 William & Mary 13–12 8–3 3rd
William & Mary: 113–110 (.507) 69–63 (.523)
Total: 113–110 (.507)

Later years and death

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After retiring from coaching in 1966, Chambers worked in sales and management for the Converse shoe company and later became a salesman of sporting goods in Florida. In 1990, he was appointed vice president of sales for Russell Athletic.[6]

Chambers died on July 11, 2017, in Alexander City, Alabama, following a lengthy battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 86.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e HOF Inductees 1995: Bill Chambers Archived February 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Accessed March 19, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c d e William & Mary 2007–08 Media Guide – All-Time Stats & Players Archived July 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Accessed March 19, 2008.
  3. ^ Virginia Basketball Records: Men's Division I Individual Records[permanent dead link]. Accessed March 19, 2008.
  4. ^ "Tribe Sweeps Season Series with ODU as Tony Shaver Sets W&M Wins Mark". Comcast SportsNet Washington. Archived from the original on April 8, 2013. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  5. ^ "2011-12 Tribe Men's Basketball Media Supplement". College of William & Mary. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  6. ^ a b O'Connor, John (July 15, 2017). "Former W&M star Bill Chambers, NCAA record-holder with 51 rebounds in a game, dies". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
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