RIP Gene King

[gtcam]

Gene was a Hartford (Buckley) HS basketball star after WW2 and played at UConn in the early 50s. I think he was captain of the 53-54 UConn team.
I met him many years ago with my father at an alumni pre basketball game gathering vs Maine at the old fieldhouse.
Nice man
My condolences and sympathies go to the King family

 

[WhiteDressWes]

Gene was a Hartford (Buckley) HS basketball star after WW2 and played at UConn in the early 50s. I think he was captain of the 53-54 UConn team.
I met him many years ago with my father at an alumni pre basketball game gathering vs Maine at the old fieldhouse.
Nice man
My condolences and sympathies go to the King family

The Bulkeley School in New London not Hartford

 

[Sphinx]

Gene actually played in the 51-52 and 52-53 seasons. He than left school for a long stint in the service. He came back for his senior year in 57-58 as a 24-year-old. The 57-58 team lives in my personal memory as the most under-performing UConn team I have followed, save perhaps for the 2011-12 edition, under Calhoun. They had a tall, deep frontcourt that included Al Cooper, Billy Schmidt, Wayne Davis, Paul Kaspar, John Pipcynski and Ed Martin. The backcourt featured Jack Rose in his first year and veteran Jim O'Connor. Expectations were through the roof. Trouble is, they had exactly one other guard on the roster, and that was Gene King. I suspect that Hugh Greer, knowing the backcourt cupboard was pretty bare, influenced Gene to return to school. Unfortunately, three guards were simply not enough, and the team finished 17-10.

 

[gtcam]

Gene actually played in the 51-52 and 52-53 seasons. He than left school for a long stint in the service. He came back for his senior year in 57-58 as a 24-year-old. The 57-58 team lives in my personal memory as the most under-performing UConn team I have followed, save perhaps for the 2011-12 edition, under Calhoun. They had a tall, deep frontcourt that included Al Cooper, Billy Schmidt, Wayne Davis, Paul Kaspar, John Pipcynski and Ed Martin. The backcourt featured Jack Rose in his first year and veteran Jim O'Connor. Expectations were through the roof. Trouble is, they had exactly one other guard on the roster, and that was Gene King. I suspect that Hugh Greer, knowing the backcourt cupboard was pretty bare, influenced Gene to return to school. Unfortunately, three guards were simply not enough, and the team finished 17-10.

thanks for the specifics
I was a young lad when I first met him with my Dad
I remember he told us about going into the military but I thought it was upon graduation
White Dress is correct - I just looked it up and he did play at Bulkeley in New London not Bulkeley in Hartford - at 10 or 12 yo the only school I knew that sounded like that was in Hartford and to be honest, I never heard of the Bulkely school in New London and thought the Hartford school was/is Buckley! Learned something new today - Thanks

 

[gtcam]

The Bulkeley School in New London not Hartford

Thanks for the correction

 

[Storrsbred]

Gene actually played in the 51-52 and 52-53 seasons. He than left school for a long stint in the service. He came back for his senior year in 57-58 as a 24-year-old. The 57-58 team lives in my personal memory as the most under-performing UConn team I have followed, save perhaps for the 2011-12 edition, under Calhoun. They had a tall, deep frontcourt that included Al Cooper, Billy Schmidt, Wayne Davis, Paul Kaspar, John Pipcynski and Ed Martin. The backcourt featured Jack Rose in his first year and veteran Jim O'Connor. Expectations were through the roof. Trouble is, they had exactly one other guard on the roster, and that was Gene King. I suspect that Hugh Greer, knowing the backcourt cupboard was pretty bare, influenced Gene to return to school. Unfortunately, three guards were simply not enough, and the team finished 17-10.

Condolences to the King family.
If I remember correctly, Cooper and Schmidt were 6’7”. That was almost unheard of in those days, to have twin towers like that. It was very disappointing when they had a so-so season.

 

[UConnLen]

Bulkeley HS in New London was a basketball powerhouse in the40s and 50s, winning a New England Championship in 1951 and playing in others. In the late 50s I think they merged with Chapman Tech to become New London HS.