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Archie Aldridge
Archie Aldridge (born c. 1954)[1] is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Florida State Seminoles and Miami RedHawks. Aldridge was awarded as the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year in 1978 and was a three-time all-conference selection with the RedHawks. He was selected in the 1978 NBA draft by the Washington Bullets and played professionally overseas for two seasons. High school careerAldridge is a native of Middletown, Ohio, and attended Middletown High School where he was named the best player in the state in 1973.[2] As a senior, he averaged a nation-best 35.2 points, 17 rebounds and 10 blocks per game.[3] Aldridge's 1,514 career points rank second in school history after Jerry Lucas.[3] His number 51 jersey was retired by the school in 2013.[3] College careerAldridge received many college scholarship offers and chose to play for the Florida State Seminoles which he later considered a mistake.[1] He only lasted one season with the Seminoles before he transferred to the Miami RedHawks in his home state of Ohio due to homesickness.[1] Aldridge was forced to sit out during the 1974–75 season due to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) transfer rules and experienced depression that he persevered through.[1] Aldridge returned for his sophomore season in 1975–76 and was selected to the All-Mid-American Conference (MAC) second-team.[1] He was selected to the first-team in 1977 as the RedHawks finished with a 20–6 record but were not invited to the NCAA tournament or National Invitation Tournament.[1] Aldridge was selected as the MAC Player of the Year during his senior season in 1977–78.[4] He led the RedHawks to an upset victory over the defending national champion Marquette Warriors in the first round of the 1978 NCAA tournament.[1] Aldridge left the RedHawks as their all-time leading scorer with 1,490 points and held the record until it was surpassed by Ron Harper.[1][5] Aldridge was inducted into the Miami Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989.[6] Professional careerAldridge was selected in the sixth round of the 1978 NBA draft by the Washington Bullets.[7] He joined the Bullets for their rookie camp in 1979 but was cut before the season began.[8] Aldridge played basketball overseas for two seasons.[1] He decided to return home after a phone call with his grandmother where she told him to "leave that ball alone."[1] Post-playing careerAldridge worked for 31 years as a substitute teacher throughout school districts in Ohio.[1] He also worked as a corrections officer at the Lebanon Correctional Institution.[1] Personal lifeAldridge is divorced and has four children.[1] He writes poetry, enjoys reading and considered a career as a motivational speaker.[1] Aldridge had heart issues and both hips replaced but stated his health was "very well" in a 2020 interview.[2] He is permanently disabled due to his hip replacements and uses a cane or walker to move.[1] References
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