Willie Murrell

Willie Murrell

Personal information
Born	(1941-09-13)September 13, 1941 Taft, Oklahoma
Died	December 6, 2018(2018-12-06) (aged 77) Denver, Colorado
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school	Moton (Taft, Oklahoma)
College	Eastern Oklahoma State (1960–1962) Kansas State (1962–1964)
NBA draft	1964: 4th round, 31st overall pick
Selected by the St. Louis Hawks
Playing career	1964–1970
Position	Small forward
Number	44
Career history
1965–1967	Scranton Miners
1967–1968	Denver Rockets
1968–1970	Miami Floridians
1970	Kentucky Colonels
Career highlights and awards
EBA Most Valuable Player (1967) 2× First-team All-Big Eight (1963, 1964) AP All-American Honorable Mention (1964) No. 44 Jersey retired by Kansas State Wildcats
Career ABA statistics
Points	2,988 (13.1 ppg)
Rebounds	1,655 (7.3 rpg)
Assists	233 (1.0 apg)
Stats at Basketball Reference

Willie Vernon Murrell (September 13, 1941 – December 6, 2018) was an American professional basketball player.

Murrell was born in Taft, Oklahoma.[1] A 6'6" forward, he played at Kansas State University from 1962 to 1964. He averaged 20.6 points and 10.7 rebounds per game during his time at Kansas State and was a 1964 All-American AP Honorable Mention.[2] In 1964, he led Kansas State to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. The team was eliminated by UCLA, despite a 29-point, 13-rebound effort from Murrell.[3] In 2009, Murrell's No. 44 jersey was retired by Kansas State.[3]

After college, Murrell played three seasons in the American Basketball Association as a member of the Denver Rockets, Miami Floridians, and Kentucky Colonels. He averaged 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds in 228 ABA games.[4]

Murrell died on December 6, 2018, at age 77 in Denver, Colorado.[5][6]

References

1. "Murrell, Willie". Kansas Sports Hall of Fane. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
2. "AP Names All-America College Basketball Team". Danville Register & Bee. Associated Press. March 4, 1964. p. 2B. Retrieved May 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Murrell, Richmond to have Jerseys Retired". K-State Athletics. January 20, 2009. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
4. Willie Murrell statistics. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on September 20, 2009.
5. "Willie Murrell, former K-State basketball star, dead at 77". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 20, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
6. Black, Ryan (December 21, 2018). "K-State basketball legend Willie Murrell dies at 78". Manhattan Mercury. Retrieved December 22, 2018.