&sq=&lang=&file=File:John_Barnhill.jpg) Barnhill, c. 1970 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 20, 1938 Sturgis, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | November 11, 2013 (aged 75) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Lincoln (Evansville, Indiana) |
| College | Tennessee State (1955–1959) |
| NBA draft | 1959: 11th round, 77th overall pick |
| Selected by the St. Louis Hawks | |
| Playing career | 1960–1972 |
| Position | Point guard / shooting guard |
| Number | 20, 21, 35, 30, 11, 12, 23, 15 |
| Coaching career | 1972–1975 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1960–1962 | Cleveland Pipers |
| 1962–1965 | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1965–1966 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1966–1967 | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1967–1968 | San Diego Rockets |
| 1968–1969 | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1968–1969 | Scranton Miners |
| 1969–1971 | Indiana Pacers |
| 1971 | Denver Rockets |
| 1971–1972 | Indiana Pacers |
| As coach: | |
| 1972–1975 | Los Angeles Lakers (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Career NBA and ABA statistics | |
| Points | 5,085 (8.6 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,501 (2.5 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,693 (2.9 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
John Anthony "Rabbit" Barnhill (March 20, 1938 – November 11, 2013) was an American professional basketball player.[1]
Barnhill, along with Porter Meriwether, led the Evansville Lincoln High School Lions to an undefeated regular season and the city co-championship in 1954–55.
Born in Sturgis, Kentucky, the 6'1" guard was raised in Evansville, Indiana; he attended Tennessee State University, where he won an NAIA championships in 1957, 1958 and 1959. Barnhill's 1957 TSU Tigers were notable as the first all-black team to win a major American basketball tournament.[2] Meriwether joined him in time for the 1959 title.
He finished his career as the #2 scorer (1,253 points) behind Dick Barnett on the all-time TSU scoring list; today, he ranks #18. He was a 3 time NAIA All-American (1957, 1958 and 1959) and helped the Tigers to a 3-year record of 94–8 (.922).[3]
After his 1st season with the Pipers, he was selected for an American All-Star that toured the Soviet Union; other members of the U.S. State Department-sponsored team included Jerry Lucas, Les Lane, Dan Swartz, Ben Warley, Roger Taylor, Jack Adams, Mike Moran, Jerry Shipp, Gary Thompson, Jim Frances and Tom Meschery.[4]
From 1962 to 1969, Barnhill played in the National Basketball Association as a member of the St. Louis Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Baltimore Bullets, and San Diego Rockets. He averaged 8.6 points per game in his NBA career. Barnhill later spent time in the rival American Basketball Association, mainly as a member of the Indiana Pacers.[5] Additionally, Barnhill was selected in three separate NBA expansion drafts in three consecutive years, 1966 (Chicago Bulls), 1967 (San Diego Rockets), and 1968 (Phoenix Suns).
Following his playing career, Barnhill was an NBA assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, assisting Bill Sharman; he acted as the Lakers' interim coach during the 1974–75 season, while Sharman's wife was ill with cancer.[6]
- ^ "Barnhill passes away | Pacers Blogs". Blogs.pacers.com. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2013.
- ^ Another all-black team was the first on Glory Road Archived 2015-06-10 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "TSU Mourns the Loss of John Barnhill - Tennessee State Tigers Athletics". Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
- ^ "View Image".
- ^ "John Barnhill NBA/ABA statistics". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ "View Image". Local.evpl.org. Retrieved November 15, 2013.