Howie Crittenden facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 13, 1933 Mayfield, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | August 30, 2013 (aged 80) Murray, Kentucky, U.S. |
| High school | Cuba (Cuba, Kentucky) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Career information | |
| College | Murray State (1952–1956) |
| NBA Draft | 1956 / Round: 10 / Pick: 73rd overall |
| Selected by the New York Knicks | |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1956–1960 | Peoria Caterpillars |
| As coach: | |
| 1958–1959 | Metropolis HS |
| 1960–1965 | Calloway County HS |
| 1965–1966 | Missouri (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Howard Royce Crittenden (born March 3, 1933 – died August 30, 2013) was an American basketball player. He was best known for his amazing college career at Murray State University. He also played in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), which was a big deal for basketball players back then.
Contents
Howie's Early Basketball Days
High School Heroics
Howie Crittenden first became famous as a high school basketball player. He played for the Cuba High School Cubs in Kentucky. Even though his school only had about 100 students, his team won the Kentucky state championship in 1952! They beat a much bigger school called Louisville Manual High. Howie was so good that he was named an all-state player in his last two years. He was also chosen as a high school All-American in his senior year.
College Success at Murray State
After high school, Howie went to Murray State University. He played basketball there for four years. During his time at Murray State, Howie scored a total of 2,019 points. This means he averaged about 19.4 points per game! When he graduated, he was the Racers' all-time leading scorer. No one had scored more points than him at that time.
Howie was the first player in his school's history to score over 2,000 points. What's even more impressive is that he did it without the help of the three-point shot. The three-point shot wasn't invented yet! He also holds the school record for making 731 free throws. This is still one of the best records in NCAA history. Because of his great achievements, Howie was added to the Murray State athletic Hall of Fame in 1970. He also joined the Kentucky basketball Hall of Fame in 1972.
Playing in the AAU and Coaching Career
Playing for the Peoria Caterpillars
After finishing college in 1956, Howie Crittenden was picked by the New York Knicks in the NBA draft. This was a big deal! However, back in those days, it was common for players to join company teams instead of professional ones. So, Howie decided to sign with Caterpillar Inc. to play for their AAU team, the Peoria Caterpillars.
Howie did really well playing for the Caterpillars. He was named an AAU All-American in three of his four seasons with the team. He even helped lead the Caterpillars to win two AAU championships in 1958 and 1960.
Becoming a Coach and Administrator
After he stopped playing basketball, Howie Crittenden became a coach and later worked in school administration. He was the head basketball coach at Metropolis High School in Metropolis, Illinois. He also coached at Calloway County High School in Murray, Kentucky.
Later, he worked in administration at Calloway County High School. He also worked at Henderson County High School in Henderson, Kentucky. For one season (1965–1966), Howie was also an assistant coach at the University of Missouri.
Howie Crittenden passed away on August 30, 2013, at his home in Murray, Kentucky.
