Roland Minson facts for kids
Minson from the 1951 Banyan
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| No. 11 | |
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| Small forward | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | February 18, 1929 Idaho Falls, Idaho |
| Nationality | American |
| Died | January 1, 2020 (aged 90) Afton, Wyoming |
| High school | Idaho Falls (Idaho Falls, Idaho) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | BYU (1948–1951) |
| NBA Draft | 1951 / Round: 2 / Pick: 15th overall |
| Selected by the New York Knicks | |
| Coaching career | 1961–1963 |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
| 1961–1963 | BYU (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Roland T. Minson (born February 18, 1929 – died January 1, 2020) was an American basketball player and coach. He is famous for his time playing college basketball at Brigham Young University (BYU). He helped his team, the BYU Cougars, win the 1951 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship.
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Roland Minson's Early Life and College Basketball
Roland Minson grew up in Idaho Falls, Idaho. He went to Idaho Falls High School before joining BYU. At BYU, he quickly became a key player for the Cougars basketball team.
Becoming a Star Player at BYU
Minson played for BYU for three years. He was chosen as a first-team All-Conference player in each of those years. This means he was one of the best players in his college league.
In his final year, Minson scored an average of 16.7 points per game. He and his teammate, Mel Hutchins, led the Cougars to an amazing win. They won the 1951 National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Back then, winning the NIT was a very big deal. It was seen as important as winning the NCAA Tournament.
NIT Champion and MVP
During the 1951 NIT, Minson played incredibly well. He scored an average of 26 points in each game of the tournament. Because of his great performance, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament.
After the college basketball season ended, Minson was chosen for a special game. He played in the College East-West All-Star game, representing the best players from the West.
Minson's Scoring Record
During his college career at BYU, Roland Minson scored a total of 1,407 points. When he graduated, this made him the highest-scoring player in BYU's history. His record stood for many years until another great player, Krešimir Ćosić, broke it in 1973.
After College: NBA Draft and Other Paths
After college, the New York Knicks picked Minson in the 1951 1951 NBA draft. He was the 15th player chosen overall in the draft.
Serving His Country
However, Minson did not join the Knicks right away. He was called to serve in the United States Navy during the Korean War. He was part of the All-Navy team in 1952.
Banking and Coaching
When he returned from the Navy, Minson decided not to play for the Knicks. Instead, he started a career in banking. He still played basketball, though, for the Denver Bankers team in the Amateur Athletic Union.
Later, Minson returned to BYU as an assistant coach. He worked with head coach Stan Watts from 1961 to 1963. After his time coaching, Minson went back to working in the banking industry.
Honoring a Legend
On February 16, 2013, BYU honored Roland Minson in a special way. His jersey number, 11, was retired by the BYU Cougars. This means no other player on the team will wear that number again. His former teammate, Mel Hutchins, was also honored at the same time.
Roland Minson's Family Life
Roland Minson was married to Carol, and they had seven children together. Carol passed away in 2017. Roland Minson died at his home in Afton, Wyoming, on January 1, 2020. He was 90 years old.
