Jeff Cohen (basketball)

Jeffrey Maxwell Cohen (October 12, 1939 – June 23, 1978) was an All-American basketball player at the College of William & Mary in 1960-61.[1] He was selected as the 14th pick in the second round (23rd overall) of the 1961 NBA Draft by the Chicago Packers (now the Washington Wizards).[2]

Jeff Cohen
Personal information
Born(1939-10-12)October 12, 1939
Kenosha, Wisconsin
DiedJune 23, 1978(1978-06-23) (aged 38)
Zurich, Switzerland
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High schoolBradford (Kenosha, Wisconsin)
CollegeWilliam & Mary (1958–1961)
NBA draft1961 / Round: 2 / Pick: 23rd overall
Selected by the Chicago Packers
Playing career1961–1963
PositionPower forward
Career history
1961–1962Hawaii Chiefs
1962–1963Chicago Majors
Career highlights and awards
  • SoCon Player of the Year (1961)
  • SoCon Athlete of the Year (1961)
  • 2× First-team all-SoCon (1960, 1961)
  • Second-team all-SoCon (1959)
  • No. 52 retired by William & Mary

At William & Mary, Cohen played his way into the NCAA record books. He is the ninth all-time leading rebounder in the pre-1973 college basketball era, having grabbed 1,679 boards.[3] He is one of very few men's basketball players in NCAA history to score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds during a collegiate career. At the time of his graduation, he was only one of 10 players to ever accomplish that feat. As of 2019–20, Cohen's 2,003 career points rank fourth all-time at William & Mary.[4] He was a three-time All-Southern Conference selection from 1959 to 1961,[4] and in 1990 he had his jersey number retired posthumously.[5] Additionally, Jeff set a W&M single game scoring record of 49 points on February 25, 1961. He was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity.[6]

Despite being drafted to the NBA, Jeff was never signed by any team. He spent some time playing professionally in the now-defunct American Basketball League from 1961 to 1963. As a member of the Hawaii Chiefs, he averaged 10.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game for the 1961-62 season.[7] The following season, Cohen averaged 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists while playing for the Chicago Majors.[7]

See also

References

  1. Jews in Basketball. "Other All-America players included...Jeff Cohen, William and Mary, 1960-61." Accessed February 26, 2008.
  2. The Draft Review.com – Jeff Cohen, William & Mary. Accessed February 26, 2008.
  3. NCAA Men’s Career Leaders – HickokSports.com Archived 2012-06-29 at Archive.today. Accessed February 26, 2008.
  4. 2007-08 W&M men's basketball media guide: team history Archived 2008-07-05 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed March 18, 2008.
  5. 2006-07 Tribe basketball. Accessed February 26, 2008.
  6. Alumni Spirit - wm.edu Archived 2010-06-29 at the Wayback Machine. "...and Jeff Cohen '61, both members, along with Cheek, of Sigma Nu Fraternity." Accessed February 27, 2008.
  7. American Basketball League Statistics. Accessed February 27, 2008.
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