Bill Willoughby

William Wesley Willoughby (born May 20, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player born in Englewood, New Jersey. After graduating from Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood, he was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1975 NBA draft as the first pick in the second round (19th overall), bypassing college for a chance to play professionally.[1] For his 1975–76 NBA season, he is the sixth youngest player ever to play an NBA game; he was the second youngest at the time, behind Stan Brown.

Bill Willoughby
Personal information
Born (1957-05-20) May 20, 1957
Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High schoolDwight Morrow
(Englewood, New Jersey)
NBA draft1975: 2nd round, 19th overall pick
Selected by the Atlanta Hawks
Playing career1975–1984
PositionSmall forward
Number32, 33, 34
Career history
1975–1977Atlanta Hawks
1977–1978Buffalo Braves
1979–1980Cleveland Cavaliers
1980–1982Houston Rockets
1982–1983San Antonio Spurs
1983–1984New Jersey Nets
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points2,930 (6.0 ppg)
Rebounds1,891 (3.9 rpg)
Assists413 (0.8 apg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

Playing career

While fellow notably young draftees Moses Malone (drafted into the American Basketball Association out of high school in 1974, prior to the 1976 ABA–NBA merger) and Darryl Dawkins enjoyed more successful professional careers, Willoughby had a career that was less distinguished. Nicknamed "Poodle" and “Son of Flubber”, he was a journeyman who played for six different NBA teams in eight years. Willoughby was tremendously athletic, having a 47-inch vertical leap. He had played center throughout his high school career, and was forced to play forward in the pros. On February 4, 1981, Willoughby scored a career high 21 points in a win against Dallas.[2] After that season, Willoughby gained some fame in the 1981 NBA postseason by becoming one of the few players ever to block Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's "skyhook" at its apex.[3] Willoughby and the Rockets later advanced to that year's 1981 NBA Finals, where he would play a key role in Houston's Game 2 92-90 win by scoring 14 points off the bench.[4] Houston would go on to lose the series in six games. His professional playing career ended with the New Jersey Nets in 1984, at the age of 26.

Post playing career

Though he later regretted skipping college, Willoughby eventually received his degree in communications from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2001, at the age of 44. The NBA fully paid all of his college expenses, and, in return, Willoughby is a special advisor to the NBA who counsels high school players considering forsaking college basketball for the NBA.[3]

Willoughby currently resides in Hackensack, New Jersey.[1]

References
  1. Broussard, Chris (November 16, 2003). "Why Pros Spent 20 Years Shunning High Schoolers". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved November 19, 2007.
  2. "Bill Willoughby Career High 21 Points". Statmuse.
  3. "Outside the Lines: Making The Leap". May 27, 2001. Archived from the original on 2012-10-25. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
  4. "Rockets Beat Celtics, Tie Series". The New York Times.
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