Jack Smiley

Arthur John Smiley (December 22, 1922 – July 30, 2000) was an American professional basketball player. Smiley played basketball for Waterman High School, in Waterman, Illinois. With Gene Vance, Andy Phillip, Ken Menke, and Art Mathisen, Smiley was a member of the University of Illinois' "Whiz Kids" team that went 35-6 from 1941 to 1943, earning two Big Ten Conference championships. The team voted to turn down an invitation to the NCAA tournament in 1943, after Smiley, Vance and Phillip were inducted into the military mid-season.

Jack Smiley

Jack Smiley, 1948
Personal information
Born	(1922-12-22)December 22, 1922 Sandwich, Illinois
Died	July 30, 2000(2000-07-30) (aged 77) Des Moines, Iowa
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school	Waterman (Waterman, Illinois)
College	Illinois (1941–1943, 1945–1947)
BAA draft	1947: undrafted
Playing career	1947–1951
Position	Forward / guard
Number	37, 15, 10
Coaching career	1949–1951
Career history
As player:
1947–1949	Fort Wayne Pistons
1949	Anderson Packers
1949–1951	Waterloo Hawks
As coach:
1949–1951	Waterloo Hawks
Career highlights and awards
Third-team All-American – Converse (1943) Third-team All-American – Helms (1947)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

As an artillery corporal with the Army's 106th division, Smiley was engaged in one of the bloodiest skirmishes of the Battle of the Bulge- once firing his 105 mm Howitzer for 96 continuous hours. The 106th division suffered a 90% casualty rate in the skirmish.[1]

Smiley returned to Illinois for the 1946–47 season and won team MVP honors.[2]

After college, Smiley played two seasons in the National Basketball Association with the Fort Wayne Pistons, Anderson Packers, and Waterloo Hawks. He averaged 6.2 points per game in his NBA career.[3] Smiley also served as a player-coach for the Hawks for 27 games in the 1949–50 season, and posted an 11–16 record.[4]

Smiley spent his later years in Des Moines, Iowa. He died in 2000.[2]