Rich Eichhorst

Richard A. "Ike" Eichhorst (born October 21, 1933) is an American retired professional basketball player from St. Louis, Missouri who played one game with the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the St. Louis Hawks during the 1961–62 season. Eichhorst scored two points, had three assists, and grabbed one rebound in ten minutes of action. Eichhorst played college basketball for Southeast Missouri State University.

Rich Eichhorst
Eichhorst as a sophomore at SEMO
Personal information
Born (1933-10-21) October 21, 1933
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High schoolHancock (St. Louis, Missouri)
CollegeSoutheast Missouri State (1952–1956)
NBA draft1956: undrafted
PositionGuard
Career history
1962St. Louis Hawks
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

College

Eichhorst attended Southeast Missouri State College, now known as Southeast Missouri State University, where he was a four-year letternman.[1] He was a first-feam all-conference selection in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) as a junior and senior.[2] During the 1955–56 season, Eichhorst ranked third in the MIAA in scoring, averaging 16.6 points per game.[3] He was voted his team's most valuable player and captain as well as setting a school single-game scoring record of 36 points,[1] single-season scoring record of 333 points, and career points with 868.[4] In 2009, Eichhorst was inducted into the Southeast Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame.[1]

After college

After graduating from Southeast Missouri State with a degree in education, Eichhorst joined the United States Army,[5] where he toured in Amateur Athletic Union tournaments with an army basketball team from Fort Knox, Kentucky.[6][7] Upon being released from the Army in 1958, he returned to his high school, Hancock High School in St Louis, Missouri, becoming their athletic director, basketball and track coach.[5][7] In 1959, he averaged 24.3 points per game for Cocos to lead the Independent Basketball Association in scoring.[8]

Brief NBA career

While at Hancock in 1962, he played in the NBA for the St. Louis Hawks in the final game of their 1961–62 season. The team was short on players. He recorded a field goal, three assists and one rebound in 10 minutes of play in a 125–115 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.[9][10]

After basketball

He was appointed the principal of Hancock in 1968.[11]

Eichhorst was also an official in the American Football League, moving to the National Football League in 1970, the first season following the NFL-AFL merger. He resigned from the NFL at the conclusion of the 1970 campaign to concentrate on his career as a college basketball official, where he would carve out a lengthy and distinguished tenure officiating in the Big Eight and Missouri Valley conferences.

References
  1. "Rich "Ike" Eichhorst (2009) – Southeast Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame".
  2. "All-MIAA Honors Won By Oldham". Springfield Daily News. March 6, 1956. p. 11. Retrieved March 16, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Ausmus, Maack Appear Certain To Top Scoring". Springfield Daily News. February 25, 1956. p. 5. Retrieved March 16, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Eddlemon, Marty (February 29, 1956). "Pinch Hitting". Springfield Leader and Press. p. 19. Retrieved March 16, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Hancock High Announces Administrative Changes". Naborhood Link News. April 22, 1964. p. 1. Retrieved March 16, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Posen, Bob (January 8, 1959). "Eichhorst, Hancock Double Dilemma For Cleveland". St Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 5C. Retrieved March 16, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Hancock High Hires 2 Coaches". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. August 30, 1958. p. 11. Retrieved March 16, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Eichhorst Averages 24 Points". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. March 8, 1959. p. 5B. Retrieved March 16, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Sports Seens". News and Leader. Springfield, Missouri. March 18, 1962. p. C-4. Retrieved March 16, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Long Season Comes to Close for Hawks With Loss to Lakers". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. March 15, 1962. p. 3E. Retrieved March 16, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Hancock Place High Principal Is Appointed". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. April 10, 1968. p. 4S. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
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