Roland Minson

Roland T. Minson (February 18, 1929 – January 1, 2020) was an American basketball player and coach, best known for his college career at Brigham Young University (BYU), where he led the Cougars to the 1951 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship.[1]

Roland Minson
Minson from the 1951 Banyan
Personal information
Born(1929-02-18)February 18, 1929
Idaho Falls, Idaho
DiedJanuary 1, 2020(2020-01-01) (aged 90)
Afton, Wyoming
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High schoolIdaho Falls (Idaho Falls, Idaho)
CollegeBYU (1948–1951)
NBA draft1951: 2nd round, 15th overall pick
Selected by the New York Knicks
PositionSmall forward
Number11
Coaching career1961–1963
Career history
As coach:
1961–1963BYU (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

Minson came to BYU from Idaho Falls High School in Idaho Falls, Idaho.[2] He became a three-year starter and was a first team All-Conference pick for each of his varsity seasons. In his senior season, Minson averaged 16.7 points and along with teammate Mel Hutchins, led the Cougars to the 1951 National Invitation Tournament title at a time when the NIT winner was considered a national champion on par with the NCAA Tournament titlists. Minson averaged 26 points per game in the tournament to take MVP honors.[3] Following the conclusion of the NIT and NCAA Tournaments, Minson was selected to represent the West in the College East-West All-Star game.[4] In his BYU career, Minson scored 1,407 points. At the time of his graduation, this made him the all-time leading scorer in Cougar history - a mark that would stand until Krešimir Ćosić broke it in 1973.[5]

Following the close of his college career, Minson was drafted by the New York Knicks in the second round of the 1951 NBA draft (15th pick overall). However, he was drafted into active duty in the United States Navy for the Korean War. Upon returning, he passed on an offer to join the Knicks to go into the banking industry, continuing his basketball career with the Denver Bankers in the Amateur Athletic Union.[5] He was on the All-Navy team in 1952. He served as an assistant coach at BYU from 1961 to 1963 under Stan Watts. Following his coaching stint, Minson returned to banking.[6]

On February 16, 2013, Minson's jersey was retired by BYU alongside his former teammate Mel Hutchins.[7]

Alongside his wife Carol, Minson raised seven children. Carol died in 2017. Minson died in his home in Afton, Wyoming on January 1, 2020. He was 90 years old.[6]

References
  1. Steele, Rocky (March 5, 2013). "BYU's Forgotten Basketball Champions". ldsliving.com. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  2. Goates, Les (June 14, 1947). "Looks Good for US Cleanup in Olympiad". Deseret News. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
  3. Wright, Earl (March 31, 1951). "Mighty Mites may Steal Casaba Show". Deseret News. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2020-10-14. Retrieved 2020-10-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Roland Minson BYU profile". BYU Cougars. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
  6. Walker, Sean (January 1, 2020). "Legendary BYU basketball star Roland Minson dies at 90". ksl.com. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  7. Erickson, Dahl (February 5, 2013). "Valley resident, Roland Minson, to have jersey retired by BYU". Star Valley Independent. Archived from the original on June 11, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
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