__NOTOC__ The Amateur Athletic Union Men's Basketball All-Americans were players who competed in the

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It h ...

(AAU) between 1920–21 and 1967–68 and were chosen as the best players in the league during their respective seasons. Founded in 1888, the Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit, volunteer, sports organizations in the United States. It is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. The era between 1921 and 1968 is referred to as the "Golden Era" of AAU basketball while companies began vying for players to compete on their teams. There was a great allure to playing AAU basketball besides job security; by remaining in the AAU as opposed to the National Basketball League or American Basketball Association, players were able to retain their "amateur" status. Only amateurs were allowed to compete in the

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...

, and many AAU basketball alumni went on to compete for the United States during their careers. During this time period, thirty-three AAU All-Americans played on the

United States men's national basketball team The USA Basketball Men's National Team, commonly known as the United States men's national basketball team, is the basketball team representing the United States. They are the most successful team in international competition, winning medals in ...

in seven different Olympic Games: Joe Fortenberry, Carl Knowles, Frank Lubin, Art Mollner, Bill Wheatley (

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

); Don Barksdale, Bud Browning,

Shorty Carpenter Gordon "Shorty" Carpenter (September 24, 1919 – March 8, 1988) was an American basketball player, and part of gold medal winning American basketball team at the 1948 Summer Olympics. Born in Ash Flat, Arkansas and nicknamed ''Shorty'' despite ...

Bob Kurland Robert Albert Kurland (December 23, 1924 – September 29, 2013) was a American basketball center, who played for the two-time NCAA champion Oklahoma A&M Aggies (now Oklahoma State Cowboys) basketball team. He led the U.S. basketball team to go ...

, R. C. Pitts, Cab Renick ( 1948);

Ron Bontemps Ronald Yngve Bontemps (August 11, 1926 – May 13, 2017) was an American basketball player who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics. He was born in Taylorville, Illinois and attended Beloit College. He was a captain of the United States men's bask ...

, Bob Kurland, Frank McCabe,

Dan Pippin Dan Luther Pippin (October 20, 1926 – April 1, 1965) was an American basketball player who played for the University of Missouri. He later captained the American basketball team at the 1952 Summer Olympics that won the gold medal in Helsinki ...

, Howie Williams (

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...

); Dick Boushka,

Chuck Darling :''A fictional character named Chuck Darling was in the comedy series Back to You.'' Charles Frick Darling (March 20, 1930 – April 6, 2021) was an American basketball player who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics. Born in Denison, Iowa, Darl ...

, Burdie Haldorson,

Bob Jeangerard Robert Eugene Jeangerard (June 20, 1933 – July 5, 2014) was an American basketball player who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics. Born in Evanston, Illinois, Jeangerard played collegiately at the University of Colorado. He then played for th ...

, K. C. Jones,

Ron Tomsic Ronald Paul Tomsic (born April 3, 1933) is an American former basketball player. Tomsic, a guard born in Oakland, California, played college basketball at Stanford University from 1951–1955. A three-time All-PCC selection, he scored 1,416 po ...

, Gerry Tucker, Jim Walsh (

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim Elliot and Pete Fleming, ar ...

);

Bob Boozer Robert Louis Boozer (April 26, 1937 – May 19, 2012) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Boozer won a gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics and won an NBA Championship as a member of the ...

, Burdie Haldorson,

Adrian Smith Adrian Frederick "H" Smith (born 27 February 1957) is an English guitarist best known as a member of heavy metal band Iron Maiden, for whom he also writes songs and performs backing vocals both live and in the studio. Smith grew up in London ...

(

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Jan ...

); Larry Brown, Les Lane,

Jerry Shipp Jerome Franklin Shipp (September 27, 1935 – October 5, 2021) was an American basketball player. He played for the U.S. national team at the 1963 FIBA World Championship, 1963 Pan American Games and 1964 Summer Olympics, winning a gold medal at ...

(

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

); and Mike Barrett, John Clawson, Calvin Fowler, Jim King and Mike Silliman (

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Janu ...

). Eleven AAU All-Americans have also been enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as players. These players include Roger Brown,

Ace Gruenig Robert F. "Ace" Gruenig (March 12, 1913 – August 11, 1958) was an American basketball player during the 1930s and 1940s. The 6 ft. 8 in. (203 cm) Gruenig is considered one of the game's first great big men. The Chicago, Illinois nativ ...

Richie Guerin Richard Vincent Guerin (born May 29, 1932) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played with the National Basketball Association's (NBA) New York Knicks from 1956 to 1963 and was a player-coach of the St. Louis/Atla ...

Chuck Hyatt Charles D. Hyatt Jr. (February 28, 1908 – May 8, 1978) was a collegiate basketball player in the late 1920s. The Syracuse, New York native played three seasons at University of Pittsburgh under coach Clifford Carlson (1927–30). An exceptiona ...

, K. C. Jones, Bob Kurland,

Hank Luisetti Angelo-Giuseppi "Hank" Luisetti (June 16, 1916 – December 17, 2002) was an American college men's basketball player. He is considered to be one of the great innovators of the sport. In an era that featured the traditional two-handed set shot, ...

Jack McCracken Jack D. "Jumping Jack" McCracken (June 15, 1912 – January 5, 1958) was an American basketball player in the 1930s and 1940s. A native of Chickasha, Oklahoma, McCracken went to Classen High School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He attended Northw ...

, Andy Phillip, Jim Pollard, and

George Yardley George Harry Yardley III (November 3, 1928 – August 12, 2004) was an American basketball player. He was the first player in NBA history to score 2,000 points in one season, breaking the 1,932-point record held by George Mikan. Yardley was en ...

. Two other AAU All-Americans have been enshrined in other roles: Don Barksdale as a contributor and Larry Brown as a coach.

All-Americans by season

Most selections

This is a list for all of the All-Americans who received the honor at least three times. ;10 selections *

;7–9 selections *None ;6 selections *

;5 selections *

Forrest DeBernardi Forrest Sale "Red" DeBernardi (February 3, 1899 – April 29, 1970) was an American college basketball player in the 1920s. Standing 6 ft. 1 inches tall, DeBernardi was one of the best centers of his era, and played all five positions. ...

;4 selections * Don Barksdale, Berry Dunham, Burdie Haldorson, Frank McCabe, Jimmy McNatt, Bill Reigel,

George Starbuck George Edwin Starbuck (June 15, 1931 in Columbus, Ohio – August 15, 1996 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama) was an American poet of the neo-formalist school. Life Starbuck studied at Chadwick School, the California Institute of Technology, the Univers ...

;3 selections *

Glen Anderson A glen is a valley, typically one that is long and bounded by gently sloped concave sides, unlike a ravine, which is deep and bounded by steep slopes. Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrower ...

Vern Benson Vernon Adair Benson (September 19, 1924 – January 20, 2014) was an infielder/outfielder, coach, scout and interim manager in American Major League Baseball. During his playing career, he stood 5'11" (180 cm) tall, weighed 180 pounds (82&nbs ...

, George "Pidge" Browning, Howie Crittenden,

, Joe Fortenberry, Roy Lipscomb, Pete McCaffrey, Les O'Gara,

George Reeves George Reeves (born George Keefer Brewer; January 5, 1914 – June 16, 1959) was an American actor. He is best known for portraying Superman in the television series '' Adventures of Superman'' (1952–1958). His death at age 45 from a g ...

, Gary Thompson,

, George Williams, Howie Williams

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aau Men's Basketball All-Americans * Awards established in 1921 1968 disestablishments in the United States History of basketball 1921 establishments in the United States Awards disestablished in 1968

All-Americans by season

Most selections

See also

References