Robert Van Sickle McKeen (November 30, 1933 – December 31, 1999) was an American

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player, best known for his All-American college career at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

. McKeen, a 6'7 center out of Piedmont High School in Piedmont, California, played for the

Cal Golden Bears The California Golden Bears are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Berkeley. Referred to in athletic competition as ''California'' or ''Cal'', the university fields 30 varsity athletic programs and various club te ...

under coaches

Nibs Price Clarence Merle "Nibs" Price (April 26, 1889 – January 13, 1968) was a basketball and American football coach. After coaching at San Diego High School, he served as the head football coach at the University of California, Berkeley from 1926 to 1 ...

and Pete Newell. He was a four-year starter for the Bears, earning all-Pacific Coast Conference accolades in each of his four seasons. He was also named an honorable mention All-American by the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

and a second-team All-American pick by the

International News Service The International News Service (INS) was a U.S.-based news agency (newswire) founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.

. McKeen left Cal as the school's all-time leading scorer (1,632 points, record since eclipsed) and rebounder (1,019). Years later, McKeen would be inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame and the

Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Hall of Honor The Pac-12 Conference Hall of Honor recognizes former athletes and coaches who have made a significant impact to the tradition and heritage of the Pac-12 Conference. Established in 2002, one honoree is selected by each member institution in the co ...

. Following his college career, McKeen was drafted by the Rochester Royals in the fourth round of the 1955 NBA draft. After considering the minimal salary offered to him by the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

, McKeen opted for a career in business instead. He obtained a

Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...

degree from the

Haas School of Business The Walter A. Haas School of Business, also known as Berkeley Haas, is the business school of the University of California, Berkeley, a public research university in Berkeley, California. It was the first business school at a public university i ...

, then entered a career in real estate and local politics. McKeen died on December 31, 1999.

References

External links

Cal Bears Athletic HOF profileCollege stats @ The Draft Review
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mckeen, Bob 1933 births 1999 deaths All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from California California Golden Bears men's basketball players Centers (basketball) Haas School of Business alumni People from Piedmont, California Rochester Royals draft picks