Chester Joseph Aubuchon Jr. (May 18, 1916 – April 14, 2005) was an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player. He played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the

Michigan State Spartans The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and wh ...

and was the first player to be named an All-American in program history. Aubuchon played one season for the Detroit Falcons in the Basketball Association of America (BAA). He served as an assistant coach for Michigan State for one season before becoming a teacher, coach, and administrator at schools in Michigan.

Early life

Aubuchon was raised in

Gary, Indiana Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located along the sou ...

, as one of nine children. His father died when he was aged 11 and he was raised by his mother. Aubuchon attended Horace Mann High School in Gary. He served as a team captain and was selected for the all-state team.

College career

Aubuchon entered Michigan State University in 1937. He formed a contingent known as the Gary Gang with fellow Gary residents

Bob Phillips Robert Leon Phillips, known as Bob Phillips (born June 23, 1951), is an American television journalist best known for his long-running program ''Texas Country Reporter''. In 2005, Phillips was inducted into the Silver Circle of the Lone Star Ch ...

and Max Hindman. Aubuchon began receiving national attention as a junior and earned the nickname "The Houdini of the Hardcourt". He was the first Spartans player to be named an All-American. While working in a campus electrical shop in 1940, Aubuchon scratched his finger and it became infected. He suffered from blood poisoning and required

blood transfusions Blood transfusion is the process of transferring blood products into a person's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used for various medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood. Early transfusions used whole blood, but mod ...

to keep him alive. Aubuchon was in the hospital for six months and spent another six months recuperating before being able to play again. He returned to the Spartans for the 1941–42 season as team captain. After graduating from Michigan State, Aubuchon served four years in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. He spent 27 months in the South Pacific war zones during World War II.

Professional career

Aubuchon played briefly for the Detroit Falcons of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in the 1946–47 season. He served as an assistant coach for the Spartans during the 1949–50 season under

Al Kircher Alton S. Kircher (December 5, 1909 – November 1, 2004) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. Early years Born in Turtle Lake, Wisconsin, Kircher grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Gladstone. He was a s ...

. Aubuchon coached at high schools in Owosso and

Holly, Michigan Holly is a village in north Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,086 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Holly Township. It is about south of Flint and northwest of Detroit. Geography According to th ...

. He moved to Port Huron, Michigan, in 1954 to coach at Port Huron Junior College, where he also served as an athletic director, teacher, and dean of men. Aubuchon was appointed as the dean of student personnel when Port Huron Junior College became St. Clair County Community College in 1967. Aubuchon retired in 1976 and moved to Ruskin, Florida, where he died in 2005.

Legacy

Aubuchon was inducted into the Port Huron Sports Hall of Fame in 1978, the Michigan State Hall of Fame in 1996, and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.

BAA career statistics

Regular season

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Aubuchon, Chet 1916 births 2005 deaths All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Basketball coaches from Indiana Basketball players from Gary, Indiana Detroit Falcons (basketball) players Guards (basketball) High school basketball coaches in Michigan Michigan State Spartans men's basketball coaches Michigan State Spartans men's basketball players United States Navy personnel of World War II