Jerry Newsom (born May 19, 1946) is a former American
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 ...
player.
High school career
Columbus
Born in
Columbus, Indiana
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Bartholomew County, Indiana, United States. The population was 50,474 at the 2020 census. The relatively small city has provided a unique place for noted Modern architecture and public art, commissio ...
, Jerry Newsom attended Columbus High School. He led the Bulldogs to consecutive undefeated seasons in 1963 and 1964; reaching the State Finals in 1964. He led the state in scoring during his Senior year averaging 28 points a game, with a total of 1,325 points in his high school career. He was a member of the Indiana All-Star Team. He fell short of winning the
Indiana Mr. Basketball
The Indiana Mr. Basketball honor recognizes the top high school basketball player in the state of Indiana. The award is presented annually by ''The Indianapolis Star''. The first Indiana Mr. Basketball was George Crowe of Franklin High School in ...
Award to Dennis Brady.
College career
Indiana State
After high school, Jerry attended
Indiana State University
Indiana State University (ISU) is a public university in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was founded in 1865 and offers over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 75 graduate and professional programs. Indiana State is classified among "D/PU: Doctor ...
, located in
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...
. He played basketball under head coach Duane Klueh and Gordon Stauffer; leading the team in scoring and rebounding his entire career; he finished his career as the #1 career scorer (he's now #3) and the #1 rebounder (#2 behind Larry Bird). He helped lead the Sycamores to three consecutive
ICC Championships and three NCAA College Division (now Division II) Tournaments. He was part of the "Columbus Connection," as he and fellow Columbus teammates—Joe Warfel, Butch Wade and Steve Hollenbeck) all played at Indiana State. These three players led the Sycamores to a record of 46-11 during their two seasons of varsity play. Wade, a year older than Hollenbeck and Newsom, graduated in 1967. In his Senior year, he led the
Sycamores in scoring with 27.3 points a game while being named a ''Consensus All-American,'' and received his third straight ''First Team All-ICC'' selection. He was a 2nd team All-American following his sophomore season. Jerry scored a career high 41 points on January 10, 1966 against
Eastern Illinois
Eastern Illinois University is a public university in Charleston, Illinois. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradually expanded into a co ...
, the second most in school history, (at that time) only behind
Butch Wade's 43. With 2,147 career points he was the first of three Sycamores to reach the 2,000 point plateau, along with
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded a ...
and
John Sherman Williams.
In 1968, his senior season, Jerry led the Sycamores to the Championship game of the
1968 NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Tournament
The year was highlighted by Protests of 1968, 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 Czechos ...
; he was named Tournament MVP and to the All-Tourney team; the Sycamores couldn't withstand a furious rally by
Kentucky Wesleyan
Kentucky Wesleyan College (KWC) is a private Methodist college in Owensboro, Kentucky. The college is known for its liberal arts programs. Fall 2018 enrollment was 830 students.
History
Kentucky Wesleyan College was founded in 1858 by the Kent ...
.
Professional career
Boston Celtics & Indiana Pacers
Jerry Newsom was selected as the 74th overall pick in the
1968 NBA Draft by the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
; he was also drafted by the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
in the 1968 ABA Draft, in the 6th-10th rounds.
He did not appear in a professional game but went on to a successful business career in his hometown. He obtained his referee license in order to remain involved in basketball and became a highly respected
IHSAA referee.
External links
Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Profile
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Newsom, Jerry
1946 births
Living people
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from Indiana
Boston Celtics draft picks
Forwards (basketball)
Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball players
People from Columbus, Indiana