James R. Rayl (June 21, 1941 – January 20, 2019) was an American professional basketball player in the ABA. He was a 6'2" and 175 lb

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

High school career

Born in

Kokomo, Indiana Kokomo ( ) is a city in Indiana and the county seat of Howard County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Howard County, the Kokomo-Peru CSA, which includ ...

, Rayl went to

Kokomo High School Kokomo High School (merged with Haworth High School in 1984) is a four-year public high school in Kokomo, Indiana, USA. The school is the only high school in the Kokomo School Corporation. History The earliest Kokomo High School found in rec ...

from 1956 to 1959. He was named 1959's

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 ...

and the recipient of the Trester Award for the state of Indiana his senior year.

College career

Rayl attended

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

from 1959 to 1963, where he was an All-American his junior and senior seasons. Rayl averaged 20.6 ppg for his career and still holds the

Hoosier Hoosier is the official demonym for the people of the U.S. state of Indiana. The origin of the term remains a matter of debate, but "Hoosier" was in general use by the 1840s, having been popularized by Richmond resident John Finley's 1833 poem "T ...

single-game scoring record of 56 points, which he did twice against

Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...

and

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. He shot 41.6 percent from the floor and 83.5 percent from the line in 68 games as a Hoosier.

Professional career

Jimmy Rayl was selected by the

Cincinnati Royals The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

in the third round and 23rd pick of the 1963 NBA draft. He later signed and played two seasons for 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 ...

. He held a career average of 11.1 ppg.

Death

Rayl died at his home in Kokomo on January 20, 2019, at age 77.

References

External links

* 1941 births 2019 deaths All-American college men's basketball players Amateur Athletic Union men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Indiana Cincinnati Royals draft picks Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball players Indiana Pacers players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Point guards Shooting guards Sportspeople from Kokomo, Indiana {{1940s-US-basketball-bio-stub