Murray Neal Wier (December 12, 1926 – April 6, 2016), nicknamed "Rampaging Redhead" and "Wizard Wier,"
was an American professional basketball player for the
Tri-Cities Blackhawks Tri-Cities most often refers to:
*Tri-Cities, Tennessee, United States
*Tri-Cities, Washington, United States
Tri-City, Tricity or Tri-Cities may also refer to:
Populated places
Americas
Canada
*Tri-Cities (British Columbia), consisting of Co ...
(now the present-day
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...
) and the
Waterloo Hawks.
He is better known for his standout college career at the
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...
, however, when in 1947–48 he was named a consensus first team
All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
n and was also the inaugural
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
(NCAA) Major College scoring leader at 21.0 points per game.
Early life
Wier was born in
Grandview, Iowa.
[ He attended Grandview High School from his freshman through ]junior
Junior or Juniors may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959
* ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009
* ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010
* ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019
Films
* ''Junior'' (1994 ...
years before moving to Muscatine, Iowa
Muscatine ( ) is a city in Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,797 at the time of the 2020 census, an increase from 22,697 in 2000. The county seat of Muscatine County, it is located along the Mississippi River. The lo ...
. He then spent his senior year in 1943–44 at Muscatine High School
Muscatine High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school in Muscatine, Iowa. The school is part of the Muscatine Community School District. Located approximately one mile east of U.S. Highway 61 in Muscatine, Muscatine High School t ...
, from which he graduated.[ He led Muscatine High School to a district championship with a 50–37 win over their archrival, Davenport High School, and was named a first team all-state selection by the '']Des Moines Register
''The Des Moines Register'' is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa.
History Early period
The first newspaper in Des Moines was the ''Iowa Star''. In July 1849, Barlow Granger began the paper in an abandoned log cabin by the junctio ...
'' and Iowa Daily Press Association. After his breakout senior season, University of Iowa head men's basketball coach Pops Harrison offered him a full scholarship to play for the Hawkeyes.[
]
Career
College
Harrison made Wier a four-year starter at Iowa.[ In his freshman season of 1944–45, the Hawkeyes won the ]Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
season championship.[ Wier was a , 155 lb (70 kg) ]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 ...
but played more of a hybrid position, utilizing his dribbling and shooting guard abilities while technically lining up as a forward.[ The Hawkeyes were fairly successful over the rest of Wier's career and eventually finished second to the Michigan Wolverines for the conference championship during his senior season in 1947–48.
Wier led the Hawkeyes in scoring in both his junior and senior years at 15.1 and 21.0 points per game (ppg), respectively. Like he did in high school, he had a breakout senior year. His 21.0 ppg led the NCAA in scoring en route to Wier becoming the first officially recognized Major College division scoring leader.][ In the process, he set a then-Big Ten record of 272 points in conference play, was a first team all-conference selection and was also dubbed the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player.][ He capped his career off by being named a consensus first team All-American.
]
Professional
Wier was drafted 48th overall in the 1948 Basketball Association of America Draft by the Fort Wayne Pistons
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
.[ Although he was drafted by the Pistons, he did not play for them. He began his career in 1948 with the ]Tri-Cities Blackhawks Tri-Cities most often refers to:
*Tri-Cities, Tennessee, United States
*Tri-Cities, Washington, United States
Tri-City, Tricity or Tri-Cities may also refer to:
Populated places
Americas
Canada
*Tri-Cities (British Columbia), consisting of Co ...
, who originally played in the National Basketball League (NBL). Before the 1949–50 season, the BAA and NBL merged to form the present-day NBA. In 1949–50, Wier's second season with the Blackhawks, he played for Red Auerbach
Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach (September 20, 1917 – October 28, 2006) was an American professional basketball coach and executive. He served as a head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA), most notably with the Boston Celtics. ...
, who would later win 10 NBA titles as a head coach.[ After three years with the Blackhawks, Wier then spent one final season playing professional basketball when he joined the Waterloo Hawks of the National Professional Basketball League. When the league folded, his basketball career as a player ended.
]
Later life
After professional basketball, Wier became an assistant coach at Waterloo East High School for the boys' basketball team. He was the head coach for 24 years and compiled an overall record of 374 wins versus 140 losses, including winning the state championship in 1974.[ That same season he was named the Iowa State Coach of the Year.][ Weir was also the head men's tennis coach for 10 years before retiring in 1989. Aside from coaching, Wier also served as the high school's athletic director for 34 years.][
Wier lived in ]Georgetown, Texas
Georgetown is a city in Texas and the county seat of Williamson County, Texas, United States. The population was 67,176 at the 2020 census. It is 30 miles (48 km) north of Austin.
Founded in 1875 from four existing colleges, the oldest of ...
in a retirement community called Sun City Texas.[ He was a member of the NBA Retired Players Association.][ Wier died on April 6, 2016.]
See also
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wier, Murray
1926 births
2016 deaths
All-American college men's basketball players
American men's basketball coaches
American men's basketball players
Basketball coaches from Iowa
Basketball players from Iowa
Fort Wayne Pistons draft picks
Guards (basketball)
High school basketball coaches in Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball players
Muscatine High School alumni
People from Louisa County, Iowa
People from Georgetown, Texas
Tri-Cities Blackhawks players
Waterloo Hawks players