Russell Dean Critchfield (born June 27, 1946, in

Salinas, California Salinas (; Spanish for "Salt Marsh or Salt Flats") is a city in California and the county seat of Monterey County. With a population of 163,542 in the 2020 Census, Salinas is the most populous city in Monterey County. Salinas is an urban area lo ...

) is an American former professional

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. A 5'10"

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 ...

, Critchfield played 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 ...

in the late 1960s, earning team MVP honors in 1966, 1967, and 1968. He scored 1,437 points in his college career and was a 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 selection in 1968. He was also selected twice to the All-AAWU first team (1967–1968). Critchfield was not drafted by an

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 ...

team but was drafted by and played one season (1968–69) with the Oakland Oaks of the

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...

. He scored 161 points in 47 regular season games and won an ABA Championship. Critchfield is currently Assistant men's basketball coach at Chico State University in Chico CA.Russ Critchfield
at Butte College Athletics. Retrieved on April 30, 2008.

Notes

1946 births Living people American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Basketball coaches from California Basketball players from Monterey County, California California Golden Bears men's basketball coaches California Golden Bears men's basketball players High school basketball coaches in the United States Junior college men's basketball coaches in the United States Oakland Oaks draft picks Oakland Oaks players Saint Mary's Gaels men's basketball coaches San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball coaches Sportspeople from Salinas, California Washington Huskies men's basketball coaches Point guards {{1940s-US-basketball-bio-stub