Alva Leon Paine (July 22, 1919 – March 21, 2008) was an American college basketball standout at the
University of Oklahoma
, mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State"
, type = Public research university
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, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.7billion (2021)
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who was named a consensus first-team All-American in 1944. In high school, Paine earned varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball, and he earned a scholarship to play for the
Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball
The Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team represents the University of Oklahoma in men's NCAA Division I basketball. The Sooners play in the Big 12 Conference.
History
1908–1980
The Sooners enjoyed moderate success on the court during this ...
team. He played for four seasons: 1941, 1943, 1944 and 1947. He had spent two years in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
before finishing his college career.
Paine, a
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 gu ...
, guided the Sooners to two
Big Six Conference
The Big Eight Conference was a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football. It was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Associati ...
titles in 1944 and 1947. As a junior he led the conference in scoring and was named both a First Team All-Conference and consensus First Team All-American selection. In his final season of 1946–47, he helped Oklahoma reach the national championship game in the
1947 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1947 NCAA basketball tournament involved eight schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 19, 1947, and ended with the championship game on M ...
. The Sooners lost, however, to the Holy Cross Crusaders 58–47. Paine graduated from Oklahoma with
bachelor degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six y ...
s in business and education.
After college, he played for the only season in the Professional Basketball League of America's existence as a member of the Oklahoma City Drillers. He appeared in five games and scored 17 points. In 1953, Paine moved to
Enid, Oklahoma
Enid ( ) is the ninth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. As of the 2020 census, the population was 51,308. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, a ...
with his wife and became the basketball and baseball coach at Phillips University. Two years later, he started working with Robert R. Nigh and ultimately became the president of Robert R. Nigh Associates for 35 years. Paine was very involved in church and community life. Throughout his years he served on the Enid Public Schools Board of Education, was a
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded in ...