Jack Smiley
American basketball player
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Arthur John Smiley (December 22, 1922 – July 30, 2000) was an American professional basketball player. Smiley played basketball for Waterman High School, in Waterman, Illinois. With Gene Vance, Andy Phillip, Ken Menke, and Art Mathisen, Smiley was a member of the University of Illinois' "Whiz Kids" team that went 35-6 from 1941 to 1943, earning two Big Ten Conference championships. The team voted to turn down an invitation to the NCAA tournament in 1943, after Smiley, Vance and Phillip were inducted into the military mid-season.
Smiley in 1948 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 22, 1922 Sandwich, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | July 30, 2000 (aged 77) Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Waterman (Waterman, Illinois) |
| College | Illinois (1941–1943, 1945–1947) |
| BAA draft | 1947: undrafted |
| Playing career | 1947–1951 |
| Position | Small forward / shooting guard |
| Number | 37, 15, 10 |
| Coaching career | 1949–1951 |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1947–1949 | Fort Wayne (Zollner) Pistons |
| 1949 | Anderson Packers |
| 1949–1951 | Waterloo Hawks |
Coaching | |
| 1949–1951 | Waterloo Hawks |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
As an artillery corporal with the Army's 106th division, Smiley was engaged in one of the bloodiest skirmishes of the Battle of the Bulge- once firing his 105 mm Howitzer for 96 continuous hours. The 106th division suffered a 90% casualty rate in the skirmish.[1]
Smiley returned to Illinois for the 1946–47 season and won team MVP honors.[2]
After college, Smiley played two seasons in the National Basketball Association with the Fort Wayne Pistons, Anderson Packers, and Waterloo Hawks. He averaged 6.2 points per game in his NBA career.[3] Smiley also served as a player-coach for the Hawks for 27 games in the 1949–50 season, and posted an 11–16 record.[4]
Smiley spent his later years in Des Moines, Iowa. He died in 2000.[2]
Career statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | FG% | Field-goal percentage | ||
| FT% | Free-throw percentage | APG | Assists per game | ||
| PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high | ||
BAA/NBA
Source[3]
