Mike Slusher
American basketball player
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Mike Slusher (c. 1948[1] – March 2026) was an American basketball player. He played college basketball for the Miami RedHawks before playing seven seasons in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) between 1980 and 1986. In 1980, he won an NBL championship with the St. Kilda Saints.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1948 |
| Died | March 2026 (aged 77–78) |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Talawanda (Oxford, Ohio) |
| College | Miami (OH) (1967–1972) |
| Playing career | 1980–1986 |
| Position | Center / forward |
| Career history | |
| 1980–1985 | St. Kilda Saints |
| 1986 | Nunawading Spectres |
| Career highlights | |
An educator by profession, Slusher worked as a teacher[2] and basketball coach in Australia for 50 years.[3]
Early life
Slusher grew up in Oxford, Ohio,[1] where he attended Talawanda High School.[4][5]
College career
Slusher played Division 1 college basketball for the Miami RedHawks in Oxford, Ohio.[6] In 1967–68, he averaged 15.8 points per game.[7] He was considered a leading prospect as a sophomore in 1968–69.[7] In 1970–71, he averaged 1.0 points and 1.1 rebounds in 10 games.[5][8] In 1971–72, he averaged 0.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in seven games.[8][9] He was a letterwinner for the RedHawks in 1971–72.[10]
Professional career
Teaching
Slusher was an English teacher and the boy's junior varsity coach at Sandusky High School in Sandusky, Ohio, from 1974 to 1976. In 1976, he moved to Australia for a 15-month teaching assignment but ultimately never returned and settled down in Australia.[1]
In June 1978, Slusher played for Diamond Valley Toshiba, a team of Melbourne-based Americans, in an exhibition game against the Santa Clara Broncos at Greensborough. He scored a team-high 25 points in a 128–75 loss.[11]
Australian NBL
Slusher debuted in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) in the 1980 season for the St. Kilda Saints.[12] He filled one of two import spots for St. Kilda alongside Rocky Smith.[13] He scored 18 points in the 1980 grand final against the West Adelaide Bearcats. In nine games, he averaged 12.3 points per game.[12] He continued with the Saints every year between 1981 and 1985, playing 130 games over six seasons.[14][15][16][17][18] In the 1983 season, he led the league with a 64.8% (96/148) field goal percentage.[19] In 1985, he wore jersey number 5 for St. Kilda and was listed as a 200 cm (6 ft 7 in) center/forward.[20]
Prior to the 1986 NBL season, Slusher parted ways with the Saints[21] and joined the Nunawading Spectres, where in his lone season he averaged 7.5 points in 26 games.[22]
Post-playing career
After retiring from playing, Slusher enjoyed a long and respected coaching career across the Big V and South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL), and as well as in Basketball Victoria High Performance programs.[2] He also served as assistant coach at the Brisbane Bullets in the NBL.[3]
As of 2002, Slusher was teaching professional writing and editing at a TAFE in Australia.[1]
At the Basketball Victoria 2025 annual awards, Slusher was recognised with a 50 years' service award.[3]