Bill Ridley
Ridley as a senior at Illinois.
Personal information
Born(1934-02-02)February 2, 1934
Taylorville, Illinois
DiedSeptember 28, 2019(2019-09-28) (aged 91)
Frostproof, Florida
NationalityAmerican
Listed height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Career information
High schoolTaylorville (Taylorville, Illinois)
CollegeIllinois (1953–1956)
NBA draft1956: undrafted
PositionPoint guard
Career highlights and awards

William D. Ridley (February 2, 1934 – September 28, 2019) was an American college basketball player. He was an All-American and All-Big Ten player for the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Ridley, a diminutive but quick 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) point guard, went to Taylorville High School in Taylorville, Illinois While there, he was a unanimous all-state performer as a senior in 1952.[1][2] He chose to play for coach Harry Combes at Illinois as a part of a strong recruiting class that also included in-state players Bruce Brothers and twins Phil and Paul Judson. After sitting out what would have been his freshman season per NCAA eligibility rules of the time, Ridley joined the varsity team for the 1953–54 season, averaging 6.0 points per game in a supporting role.[3] He moved into the starting lineup in his sophomore season, raising his scoring average to 15.2 points per game and was named third-team All-Big Ten Conference by the United Press International (UPI), who also named him to their national "Small-America" team of the top players under 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m).[4][5]

In Ridley's senior season, the Illini started a potent scoring lineup with Brother, Paul Judson and George Bon Salle in the frontcourt with Ridley running the attack from the perimeter.[6][7] Ridley led the team's fast break, using his speed and ballhandling to push the ball ahead off of the team's strong rebounding ability.[8] Ridley finished the year averaging 15.3 points per game and at the close of the season was named All-Big Ten and as a third-team All-American by both the Associated Press (AP) and UPI.[9][10]

Following the close of his college career, Ridley's size made a National Basketball Association career difficult. He was not drafted in the 1956 NBA draft and instead went into the insurance and asset management business.[11] He died on September 28, 2019, in his post-retirement home of Frostproof, Florida.[12]

References

  1. "Bill Ridley remembered". Herald & Review. March 1, 1985. p. 15. Retrieved May 29, 2020 via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. "Straight shooter". Herald & Review. February 12, 2014. p. D1. Retrieved May 29, 2020 via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. "Taylorville's Bill Ridley proves valuable as 'spot player' with Illini". Herald & Review. February 19, 1954. p. 18. Retrieved May 29, 2020 via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. "All Big Ten basketball team". Alexandria Times. March 3, 1955. p. 6. Retrieved May 29, 2020 via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. "Bill Ridley and Helms on Small-America". The Paducah Sun. February 22, 1955. p. 11. Retrieved May 29, 2020 via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. "Badger five, Illinois open Big 10 race". The Capital Times. January 1, 1955. p. 7. Retrieved May 29, 2020 via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. "Illini cagers are fooling experts as gridders did". Dixon Evening Telegram. December 15, 1954. p. 8. Retrieved May 29, 2020 via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  8. "Coach Harry Combes terms Bill Ridley a great player". Daily Chronicle. February 22, 1956. p. 14. Retrieved May 29, 2020 via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  9. "USF's Bill Russell tops AP All America cage team". The Sacramento Bee. March 1, 1956. p. 7. Retrieved May 29, 2020 via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  10. "Russell sets voting record in being named All-America". Springfield News-Leader. March 7, 1956. p. 15. Retrieved May 29, 2020 via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  11. "Straight shooter, cont". Herald & Review. February 12, 2014. p. D2. Retrieved May 29, 2020 via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  12. "William Ridley obituary". Legacy.com. October 4, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
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