Bill Hall (1985) - Marshall Athletics Hall of Fame

Bill Hall

Induction:
1985
Class:
1947

A product of Washington (Pa.) High School, Bill Hall was ready to continue his basketball career at hometown Washington & Jefferson College until the school ceased playing the sport during World War II. Instead, Hall came to Huntington to play for Coach Cam Henderson. Turned down for military service because of poor eyesight, a stuttering problem and a lack of cartilage in his right knee, Hall never let those maladies slow him on the basketball court.

A 6-foot-4 forward, Hall became an immediate scoring threat for Marshall as Henderson’s “quick break” offense was taking the nation by storm. Hall averaged 11.5 points per game as a sophomore in helping the 1944-45 team to a 17-9 record. As a junior, Hall set a new Marshall scoring record as he averaged 20.2 points per game for a 24-10 team; Hall led the nation in scoring, edging out DePaul big man George Mikan for the title.

Henderson made Hall a team co-captain along with Andy Tonkovich for the 1946-47 campaign, a season that would go down in Marshall history as one of the greatest of all time. Early in the year Marshall won the Midwest Tournament in Terre Haute, Ind., defeating Coach John Wooden and the host Indiana State Sycamores on the way to the title. Marshall received a berth in the NAIB (now NAIA) National Tournament in Kansas City, Mo., and swept its way to the national title by winning five games in six days. Hall scored 34 points in a first-round rout of River Falls College (Wis.) and again led the team with 27 in the championship game win over Mankato State (Minn.). Hall was named All-America as well as a member of the All-Tournament team along with teammates Andy Tonkovich and Goose James. Marshall set a school record for wins as it finished with a 32-5 mark and Hall closed his career with a total of 1,421 points, at the time the most in school history.

After graduating from Marshall, Hall played for the Wheeling Puritans in the All-American Professional Basketball League and then for teams such as the Kansas City Shamrocks and the Midland Dows in the professional industrial leagues. Hall was inducted into the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985.