William R. Turner (1976) - Hall of Fame - University of Akron Athletics

William R. Turner

Induction:
1976
Class:
1971

1963-67

Billy Turner came out of Akron Central High School to become Akron's all-time career scorer and its first player ever to play in the National Basketball Association.

During his four-year career as a Zip cager, UA won 87 of 106 games in which Turner scored 1,630 points and hauled down 1,171 rebounds. The 6-7 Turner opened his sophomore season by grabbing 27 rebounds against Baldwin-Wallace– a record yet to be broken on the Hilltop. Leading the way in scoring and rebounding, Turner helped capture the Ohio Conference championship and the NCAA Mideast Regional title.

In 1965-66, on the way to a 24-4 record, Turner again paced the Zips in scoring (488) and rebounding (279) to earn first team All-OC and honorable mention All-American for the second straight season. The Zips captured the OC and Mideast Regional titles again and finished third in the national tournament in Evansville, Ind.

In 1967 Turner was picked on the Associated Press' College Division All-America first team.

Turner was subsequently drafted in the third round by the San Francisco Warriors. He played in the NBA from 1967 to 1973 for the Warriors, Cincinnati Royals, Portland Trailblazers and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Turner was inducted into the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame in 1984.