174:
324:) and is still the third all-time leading rebounder with 1,309. His career 20.1 points per game average is fifth in school history, while his career 12.7 rebounds per game average places him second. By scoring 2,000+ points and grabbing 1,000+ rebounds, Crosthwaite also joined an exclusive list of NCAA Division I men's basketball players to reach
315:
He managed to average 20.8 points and 12.8 rebounds per game, and once again
Crosthwaite led the nation field goal shooting percentage at 64.5%. He was selected to his fourth All-Conference team, but Western Kentucky finished 16–10 (8–4 OVC) and failed to qualify for a national postseason tournament.
260:
Ralph was one of the best big men ever at
Western, definitely among the top three centers ever to play here. He was physically strong and very tough around the basket. He controlled everything on the court from 10-feet on in. He had a way of leaning into the defender to clear out room while driving
310:
This rugged giant is devastating around the basket with his operations. He can fake and drive for a dunk shot; he can come down the lane like a steamroller; he can hook from either side; or he can drop in a soft overhead push shot from the head of the circle. Once the ball is on the boards,
27:
228:) record en route to the regular season conference championship. He was named to the All-OVC Team, which at the time did not distinguish between First Team or Second Team selections. The following year, in what would have been Crosthwaite's true
311:
Crosthwaite is always dangerous with his ability to follow for bat-ins. He has no peer as a rebounder. With
Crosthwaite ready to go, Western Kentucky will not be a "soft touch" for any of the 26 opponents on the 1958–59 schedule.
348:
279:
339:
selected him as the 24th overall pick, but for personal reasons
Crosthwaite never played in the NBA. In 1995, Western Kentucky University enshrined him their athletics hall of fame.
282:
61.0% from the field, and his rebounding average is still the highest single season average in WKU history. He was named to the All-OVC Team for the third time in his career and was
275:
245:
248:, he led WKU to a co-conference regular season championship. He averaged 20.3 points and 11.9 rebounds per game and was named First Team All-OVC. Former WKU star and then-
603:
249:
578:
278:. That year he averaged career highs of 22.8 points and 15.3 rebounds even though the team only compiled a 14–11 (5–5 OVC) record. He shot an
95:
191: (WKU) between 1954–55 and 1958–59. Within the WKU community, he is considered to be one of the greatest players in program history.
583:
306:
season in 1958–59. Heading into the season, all eyes were on
Crosthwaite. A reporter wrote an article during the preseason that said:
221:
106:
212:
were allowed to play varsity sports (not long thereafter, a rule was instituted where college freshmen had to wait until their
489:
598:
316:
At the conclusion of
Crosthwaite's career in 1959, he was WKU's all-time leading scorer with 2,076 points (since passed by
449:
588:
187:(November 13, 1935 – October 28, 1999) was an American basketball player who is best known for his collegiate career at
287:
220:
made an immediate impact in his first season, averaging 16.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. The
593:
510:
188:
241:
216:
season to play varsity sports). The 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), 240 pound (109 kg)
253:
271:
168:
225:
153:
573:
568:
536:
375:
418:
8:
217:
173:
138:
481:
303:
485:
349:
List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds
51:
291:
336:
332:
229:
213:
128:
119:
562:
317:
478:
ESPN College
Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game
321:
283:
114:
26:
209:
204:
Crosthwaite enrolled at WKU in the fall of 1954. At this time in
270:
Crosthwaite's personally greatest season came when he was a
205:
261:
towards the basket that was frustrating to try and stop.
302:
Despite being drafted to the NBA he returned for his
256:, who had to coach against Crosthwaite, said of him:
560:
511:"Past OVC Men's Basketball All-Conference Teams"
604:Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball players
194:
232:season, he did not play for personal reasons.
475:
376:"1995 WKU Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees"
172:
505:
503:
501:
413:
411:
409:
407:
405:
403:
401:
399:
397:
517:. Ohio Valley Conference. March 11, 2005
561:
498:
471:
469:
467:
394:
16:American basketball player (1935–1999)
444:
442:
440:
438:
436:
370:
368:
366:
364:
294:in the fourth round (27th overall).
464:
452:. TheDraftReview. 29 September 2007
13:
584:Basketball players from Cincinnati
433:
419:"The Legends... Ralph Crosthwaite"
361:
14:
615:
579:American men's basketball players
74:6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
25:
288:National Basketball Association
240:When Crosthwaite returned as a
122:: 3rd round, 22nd overall pick
529:
1:
382:. Western Kentucky University
354:
235:
195:Collegiate basketball career
145:Career highlights and awards
7:
599:Detroit Pistons draft picks
421:. hilltopperhaven.com. 2011
342:
199:
189:Western Kentucky University
177:at Basketball-Reference.com
10:
620:
589:Boston Celtics draft picks
297:
265:
166:
162:
149:
144:
134:
126:
113:
102:
91:
86:
82:240 lb (109 kg)
78:
70:
58:
38:
33:
24:
541:basketball-reference.com
224:compiled an 18–10 (8–2
543:. Sports Reference LLC
313:
263:
226:Ohio Valley Conference
476:ESPN Editors (2009).
308:
258:
594:Centers (basketball)
185:Ralph E. Crosthwaite
34:Personal information
450:"Ralph Crosthwaite"
21:
484:pp. 500–501.
482:Random House, Inc.
152:4× First-team All-
98:(Cincinnati, Ohio)
87:Career information
19:
491:978-0-345-51392-2
182:
181:
156:(1955, 1957–1959)
49:November 13, 1935
20:Ralph Crosthwaite
611:
553:
552:
550:
548:
537:"1959 NBA Draft"
533:
527:
526:
524:
522:
507:
496:
495:
480:. New York, NY:
473:
462:
461:
459:
457:
446:
431:
430:
428:
426:
415:
392:
391:
389:
387:
372:
178:
176:
127:Selected by the
107:Western Kentucky
65:
62:October 28, 1999
52:Cincinnati, Ohio
48:
46:
29:
22:
18:
619:
618:
614:
613:
612:
610:
609:
608:
559:
558:
557:
556:
546:
544:
535:
534:
530:
520:
518:
509:
508:
499:
492:
474:
465:
455:
453:
448:
447:
434:
424:
422:
417:
416:
395:
385:
383:
374:
373:
362:
357:
345:
300:
292:Detroit Pistons
268:
238:
202:
197:
167:
63:
50:
44:
42:
17:
12:
11:
5:
617:
607:
606:
601:
596:
591:
586:
581:
576:
571:
555:
554:
528:
497:
490:
463:
432:
393:
359:
358:
356:
353:
352:
351:
344:
341:
337:Boston Celtics
333:1959 NBA draft
299:
296:
267:
264:
250:Tennessee Tech
237:
234:
201:
198:
196:
193:
180:
179:
164:
163:
160:
159:
158:
157:
147:
146:
142:
141:
136:
132:
131:
129:Boston Celtics
124:
123:
117:
111:
110:
104:
100:
99:
93:
89:
88:
84:
83:
80:
76:
75:
72:
68:
67:
66:(aged 63)
60:
56:
55:
40:
36:
35:
31:
30:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
616:
605:
602:
600:
597:
595:
592:
590:
587:
585:
582:
580:
577:
575:
572:
570:
567:
566:
564:
542:
538:
532:
516:
515:ovcsports.com
512:
506:
504:
502:
493:
487:
483:
479:
472:
470:
468:
451:
445:
443:
441:
439:
437:
420:
414:
412:
410:
408:
406:
404:
402:
400:
398:
381:
377:
371:
369:
367:
365:
360:
350:
347:
346:
340:
338:
334:
329:
327:
323:
319:
318:Jim McDaniels
312:
307:
305:
295:
293:
289:
285:
281:
277:
273:
262:
257:
255:
251:
247:
244:sophomore in
243:
233:
231:
227:
223:
219:
215:
211:
207:
192:
190:
186:
175:
170:
165:
161:
155:
151:
150:
148:
143:
140:
137:
133:
130:
125:
121:
118:
116:
112:
108:
105:
101:
97:
96:Western Hills
94:
90:
85:
81:
79:Listed weight
77:
73:
71:Listed height
69:
61:
57:
53:
41:
37:
32:
28:
23:
545:. Retrieved
540:
531:
519:. Retrieved
514:
477:
454:. Retrieved
423:. Retrieved
384:. Retrieved
379:
330:
328:milestones.
325:
322:Courtney Lee
314:
309:
301:
280:NCAA-leading
269:
259:
239:
203:
184:
183:
64:(1999-10-28)
574:1999 deaths
569:1935 births
547:February 3,
521:January 29,
456:January 29,
425:January 29,
386:January 29,
254:John Oldham
252:head coach
222:Hilltoppers
208:athletics,
109:(1954–1959)
92:High school
563:Categories
355:References
45:1935-11-13
236:Sophomore
230:sophomore
214:sophomore
115:NBA draft
343:See also
242:redshirt
210:freshmen
200:Freshman
135:Position
380:wku.edu
331:In the
286:by the
284:drafted
276:1957–58
246:1956–57
103:College
488:
335:, the
304:senior
298:Senior
272:junior
266:Junior
218:center
171:
139:Center
54:, U.S.
169:Stats
549:2011
523:2011
486:ISBN
458:2011
427:2011
388:2011
326:both
320:and
206:NCAA
120:1959
59:Died
39:Born
290:'s
274:in
154:OVC
565::
539:.
513:.
500:^
466:^
435:^
396:^
378:.
363:^
551:.
525:.
494:.
460:.
429:.
390:.
47:)
43:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
