Mac William Otten
Birthdate: December 16, 1925
Birthplace: Bellefontaine, Ohio
High School: Bellefontaine (1943)
College: Bowling Green State University (1949)
Year Inducted: 2011
Mac William Otten joined the Bowling Green State University varsity squad in 1944 at the same time his older brother Don was playing for BGSU, but was drafted and he left the team in mid-season to answer his call to duty during WWII. After serving 27-months, Mac rejoined the BGSU varsity squad in 1946 where he was a star for three BG teams that had a combined record of 79-20 and made two appearances in the prestigious National Invitation Tournament in Madison Square Garden.
At 6 foot 6 inches, Mac was an outstanding defensive player and rebounder and left BGSU as its 4th all-time leading scorer (career points). Mac earned second team All-American honors by the Helms Foundation in 1949, set a Madison Square Garden (MSG) free throw record by making 15 of 17 in 1948, he was the team’s most valuable player in 1946-47 and 1947-48, and captain in 1948-49 of a team that set scoring records at MSG and lost a two-point decision to No. 2-ranked Kentucky (with All-Americans Ralph Beard, Alex Groza and Wah Wah Jones) in front of 13,111 spectators – the largest crowd ever at the Cleveland Arena.
Bowling Green was 10th in the final AP ratings before Otten scored 22 points in an 80-74 upset of No. 3 rated St. Louis in the NIT quarterfinals, then beat #7 rated Bradley for third place in the NIT. Otten played briefly with Tri-Cities, St. Louis, and Waterloo of the NBA in 1950-51 before retiring. He spent 51 years as an accountant in the Dayton area. Mac Otten died on December 26, 2015 at the age of 90.
