Al Bianchi

Birthdate: March 26, 1932 
Birthplace: Long Island, N.Y.
High School: Long Island City (1950)
College: Bowling Green (1954)
Died: October 28, 2019

Al Bianchi enrolled at Bowling Green State University in 1950 and moved into the Falcons' starting lineup in the middle of his sophomore year. He led the team in scoring in 1952-53 and 1953-54 while twice scoring more than 40 points in a game.  The 6-foot-3 forward averaged 25 points per game as a senior when he scored 600 points to finish his career with 1,478. He was named to three All-America teams in 1954. After two years in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, he played in the National Basketball Association for 10 years – seven with the Syracuse Nationals and three with the Philadelphia 76ers. He was one of the last NBA players who used the two-handed set shot. After retiring as a player, Bianchi coached the NBA's Seattle Supersonics and the ABA's Washington Caps/Virginia Squires. He was ABA Coach of the Year in 1971. He returned to the NBA in 1976, serving 11 years as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns.