Wilson Washington
Wilson Washington Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 3, 1955 Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Basketball player, assistant coach |
| Years active | 1977–1980s (player), 2011–2012 (coach) |
| Known for | NBA player, Old Dominion All-American |
Wilson Washington Jr. (born August 3, 1955) is a retired American basketball athlete and former assistant coach at Norfolk State University. An All-American during his tenure at Old Dominion University, Washington competed in the National Basketball Association for two seasons.
College career
Hailing from Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk, Virginia, Washington began his collegiate basketball journey at Maryland under coach Lefty Driesell. However, after participating in just one game, he transferred to Division II's Old Dominion. In the 1974–75 season as a sophomore, he posted averages of 13.7 points and 12.6 rebounds per game, earning third team All-American distinction. That year, the Monarchs achieved a 25–6 record and captured the Division II national championship, with Washington receiving tournament MVP honors.
During his junior year, Washington elevated his performance to 17.9 points and 13.5 rebounds per game, guiding ODU to a 19–12 record while competing against Division I opponents in anticipation of the program’s move up. The team advanced to the Division II Final Four but was defeated in the semifinals. He was named a first team All-American. In his senior season—the first for ODU at the Division I level—the squad finished 25–4. Washington averaged 18 points and 11.4 rebounds, becoming ODU’s inaugural Division I All-American with an Associated Press honorable mention in 1977.
Throughout his three years at Old Dominion, Washington accumulated totals of 1,366 points (16.9 ppg), 1,011 rebounds (12.5 rpg), and 363 blocks.
Professional career
Washington was chosen by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round as the 25th overall pick of the 1977 NBA draft. His playing time with Philadelphia was limited, averaging just 1.4 points and 1.0 rebounds over 2.7 minutes per game. After appearing in 14 games, he was traded to the New Jersey Nets, where he assumed a more prominent role off the bench. During the 1978–79 campaign, he averaged 8.1 points and 4.7 rebounds each game.
Following his NBA stint, Washington extended his professional career by competing in leagues based in Italy and the Netherlands.
Coaching career
After spending several years working in business, Washington returned to basketball as an assistant coach for Norfolk State during the 2011–12 season. That year, the Spartans achieved a record of 26–10 and earned their first NCAA tournament victory by upsetting Missouri.
NBA
Source
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 14 | 0 | 2.7 | .421 | .500 | 1.0 | .1 | .1 | .1 | 1.4 | |
| New Jersey | 24 | 21.8 | .492 | .553 | 5.9 | .4 | .7 | 1.5 | 8.8 | ||
| New Jersey | 62 | 18.4 | .502 | .635 | 4.7 | .8 | .5 | 1.1 | 8.1 | ||
| Career | 100 | 0 | 17.0 | .497 | .605 | 4.5 | .6 | .5 | 1.0 | 7.3 | |