Walter “Tillie” Voss ranks as one of the greatest athletes in the history of Detroit, Michigan. After coming to prominence as a schoolboy star, he attended the University of Detroit where he played football, basketball, baseball and was also a member of the track team. Voss led the men’s basketball team in scoring in 1917 with a 12.9 scoring average and again in 1921 with an 8.7 per game average. He was the first captain of two major sports captaining the 1917 and 1917 football teams and also the basketball team for a season. Voss was a standout tackle and also a placekicker. The 1917 football team was 8-1-0. Throughout the 1920’s, Voss played both professional football and basketball.
| TILLIE VOSS |
Height: |
6:03 |
|
Weight: |
205 |
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|
College: |
Detroit U’21 |
| Walter Clarence Voss |
Born: |
Mar 28, 1897 |
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Died: Dec 14, 1975 |
Hometown: |
Detroit, Mi. |
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REGULAR SEASON RECORD |
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|
| Year |
Team |
League |
GA |
FGM |
FTM |
FTA |
PCT. |
AST |
PTS |
AVG |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1915-16 |
Detroit Rayls |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1916-17 |
Detroit |
College |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12.9 |
|
| 1917-18 |
Detroit |
College |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1918-19 |
U.S. Navy |
Military Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1918-19 |
Detroit Rayls |
Indep |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1919-20 |
Detroit |
College |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1920-21 |
Detroit |
College |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8.7 |
|
| 1921-22 |
Detroit Kelly Greens |
Indep |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1921-22 |
Fort Wayne Caseys |
Indep |
|
|
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|
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|
| 1921-22 |
Fort Wayne Caseys |
Indep. |
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|
|
|
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|
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| 1922-23 |
Fort Wayne Caseys |
Indep. |
|
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|
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|
|
|
| 1923-24 |
Fort Wayne Caseys |
Indep. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1923-24 |
Detroit McCarthys |
Indep. |
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|
|
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|
| 1924-25 |
Detroit McCarthys |
Indep. |
|
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|
| 1924-25 |
Detroit Pulaski |
Indep. |
|
|
|
|
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|
|
| 1925-26 |
Detroit–Rochester–Brooklyn |
ABL |
30 |
44 |
52 |
|
|
|
140 |
4.7 |
|
| 1926-27 |
Washington |
ABL |
31 |
39 |
66 |
|
|
|
144 |
4.6 |
|
| 1927-28 |
Detroit–Fort Wayne–Chicago |
ABL |
27 |
17 |
10 |
|
|
|
44 |
1.6 |
|
| 1928-29 |
Chicago |
ABL |
27 |
16 |
8 |
|
|
|
40 |
1.5 |
|
| 1929-30 |
Chicago |
ABL |
32 |
15 |
6 |
|
|
|
36 |
1.1 |
|
|
Major League Totals |
|
147 |
131 |
142 |
|
|
|
404 |
2.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PLAYOFF RECORD |
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|
| Year |
Team |
League |
GA |
FGM |
FTM |
FTA |
PCT. |
AST |
PTS |
AVG |
|
| 1925-26 |
Brooklyn |
ABL |
3 |
1 |
7 |
|
|
|
9 |
3.0 |
|
|
Major League Totals |
|
3 |
1 |
7 |
|
|
|
9 |
3.0 |
|
Stanley “Whitey” Von Nieda was a star athlete at Ephrata, Pennsylvania High School. Von Nieda played one year of varsity basketball at Penn State University before entering the army where he served as paratrooper during World War II. After the war, Von Nieda returned to Penn State but did not participate in collegiate sports. Instead, he signed to play for the Lancaster Red Roses where he averaged 23 points a game and led the professional Eastern Basketball League in scoring by a wide margin. Von Nieda followed up with two seasons as a double-digit scorer for the Tri-City Blackhawks in the National Basketball League. Von Nieda was equally adapt as the primary backcourt ballhandler or playing up front under the basket. Despite his slender 6-foot-1 frame, Von Nieda was a very effective rebounder. Midway through his third season with Tri-City, Von Nieda was traded to Baltimore by new Blackhawks’ coach, Red Auerbach. Prior to the 1951-52 season, Von Nieda left the NBA and signed to play again for Lancaster in the Eastern Basketball League and to be head basketball coach at Elizabethtown College at the same time. In an era of very modest NBA salaries, the duel positions near his hometown in Pennsylvania made more sense financially than continuing to play in the NBA.
| WHITEY VON NIEDA |
Height: |
6:01 |
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Weight: |
170 |
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College: |
Penn State’43 |
| Stanley Lee Von Nieda Jr. |
Born: Jun 19, 1922 |
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Hometown: |
Ephrata, Pa. |
| Stan Von Nieda |
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REGULAR SEASON RECORD |
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| Year |
Team |
League |
GA |
FGM |
FTM |
FTA |
PCT. |
AST |
PTS |
AVG |
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|
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| `941-42 |
Penn State (Frosh) |
College |
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| 1942-43 |
Penn State |
College |
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| 1943-46 |
U.S. Army |
Military Service |
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| 1946-47 |
Lancaster |
EBL |
30 |
256 |
170 |
|
|
|
682 |
22.7 |
|
| 1947-48 |
Tri-Cities |
NBL |
60 |
276 |
174 |
287 |
.606 |
|
726 |
12.1 |
|
| 1948-49 |
Tri-Cities |
NBL |
64 |
247 |
147 |
226 |
.650 |
|
641 |
10.0 |
|
| 1949-50 |
Tri-Cities–Baltimore |
NBA |
59 |
120 |
73 |
115 |
.635 |
143 |
313 |
5.3 |
|
| 1950-51 |
Lancaster |
EBL |
26 |
149 |
79 |
|
|
|
377 |
14.5 |
|
| 1951-52 |
Lancaster |
EBL |
21 |
79 |
52 |
|
|
|
210 |
10.0 |
|
| 1952-53 |
Lancaster |
EBL |
20 |
54 |
47 |
|
|
|
155 |
7.8 |
|
|
Major League Totals |
|
190 |
649 |
398 |
|
|
|
1696 |
8.9 |
|
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|
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POST SEASON RECORD |
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|
|
| Year |
Team |
League |
GA |
FGM |
FTM |
FTA |
PCT. |
AST |
PTS |
AVG |
|
| 1946-47 |
Lancaster |
EBL |
5 |
35 |
29 |
|
|
|
99 |
19.8 |
|
| 1946-47 |
Tri-Cities |
WBT |
2 |
7 |
2 |
2 |
1.000 |
|
16 |
8.0 |
|
| 1947-48 |
Tri-Cities |
NBL |
7 |
48 |
17 |
30 |
.567 |
|
113 |
16.1 |
|
| 1947-48 |
Tri-Cities |
WBT |
3 |
14 |
10 |
18 |
.556 |
|
38 |
12.7 |
|
| 1948-49 |
ri-Cities |
NBL |
6 |
20 |
13 |
24 |
.542 |
|
53 |
8.8 |
|
| 1950-51 |
Lancaster |
EBL |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
|
4 |
4.0 |
|
| 1951-52 |
Lancaster |
EBL |
2 |
11 |
5 |
|
|
|
27 |
13.5 |
|
| 1952-53 |
Lancaster |
EBL |
1 |
6 |
4 |
|
|
|
16 |
16.0 |
|
|
Major League Totals |
|
18 |
89 |
42 |
74 |
.568 |
|
220 |
12.2 |
|
“Ignatius “Nat” Volpe was a prep basketball star at Evander Childs High School in the Bronx, New York. Volpe played three years of varsity basketball at Manhattan College. Volpe was named a Helms Foundation All-American in 1his senior year, 938. Volpe was basketball coach and director of athletics at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains New York from 1948 tuntil 1965. Volpe was head basketball coach at the University of Scranton from 1965 until 1972.
| NAT VOLPE |
Height: |
5:08 |
|
Weight: |
155 |
|
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College: |
Manhattan ’38 |
| Ignatius Joseph Volpe |
Born: May 15, 1916 |
Died: Sep 8, 1997 |
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Hometown: |
Bronx, NY |
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REGULAR SEASON RECORD |
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|
| Year |
Team |
League |
GA |
FGM |
FTM |
FTA |
PCT. |
AST |
PTS |
AVG |
|
| 1934-35 |
Manahattan (Frosh) |
College |
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| 1935-36 |
Manahattan |
College |
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| 1936-37 |
Manahattan |
College |
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| 1937-38 |
Manahattan |
College |
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1938-39 |
Troy–Wilkes- Barre–New |
ABL |
12 |
8 |
4 |
|
|
|
20 |
1.7 |
|
| 1939-40 |
Danbury |
CSL |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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| 1944-46 |
U.S. Army |
Military Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1946-47 |
Jersey City |
ABL |
3 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
|
4 |
1.3 |
|
|
Major League Totals |
|
12 |
8 |
4 |
|
|
|
20 |
1.7 |
|
Floyd Volker was a nulti=psort star at Casper High School.Volker led the Casper Mudtangs to two consecative Wyoming State High School Basketball Championships, in 1939 and 1940. Volker went on to star at the University of Wyoming where was integral part of the Cowboys 1943 NCAA Chapionship team. Volker played professional basketball for four seasons.
| FLOYD VOLKER |
Height: |
6:04 |
|
Weight: |
190 |
|
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College: |
Wyoming’47 |
| Floyd Wilham Volker |
Born: Jun 21, 1921 |
Died: Jan 5, 1995 |
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Hometown: |
Casper, Wy. |
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REGULAR SEASON RECORD |
|
|
| Year |
Team |
League |
GA |
FGM |
FTM |
FTA |
PCT. |
AST |
PTS |
AVG |
|
| 1940-41 |
Wyoming (Frosh) |
College |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1941-42 |
Wyoming |
College |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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| 1942-43 |
Wyoming |
College |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1943-45 |
U.S. Marines |
Military Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1945-46 |
Western Oil Toolers |
AAU |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1946-47 |
Wyoming |
College |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1947-48 |
Oshkosh |
NBL |
57 |
102 |
31 |
66 |
.470 |
|
235 |
4.1 |
|
| 1948-49 |
Oshkosh |
NBL |
64 |
166 |
78 |
134 |
.582 |
|
410 |
6.4 |
|
| 1949-5050 |
Indianapolis–Denver |
NBA |
54 |
163 |
71 |
129 |
.550 |
112 |
397 |
7.4 |
|
| 1950-51 |
Denver |
NPBL |
30 |
116 |
59 |
92 |
.641 |
|
291 |
9.7 |
|
|
Major League Totals |
|
205 |
547 |
239 |
421 |
.568 |
|
1333 |
6.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PLAYOFF RECORD |
|
|
|
| Year |
Team |
League |
GA |
FGM |
FTM |
FTA |
PCT. |
AST |
PTS |
AVG |
|
| 1947-48 |
Oshkosh |
NBL |
4 |
12 |
4 |
5 |
.800 |
|
28 |
7.0 |
|
| 1948-49 |
Oshkosh |
NBL |
7 |
22 |
9 |
17 |
.529 |
|
53 |
7.6 |
|
|
Major League Totals |
|
11 |
34 |
13 |
22 |
.591 |
|
81 |
7.4 |
|