Wayne Estes

Wayne Estes
Personal information
Born(1943-05-13)May 13, 1943
Virginia City, Montana, U.S.[citation needed]
DiedFebruary 8, 1965(1965-02-08) (aged 21)
Logan, Utah, U.S.
Listed height
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Career information
High schoolAnaconda (Anaconda, Montana)
CollegeUtah State (1962–1965)
PositionForward
Career highlights
Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame

Wayne Vernon Estes (May 13, 1943 – February 8, 1965) was an American basketball player. He was a 6-foot-6-inch (1.98 m) All-American forward for the Utah State Aggies from 1962 to 1965.

High school

Estes earned all-state honors in three sports for the Anaconda Copperheads: football, basketball, and track. Estes earned three letters in football and basketball (freshmen could not play varsity football or basketball at the time) and four letters in track.[citation needed]

Estes was the Montana state class A champion discus and shot put thrower in his senior season. He still holds the Anaconda high school shot put record with a mark of 59' 4.5".[citation needed]

During his high school basketball career, Estes scored 1,430 points. Only Minneapolis Lakers Center Ed Kalafat, who racked up 1,561 points, outscored Estes while at Anaconda High School.[citation needed]

Accidental death

On the night of February 8, 1965, Estes played what would be the last game of his college career, against the University of Denver in the Nelson Field House. Estes scored 48 points, surpassing 2,000 points in his career.

Bounce pass to Estes. Puts the ball behind his back. Turns and looks out front to Hal Hale…(Estes) looks at his defense, pushes, and it's…in! Oh, great! Wayne Estes has now scored two-thousand points in a three-year career.
—Play-by-play announcer Reid Andreasen, KVNU Radio, Feb. 8, 1965

[citation needed]

After the game, Estes and some friends stopped at the scene of a car accident near campus. While crossing the street, Estes brushed against a downed high-voltage power line and was fatally electrocuted. Estes would likely have been a high draft pick in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1965. The Los Angeles Lakers had intended to draft him in the first round. Estes was posthumously named an All-American by the Associated Press and also earned a posthumous consensus Second Team All-American distinction. The Aggies posthumously retired his number #33. Estes is buried in the Sunset Memorial cemetery near Fairmont, Montana just southeast of Anaconda.

Wayne Estes Center

Wayne Estes Center

In May 2013, Utah State University announced the construction of the $9.7 million Wayne Estes Center, which will serve as a practice facility for the Utah State University Aggies men's and women's basketball teams and house a competition venue for the women's volleyball team. The foyer features a visual tribute to Wayne Estes. Jim and Carol Laub's $5.25 million gift and Blake Kirby's $1.3 million gift made the center possible. Groundbreaking was held in June 2013, and the facility was completed in September 2014.

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

College

Year Team GP FG% FT% RPG PPG
1962–63 Utah State 27.479.8389.520.0
1963–64 Utah State 29.479.85313.028.3
1964–65 Utah State 19.486.87813.733.7
Career 75.481.85611.926.7

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Estes Was No. 1 With Lakers", Los Angeles Times, Feb 10, 1965, pg. B3
  2. ↑ "50 years after his bizarre death, Wayne Estes remains a towering presence". The Missoulian. February 9, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Utah State Athletics Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for Wayne Estes Center".
  4. ↑ "Wayne Estes NCAA Stats". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 27 September 2020.