Willard F. Somerset (born March 17, 1942) is an American former professional basketball player. Born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, Somerset attended Farrell High School in Farrell, Pennsylvania and later, Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[1][2]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 17, 1942 Sharon, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Listed height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Listed weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Farrell (Farrell, Pennsylvania) |
| College | Duquesne (1961–1965) |
| NBA draft | 1965: 7th round, 56th overall pick |
| Selected by the Baltimore Bullets | |
| Playing career | 1965–1973 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 24, 12, 33 |
| Career history | |
| 1965 | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1965–1966 | Johnstown C.J.'s |
| 1966–1967 | Scranton Miners |
| 1967–1969 | Houston Mavericks |
| 1969 | New York Nets |
| 1969–1970 | Scranton Miners |
| 1970–1972 | Scranton Apollos |
| 1972–1973 | East Orange Colonials |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career NBA and ABA statistics | |
| Points | 3,129 (21.9 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 652 (4.6 rpg) |
| Assists | 514 (3.6 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
A 5'8" guard from Duquesne University, Somerset played eight games for the Baltimore Bullets during the 1965–66 NBA season, averaging 5.6 points per game. He blossomed in the American Basketball Association, where he averaged 22.8 points in 135 games with the Houston Mavericks and New York Nets from 1967 to 1969. During the 1968–69 ABA season, when he was named an All-Star, Somerset ranked fifth in the league in points per game, eighth in assists per game, and third in free throw percentage.
After his playing career, Willie became a pharmacist and retired from the profession in 2012.[3]
Somerset was named one of the "Outstanding Young Men of America" in 1968. He was inducted into the Duquesne University Sports Hall of Fame in 1976 and into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1982 (Western Chapter) and in 1994. In 1997, Somerset was inducted into the Mercer County Hall of Fame.[2]
Career statistics
edit| 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 |
NBA/ABA
editSource[1]
Regular season
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965–66 | Baltimore | 8 | 12.3 | .419 | .818 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 5.6 | ||
| 1967–68 | Houston (ABA) | 61 | 38.3 | .448 | .308 | .780 | 5.0 | 3.7 | 21.7 | |
| 1968–69 | Houston (ABA) | 43 | 41.7 | .395 | .227 | .836 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 23.5 | |
| 1968–69 | N.Y. Nets (ABA) | 31 | 42.7 | .429 | .297 | .820 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 24.1 | |
| Career (ABA) | 135 | 40.4 | .426 | .280 | .808 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 22.8 | ||
| Career (overall) | 143 | 38.8 | .425 | .280 | .808 | 4.6 | 3.6 | 21.9 | ||
| All-Star (ABA) | 1 | 0 | 17.0 | .286 | – | 1.000 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 3.0 | |
Playoffs
edit| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Houston (ABA) | 3 | 43.7 | .411 | .286 | .794 | 8.3 | 3.0 | 30.3 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Willie Somerset NBA/ABA stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
- ^ a b "Willie Somerset – '97 Inductee, Mercer County Hall of Fame". The Herald. Sharon. January 13, 1997. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
- ^ Lacis, Reinis (September 11, 2017). "The Handle Podcast – Willie Somerset: 09/11/17". LamarMatic's NBA Blog (The Handle Podcast). Archived from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2018. Alt URL
External links
edit- Career statistics from NBA.com and Basketball Reference
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