Rich Eichhorst Explained

Rich Eichhorst
Height Ft:6
Height In:3
Weight Lb:200
Nationality:American
Birth Date:21 October 1933
High School:Hancock (St. Louis, Missouri)
Draft Year:1956
Career Position:Guard
Team1:St. Louis Hawks
Bbr:eichhdi01

Richard A. "Ike" Eichhorst (born October 21, 1933) is an American retired professional basketball player from St. Louis, Missouri who played one game with the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the St. Louis Hawks during the 1961–62 season. Eichhorst scored two points, had three assists, and grabbed one rebound in ten minutes of action. Eichhorst played college basketball for Southeast Missouri State University.

College

Eichhorst attended Southeast Missouri State College, now known as Southeast Missouri State University, where he was a four-year letternman. He was a first-feam all-conference selection in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) as a junior and senior.[1] During the 1955–56 season, Eichhorst ranked third in the MIAA in scoring, averaging 16.6 points per game.[2] He was voted his team's most valuable player and captain as well as setting a school single-game scoring record of 36 points, single-season scoring record of 333 points, and career points with 868.[3] In 2009, Eichhorst was inducted into the Southeast Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame.[4]

After college

After graduating from Southeast Missouri State with a degree in education, Eichhorst joined the United States Army,[5] where he toured in Amateur Athletic Union tournaments with an army basketball team from Fort Knox, Kentucky.[6] [7] Upon being released from the Army in 1958, he returned to his high school, Hancock High School in St Louis, Missouri, becoming their athletic director, basketball and track coach.[5] [7] In 1959, he averaged 24.3 points per game for Cocos to lead the Independent Basketball Association in scoring.[8]

NBA career

While at Hancock in 1962, he played in the NBA for the St. Louis Hawks in the final game of their 1961–62 season. The team was short on players. He recorded a field goal, three assists and one rebound in 10 minutes of play in a 125–115 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.[9] [10]

After basketball

He was appointed the principal of Hancock in 1968.[11]

Eichhorst was also an official in the American Football League, moving to the National Football League in 1970, the first season following the NFL-AFL merger. He resigned from the NFL at the conclusion of the 1970 campaign to concentrate on his career as a college basketball official, where he would carve out a lengthy and distinguished tenure officiating in the Big Eight and Missouri Valley conferences.

Career statistics

NBA

Source[12]

Regular season

Notes and References

  1. News: March 6, 1956 . All-MIAA Honors Won By Oldham . March 16, 2022 . Springfield Daily News . 11 . Newspapers.com.
  2. News: February 25, 1956 . Ausmus, Maack Appear Certain To Top Scoring . March 16, 2022 . Springfield Daily News . 5 . Newspapers.com.
  3. News: Eddlemon . Marty . February 29, 1956 . Pinch Hitting . March 16, 2022 . Springfield Leader and Press . 19 . Newspapers.com.
  4. Web site: Rich "Ike" Eichhorst (2009) – Southeast Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame .
  5. News: April 22, 1964 . Hancock High Announces Administrative Changes . March 16, 2022 . Naborhood Link News . 1 . Newspapers.com.
  6. News: Posen . Bob . January 8, 1959 . Eichhorst, Hancock Double Dilemma For Cleveland . March 16, 2022 . St Louis Post-Dispatch . 5C . Newspapers.com.
  7. News: August 30, 1958 . Hancock High Hires 2 Coaches . March 16, 2022 . St. Louis Globe-Democrat . 11 . Newspapers.com.
  8. News: March 8, 1959 . Eichhorst Averages 24 Points . March 16, 2022 . St. Louis Post-Dispatch . 5B . Newspapers.com.
  9. News: March 18, 1962 . Sports Seens . March 16, 2022 . News and Leader . Springfield, Missouri . C-4 . Newspapers.com.
  10. News: March 15, 1962 . Long Season Comes to Close for Hawks With Loss to Lakers . March 16, 2022 . St. Louis Post-Dispatch . 3E . Newspapers.com.
  11. News: April 10, 1968 . https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97727995/via=[[Newspapers.com] Hancock Place High Principal Is Appointed ]. March 16, 2022 . St. Louis Post-Dispatch . 4S.
  12. Web site: Rich Eichhorst NBA stats . February 4, 2024 . . Sports Reference LLC.