Ron Thorsen Explained

Ron Thorsen
Number:15, 23, 10, 7
Position:Point guard
Height Ft:6
Height In:1
Birth Date:1949 4, df=yes
Birth Place:Hollister, California
Death Place:Everett, Washington
Nationality:Canadian / American
High School:Prince George, British Columbia
College:University of British Columbia (1967–1972)
Draft Year:1973
Draft Round:19
Draft Pick:209
Draft Team:Buffalo Braves
Highlights:As player:
  • Captain of the Canada men's national basketball team
  • CIAU First Team All-Canadian (1970, 1971, 1972)
  • Set UBC records for most points in a game (48), season points per game (20.3) and total season points (650) in 1969-70 season
  • Set CIAU and UBC records for career points (2,059)
  • Set UBC record for career points per game (19.1)
  • CIAU Tournament MVP (1970)
  • CIAU Tournament All-star (1970)
  • BC University Athlete of the Year (1972)
  • 2x CIAU national champion (1970, 1972)
  • 2x WCIAA First Team All-star (1970, 1971)
  • CWUAA First Team All-star (1972)
  • UBC Graduating Athlete of the Year (1972)
  • BC High School MVP (1967)
  • 2x BC High School All-star

As coach:

  • CIAU women's national champion (1973)

Ron Thorsen (born April 13, 1949) was a Canadian basketball player and coach. Among his many accomplishments, he was captain of the Canada men's national basketball team in the 1970s;[1] was a three-time Canadian university ("CIAU") First Team All-Canadian;[2] [3] broke multiple CIAU and University of British Columbia ("UBC") scoring records;[4] is the only UBC played to be drafted in the NBA;[5] [6] [7] and was a three-time CIAU national champion, twice as a player (1970, 1972) and once while coaching the UBC women's team (1973).[8]

High school

Thorsen played at the high school level in Prince George, BC. Thorsen was a two-time BC high school all-star and the BC high school MVP (1967).

University

Thorsen played for UBC for five seasons from 1967 to 1972. In his freshman season, he received the inaugural John Owen bursary and was lauded for all-around citizenship by then-federal cabinet member and later prime minister John Turner.

During his time at UBC, Thorsen was three-time First Team All-Canadian.[9] Only 17 other athletes in Canadian university basketball history were three-time First Team All-Canadians. For context, there have been more season MVPs in Canadian university basketball than three-time First Team All-Canadians.[10] [11]

In the 1969–70 season, Thorsen set the UBC records for most points in a single game (48), highest season points per game (20.3) and most total season points (650). His single-game points record is notable because he did so while only playing three quarters of the game. Then, in the 1972 season, he tied his own record for most points in a single season, with this record standing for 14 years.

Thorsen was named the CIAU national tournament MVP and an CIAU national tournament all-star in 1970.[12] [13] [14] [15] Thorsen was also named the BC University Athlete of the year in 1972.

Thorsen was named a First Team conference all-star three times (1970, 1971, 1972). In 1970 and 1971, Thorsen was named a Western Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Association ("WCIAA") all-star; in 1972 when the conference was split into the Canada West Universities Athletic Association ("CWUAA") conference and the Great Plains Athletic Association ("GPAA") conference, he was named a CWUAA all-star.[16] In 1971, he was the only unanimous conference all-star. Additionally, in 1972 Thorsen was named UBC's graduating athlete of the year.

Upon graduating, Thorsen set both the CIAU and UBC records for total career points (2,059). He also set the UBC record for career points per game (19.1). His UBC records for career points per game and career points stood for 18 years.

Under Thorsen's leadership, UBC won two national championships in three years (1970, 1972). In 1970, the Thunderbirds went undefeated in Canadian play. In 1970, the Thunderbirds easily won the championship game against McMaster University 96–75.[17] These are the only national championships in program history.[18] [19]

The Thunderbirds also won the conference championship in 1970 and 1972 and were the conference championship runner-up in 1971.

Professional

Thorsen was drafted by the Buffalo Braves in the 1973 NBA Draft as the 209th overall pick.[20] [21] Thorsen is the only UBC player to be drafted in the NBA.

International career

Thorsen played for the Canadian national team in the 1970s, beginning in 1972. He served as captain of the team. Thorsen represented Canada in the Pan American Games, the FIBA World Championship, the World Student Games and the Pre-Olympic Tournament.

Specifically, in the 1970 World Championship, Thorsen was Canada's third-leading scorer with 12.4 points per game.[22] His highest-scoring game in this tournament occurred against Australia when he led all scorers with 26 points.[23] He was also Canada's second leading scorer in their games against Korea and Panama, where he scored 18 and 13 points, respectively.[24] [25] Additionally, in the 1972 Pre-Olympic Tournament, he was again Canada's third-leading scorer.[26]

Coaching career

Thorsen coached the UBC women's basketball team in the '70s, where he led the team to win the national championship in 1973. He also coached and taught in British Columbia in the years preceding his death.

Post-career recognition

Thorsen has been inducted into the Canada West Hall of Fame (2022), the Basketball BC Hall of Fame (2006), the UBC Sports Hall of Fame (in its inaugural 1993 class) and into the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame (1999).

Personal life / death

Thorsen was born in Hollister, California and raised in San Jose, California. Thorsen moved to Prince George, BC in 1965 after his father elected to spend his retirement there. Thorsen earned bachelor's and master's degrees in physical education.

Thorsen passed away in early December 2005 at the age of 56.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ron Thorsen (1999) . Prince George Sports Hall of Fame & Museum . 14 July 2024 . pg_hof.
  2. Web site: Men's Basketball All-Canadian Teams . 7 February 2024 . U Sports . ciau_all_can.
  3. Web site: Basketball Award Winners - National First Team All-Canadian . U Sports Hoops . 12 July 2024 . ush_all_can.
  4. Web site: Hume . Fred . Ron Thorsen . UBC Sports Hall of Fame . 14 July 2024 . ubc_hof.
  5. Web site: Hall of Fame Inductees . Basketball BC Hall of Fame . 14 July 2024 . bb_bc_hof.
  6. In Memoriam . The Trek: The Magazine of the University of British Columbia . Winter 2005 . 54 . 14 July 2024 . ubc_mag.
  7. Web site: Beamish . Mike . Beamish: Ron Thorsen was a 1970s Steve Nash . The Province . 14 July 2024 . province.
  8. Web site: Ron Thorsen (MBB Student-athlete) . Canada West Hall of Fame . 5 October 2023 . cw_hof.
  9. Web site: Ron Thorsen . U Sports Hoops . 14 July 2024 . ush_profile.
  10. Web site: Mike Moser Memorial Trophy (Player of the Year) . U Sports . 7 February 2024 . ciau_mvp.
  11. Web site: Mike Moser Memorial Trophy (CIS Outstanding Player) . U Sports Hoops . 14 July 2024 . ush_mvp.
  12. Web site: Jack Donohue Trophy (Championship MVP) . U Sports . 7 February 2024 . ciau_tourn_mvp.
  13. Web site: MVP of CIAU Championship / Jack Donohue Trophy: . U Sports Hoops . 14 July 2024 . ush_ciau_tourn_mvp.
  14. Web site: Men's Basketball Championship All-Stars . U Sports . 7 February 2024 . ciau_tourn_all_stars.
  15. Web site: CIS Tournament All-Star Team . U Sports Hoops . 14 July 2024 . ush_ciau_all_stars.
  16. Web site: History of Canada West . Canada West . 14 July 2024 . cw_hist.
  17. Web site: British Columbia Thunderbirds - 1969-70 Season . U Sports Hoops . 15 July 2024 . ush_ubc_69_70.
  18. Web site: U Sports Championship Results . U Sports . 7 February 2024 . ciau_champs.
  19. Web site: List of Canadian University Men's Basketball National Champions . U Sports Hoops . 15 July 2024 . ush_champs.
  20. Web site: Ron Thorsen . Draft Express . 15 July 2024 . draft_express.
  21. Web site: Ron Thorsen . Basketball Reference . 15 July 2024 . bask_ref.
  22. Web site: 1970 World Championship for Men Canada Team Home Page . FIBA Archive . 15 July 2024 . 1970_fiba.
  23. Web site: Canada vs Australia . FIBA Archive . 15 July 2024 . 1970_fiba_aus.
  24. Web site: Canada vs Korea . FIBA Archive . 15 July 2024 . 1970_fiba_kor.
  25. Web site: Canada vs Panama . FIBA Archive . 15 July 2024 . 1970_fiba_pan.
  26. Web site: 1972 Pre-Olympic Tournament - Canada Team Home Page . FIBA Archive . 15 July 2024 . 1972_fiba.