Wayne Vernon Estes (May 13, 1943 – February 8, 1965) was a 6'6" forward All-American basketball player for Utah State University from 1963 to 1965. Wayne is the third-leading scorer in Utah State history with 2,001 points and the fourth-leading rebounder (893). He holds school records for career points per game (26.7), free throws made in a career (469), consecutive 10-point games (64), points in a season (821), points per game in a season (33.7), points in a game (52), and rebounds in a game (28). He was the second leading scorer in the nation in 1965, just behind Rick Barry.
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High School [edit]
Wayne earned all state honors in three sports for the Anaconda Copperheads: football, basketball, and track. Estes earned three letters each in football and basketball (freshman were unable to play varsity football and basketball at this time) and four letters in track.
Wayne was the Montana state class AA champion discus and shot put thrower his senior season. He still holds the Anaconda high school shot put record with a mark of 59' 4.5".
During his high school basketball career, Wayne scored 1,430 points. Only Minneapolis Lakers Center Ed Kalafat, who racked up 1,561 points, outscored Estes while at Anaconda High School.
Accidental death [edit]
On the night of February 8, 1965, Wayne Estes played the last game of his college career. During his last game against the University of Denver in the Nelson Field House, Wayne eclipsed the 2,000 point mark of his career scoring 48 points in the game.
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
After the game Wayne and some friends stopped at the scene of a car accident near campus. While crossing the street, Wayne brushed against a downed high power line and was fatally electrocuted. Wayne Estes would have likely 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.[1] Estes was posthumously given All-American honors by the Associated Press and also earned a posthumous consensus Second Team All-American distinction. Wayne is buried in the Sunset Memorial cemetery near Fairmont, Montana just southeast of Anaconda.
References [edit]
- ^ "Estes Was No. 1 With Lakers", "Los Angeles Times", Feb 10, 1965, pg. B3
External links [edit]
- Big Blue CheeseHeads Wayne Estes Memorial Page
- Utah State University Basketball All-Century Team
- 1964-65 AP All-Americans [1]
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