Joe Capua

Joseph Louis Capua (February 26, 1934 – February 15, 1988) was an American college basketball player who was an All-American at the University of Wyoming known for his small stature and prolific scoring ability.

Joe Capua
Capua as a senior at Wyoming.
Personal information
Born(1934-02-26)February 26, 1934
Gary, Indiana
DiedFebruary 15, 1988(1988-02-15) (aged 53)
Dallas, Texas
NationalityAmerican
Listed height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Listed weight155 lb (70 kg)
Career information
High schoolLew Wallace (Gary, Indiana)
CollegeWyoming (1953–1956)
NBA draft1956 / Undrafted
Playing career1956–1959
PositionPoint guard
Career history
1956–1959D-C Truckers
Career highlights and awards

Capua played high school basketball for Lew Wallace High School in Gary, Indiana. Though he was named all-state in his senior year, he was not recruited by nearby Big Ten Conference schools due to his size - only 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) at the time (he would later grow to 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)). Lew Wallace and Wyoming alum Milo Komenich facilitated suggested his move to his college alma mater to play for his former coach Everett Shelton.[1] As the team's point guard, Capua led the Cowboys' fast break and as a junior he came into his own as a scorer, ending the season averaging 14.2 points per game and making the All-Skyline Conference first team.[2][3]

As a senior in the 1955–56 season, Capua became one of the top scorers in the Skyline Conference and the nation at 24.5 points per game.[4] Despite a disappointing 7–19 overall season for the Cowboys, Capua set several school and conference records, including a then-records for most points in a game (51) and season (637).[5][6] At the close of the season, Capua was again named first-team all-conference and was additionally named the Skyline Conference Player of the Year.[7][8] Nationally, he was named a third-team All-American by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) and was named to the national "Small-America" team by the United Press International (UPI) for the top players 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) or shorter.[9][10] Coach Shelton would describe Capua one of his best all-time players and compared him favorably to Hall of Fame guard Ken Sailors.[11][12] In 2001 he was inducted into the University of Wyoming Athletic Hall of Fame.

Following the close of his college career, Capua was not drafted in the 1956 NBA draft. He instead went on to play in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) for the Denver-Chicago Truckers.[13]

References
  1. "Joe Capua gains fame on court". Standard-Examiner. February 8, 1956. p. 15. Retrieved June 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Joe Capua is new find at Wyoming". Standard-Examiner. January 20, 1955. p. 10. Retrieved June 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Aggies' Hal Kinnard chosen on AP All-Skyline quintet". Fort Collins Coloradoan. March 9, 1955. p. 11. Retrieved June 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Little Joe Capua paces lanky Wyoming cage team". Billings Gazette. January 4, 1956. p. 10. Retrieved June 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Joe Capua breaks two marks". Daily Herald. February 28, 1956. p. 6. Retrieved June 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Joe Capua gets new record with 51 points". Standard-Examiner. February 4, 1956. p. 5. Retrieved June 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Two tiny guards lead Skyline All-Star poll". The Montana Standard. March 4, 1956. p. 35. Retrieved June 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Joe Capua honored". The Lead Daily Call. March 9, 1956. p. 6. Retrieved June 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Russell dominates All-America team". Standard-Examiner. March 6, 1956. p. 14. Retrieved June 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Tebbs, Capua honored on All-Star five". The Salt Lake Tribune. February 29, 1956. p. 25. Retrieved June 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "'Little Joe' Capua called greatest basketball player since Ken Sailors". Times-News. February 9, 1956. p. 16. Retrieved June 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Cowboy Joe Capua rated with all-time greats". The Herald Journal. February 8, 1956. p. 4. Retrieved June 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Quarterbacks hear Capua". Casper Star-Tribune. November 29, 1956. p. 23. Retrieved June 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
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