Rich Yunkus

Richard A. Yunkus (born November 13, 1949) is an American former basketball player, best known for his All-American college career at Georgia Tech.

Rich Yunkus
Personal information
Born (1949-11-13) November 13, 1949
Omaha, Nebraska
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High schoolBenton (Benton, Illinois)
CollegeGeorgia Tech (1968–1971)
NBA draft1971 / Round: 3 / Pick: 38th overall
Selected by the Cincinnati Royals
PositionPower forward / Center
Number40
Career highlights and awards

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, to a family of Lithuanian descent,[1] Yunkus was a star player at Benton High School in Benton, Illinois, where he led the Rangers to a 61–2 record over his last two seasons.[2] Though Yunkus was recruited by most top schools nationally, he chose to attend Georgia Tech, in part due to his interest in becoming an engineer.[3] At Georgia Tech, Yunkus proved a capable highly scorer and rebounder, averaging 26.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per game for his three-year varsity career (freshmen were ineligible in his day). He received All-American honors in both his junior and senior seasons and was an Academic All-American all three seasons.

For his career, Yunkus scored 2,232 points and recorded 955 rebounds. He is still the Yellow Jackets' all-time leading scorer, despite playing only three seasons. He also is the program career leader in scoring average.[4]

Following the close of his college career in 1971, Yunkus was drafted by both the ABA's Carolina Cougars and the NBA's Cincinnati Royals (third round, 38th pick overall). The Royals traded his rights to the Atlanta Hawks, but Yunkus ultimately left the team without playing a game for them. He returned home to Benton to enter the business world.[3]

References
  1. "Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine Vol. 47, No. 03 1969". Issuu. p. 16. Retrieved October 25, 2018. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Yunkus moved with his parents to Benton, a farming community of 8,000 in the southern Illinois coal-mining area, when he was a year old. His father of Lithuanian descent...
  2. "Rich Yunkus profile". Illinois High School Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  3. Tierney, Mike (June 23, 2010). "Lienhard, Yunkus: Georgia's first big men". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  4. "2012-13 Georgia Tech men's basketball media guide, pages 44-45" (PDF). Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
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