Bill Justus passed away today

[Freak]

From UT Sports Information.

Vols Mourn the Loss of All-American Bill Justus​

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Bill Justus, an All-American guard on Vol basketball teams of 1966-69, passed away early Tuesday morning at the age of 76 at his home in Bellemeade in the Nashville area.

Before attending UT, Justus graduated from Fulton High School in Knoxville. There, he was named all-state in football (1964) and basketball (1964 and 65). He also received All-America honorable mention plaudits for football in 1964 and was All-America in basketball in 1965.

In 1965, Justus signed a football scholarship with the University of Tennessee. There, he played for the freshman football team before his college athletic career then turned toward basketball.

Justus helped lead his team to the SEC championship in 1966-67. He was a three-year starter for the Vols and served as captain his senior year. He was named first team All-SEC in both 1967-68 and 1968-69, claiming NCAA Basketball Academic All-America status the former year.

In his senior year, 1968-69, Justus was selected as a First Team All-American by the Helms Foundation. He was the NCAA free-throw shooting champion that year, making 133 of 147 attempts for a 90.5 percentage. He was chosen to play in the East-West College All-Star Game, while Tennessee was invited to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) and earned a third-place finish.

Known for his free-throw accuracy, Justus made 18 straight free throws in the NIT game versus Ohio, setting the school record by making 22 of 23 attempts. He ended his career second in Tennessee history with an .8492 percentage (338-of-398). He finished his career scoring 1,236 points and averaging 15.1 points per game.

In 1969, Justus was selected in the 10th round of the NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and also by Denver in the ABA Draft. The Dallas Cowboys also picked him in the 15th round of the NFL Draft.

After college, he traveled extensively teaching ball-handling and shooting skills for Converse at coaches' clinics and basketball camps throughout the United States. He also did color commentary for the Vol TV and Radio Networks

In 1990, Justus was inducted into the Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame. He then joined the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. Justus was named an SEC Legend in 2006. e also was inducted intpo the After the age of 30, Justus began an amateur tennis career and won numerous USTA amateur tennis championships.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

 

[butchna]

Gonna miss him on Big Orange Sunday.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Bill Justus played on 3 excellent UT teams (when freshmen weren’t eligible). 1st in the SEC as a sophomore. 2nd in the SEC as a junior. 2nd in the SEC as a Senior. Those that are ignorant of history will say he never won an NCAAT game. But only the team that won the SEC in 1967 was invited. His other 2 teams could have easily been in Final Fours. Imagine finishing #2 in the SEC and missing the tournament while a bunch of mediocre mid-major teams received invitations.

Bill was a great UT basketball player. He taught me how to shoot free throws. RIP.

 

[teeball]

I remember listening to the Tennessee basketball games while in high school and Justus was one of my favorite players and I always enjoyed hearing John Ward say "give it to him" after Bill made a jump shot. RIP Bill Justus.

 

[kyvol98]

Bill Justus played on 3 excellent UT teams (when freshmen weren’t eligible). 1st in the SEC as a sophomore. 2nd in the SEC as a junior. 2nd in the SEC as a Senior. Those that are ignorant of history will say he never won an NCAAT game. But only the team that won the SEC in 1967 was invited. His other 2 teams could have easily been in Final Fours. Imagine finishing #2 in the SEC and missing the tournament while a bunch of mediocre mid-major teams received invitations.

Bill was a great UT basketball player. He taught me how to shoot free throws. RIP.

Excellent point

 

[orangefloyd]

I think thats four members of those teams gone now.

 

[terrypedigo]

R.I.P.

 

[The Dog]

R. I. P. to the Fulton legend

 

[TennesseeFan07]

Sad to hear.

 

[wmcovol]

A great Vol. Bill was a great all around athlete & a super person. Gonna miss him on Doug Matthews show in basketball season. Prayers to his family & friends.

 

[wmcovol]

Bill Justus played on 3 excellent UT teams (when freshmen weren’t eligible). 1st in the SEC as a sophomore. 2nd in the SEC as a junior. 2nd in the SEC as a Senior. Those that are ignorant of history will say he never won an NCAAT game. But only the team that won the SEC in 1967 was invited. His other 2 teams could have easily been in Final Fours. Imagine finishing #2 in the SEC and missing the tournament while a bunch of mediocre mid-major teams received invitations.

Bill was a great UT basketball player. He taught me how to shoot free throws. RIP.

That Dayton team that beat Bill, Whiby & Boerwinkle by 2 pts only went to the NCAA championship game vs UCLA & Alcindor. There wasn’t any Stoneybrooks, or Winthrop in those days.

 

[BruisedOrange]

Bill Justus's sophomore season with the Vols was the year I got serious about basketball. Bill Justus became my role model. I was also influenced by the references to the academic standards he held himself to, and became aware of how he evidently comported himself. From Bill Justus the idea began to form in my young skull that a "sports hero" needed to be someone also admired off the court.

Listening to every game on the radio, the importance of free throw shooting impressed on me. So every day I'd shoot free throws in the back yard after supper 'til it was so dark I had to listen to know if I'd made it. I'd dribble twice, spin the ball, feel the seams, and hear in my head John Ward's voice...

"Standing at the line for Tennessee, Bill Justus."

I'm saddened tonight. But sad from gratitude.

 

[Vol4gzus]

Remember the Justus family going to same church as us in West Hills for many years. Humble young man as I recall. No "don't you know who I am " stuff like many athletes these days. This was after playing days over.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

From the 1968-69 team Jimmy England (Holston High School), Don Johnson, Bobby Croft (Canada), and Justus have all passed away. Ron Widby (another UT/Fulton legend) from a year or two earlier as well.

As far as I know Dickie Johnston and Billy Hann are still alive. No idea about Jim Woodall, Rudy Kinard, or Kerry Myers. Or Hirchorn/Campbell. Roger Peltz passed away several years ago - I have no idea if he was buried with his unicycle.

 

[DooleyOrangePants]

Well before my time to fully appreciate what he did for the university, but as it happens, there was a guy that came to my high school in 1996 at the invitation of our coach to talk about his experiences and to reinforce the importance of free throws and fundamentals. This was after a particularly bad spell where not a one of us could throw it in the ocean.

That guy was Bill Justus and his instruction stuck. We didn’t miss many after that and it still resonates to this day. Just a great guy all around and his legacy will live on.

 

[BigorangeBoy]

That Dayton team that beat Bill, Whiby & Boerwinkle by 2 pts only went to the NCAA championship game vs UCLA & Alcindor. There wasn’t any Stoneybrooks, or Winthrop in those days.

Dayton had Don May, who was an All American and a great player.

 

[JohnWardForever]

Used to listen to John Ward & Bill Justus on the Vol Network, far off radio broadcasts with the static & everything that went with that wonderful time in history. This: Is the Vol Network! RIP Bill Justus.....

 

[Caspian]

Very sad news. I still remember every nuanced detail of his free throw routine. Bending over and bouncing the ball forcefully three times. Rocking forward with his right foot on the line. Looking up at the basket. And, of course, making the free throw. Over 90% of the time.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Very sad news. I still remember every nuanced detail of his free throw routine. Bending over and bouncing the ball forcefully three times. Rocking forward with his right foot on the line. Looking up at the basket. And, of course, making the free throw. Over 90% of the time.

Aim at just across the front lip of the rim. If you shot them correctly, with the backspin, the ball bounces right back to you while you stay at the free throw line.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

In the last game of his first year, to win the 1967 SEC title and get UT its first ever NCAAT bid:

Dubbed the "Fearless Five," the 1967 team won road games against top conference teams Florida, Kentucky, and Mississippi State. The win over Mississippi State, coming in double-overtime on a pair of Bill Justus free throws, secured Tennessee's first SEC championship in 24 years and is referred to by some as the greatest basketball game in Tennessee history.

-Wikipedia

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Bill Justus also had a game winning buzzer beater. Possibly on 1/13/1969 versus Florida.

 

[TartanTurff]

Used to cut my sleeves out of my T-shirts and take my magic markers to create a Billy Justus jersey in the late 60s, four decades before the university realized player jerseys were a business, SEC games were always Saturday night and Monday night, Justus was the first basketball hero as the basketball program began to roll under Ray Mears and John Ward brought the action straight to the fan base on a.m. radio, in those early years Ward was just as excited on the broadcast as any Tennessee fan would be sitting in Stokely, that call for the SEC championship against Mississippi State is legendary, Ward describing Justus' two free throws to upset Frank McGuire's number one ranked South Carolina team in Columbia was special.

There are pockets of season ticket holders in Thompson Boling whose families had seats in Stokely in the 60s after it was fashioned from an old armory into a field house with a synthetic tartan surface, they all remember Billy Justus and the foundation those teams built with Ray Meares long before Ernie and Bernie showed up to take it up a notch to another level.

 

[feathersax]

A great Vol. Bill was a great all around athlete & a super person. Gonna miss him on Doug Matthews show in basketball season. Prayers to his family & friends.

Bill Justus was a "regular" on the Mathews Sunday radio show during basketball season. Doug referred to him as "Billy the Legend." R.I.P.

 

[savannahfan]

Used to cut my sleeves out of my T-shirts and take my magic markers to create a Billy Justus jersey in the late 60s, four decades before the university realized player jerseys were a business, SEC games were always Saturday night and Monday night, Justus was the first basketball hero as the basketball program began to roll under Ray Mears and John Ward brought the action straight to the fan base on a.m. radio, in those early years Ward was just as excited on the broadcast as any Tennessee fan would be sitting in Stokely, that call for the SEC championship against Mississippi State is legendary, Ward describing Justus' two free throws to upset Frank McGuire's number one ranked South Carolina team in Columbia was special.

There are pockets of season ticket holders in Thompson Boling whose families had seats in Stokely in the 60s after it was fashioned from an old armory into a field house with a synthetic tartan surface, they all remember Billy Justus and the foundation those teams built with Ray Meares long before Ernie and Bernie showed up to take it up a notch to another level.

Great post! For me there is nothing like history told about "long ago" by someone who lived it. Sometimes I do it, as "long ago" are the best times ever!

 

[Tnphil]

RIP...Enjoyed watching him play.