Bill Walker (Toledo basketball)

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For the current basketball player formerly known as Bill Walker, see Henry Walker
(basketball).
Bill Walker
Bill Walker (Toledo basketball).jpg
Walker in 1951
Personal information
Born c. 1926 (age 95–96)
Queens, New York
Died 2001
Indian Harbor Beach, Florida
Nationality American
Listed height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Career information
College Toledo (1948–1951)
NBA draft 1951 / Undrafted
Position Guard
Career highlights and awards
NCAA season assists leader (1951)
William J. Walker Jr. (born c. 1926) was an American basketball player. He was a
native of Queens, New York and played the guard position.[1] Walker played
collegiately for the Toledo Rockets from 1948 to 1951.[2] He was known as an
excellent dribbler and passer, and was the first officially recorded national
season assists leader with his 7.24 per game average during the 1950–51 NCAA men's
basketball season.[3] However, Walker's collegiate accomplishments were
overshadowed by his involvement in a point shaving scandal during his senior year.
[4]

During a game against the Niagara Purple Eagles on December 15, 1950, Walker's
Toledo Rockets held a lead of 17 points with three minutes remaining.[1][5][6] In
the final minutes of the game, the Rockets misdribbled the ball, threw errant
passes and only won the game by three points.[1][6] The game began suspicion among
spectators that a fix had occurred and an investigation was subsequently commenced.
Walker and teammates Carlo Munzi and Robert McDonald were found to be involved with
the point shaving plot after having been instructed to win the Niagara game by less
than the predicted seven points following a payment from New York gambler Eli
Klukofski, who had been involved in other fixes.[1][6] The three Toledo players had
turned down opportunities to point shave previous games against the Michigan
Wolverines, Illinois Fighting Illini and Denver Pioneers as it "meant too much for
them and the school" to defeat those teams.[6] For the Niagara game, Walker
received $1,750 from Klukofski and gave $250 each to Munzi and McDonald.[6] No
charges were formally placed against Walker and his teammates as the state of Ohio
had no laws dealing with sports bribery.[6]

Prior to enrolling at Toledo, Walker had served in the United States Navy.[1]
Walker graduated from Toledo just six weeks before the accusal; he was 25 years
old, was married and had fathered one son at the time.[1] Walker showed remorse for
his involvement in the scandal. In a July 29, 1951 issue of The Toledo Blade, he
was quoted "In the end all this scandal will help a lot of kids and a lot of
schools. My own boy will never make the same mistake I did."[5]