Gene Rock

Eugene Rock (November 4, 1921 – October 31, 2002) was an American professional basketball player who played in the Professional Basketball League of America (PBLA) and the Basketball Association of America (BAA) during the 1947–48 season.[1][2] A native of Huntington Park, California, Rock attended Huntington Park High School before enrolling at the University of Southern California to play basketball.[1] While at USC, Rock earned varsity letters in 1942, 1943 and 1947.[3] Like many male college athletes during his day, Rock served in the military for two years before finishing college; he attained the rank of Captain in the Marine Corps.[3] Rock led the Trojans in scoring during 1942–43 (12.6 points per game) and again in 1946–47 (11.1 ppg).[3] During the former season, USC finished with a then-school record 23–5 mark en route to winning the Pacific Coast League Southern Division title.[3] Rock was also a teammate of future College Basketball Hall of Fame coaches Alex Hannum and Tex Winter.

Gene Rock

Rock, circa 1947
Personal information
Born	(1921-11-04)November 4, 1921 Caruthers, California, US
Died	October 31, 2002(2002-10-31) (aged 80) San Diego, California, US
Listed height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Listed weight	155 lb (70 kg)
Career information
High school	Huntington Park (Huntington Park, California)
College	USC (1941–1943, 1946–1947)
BAA draft	1947: undrafted
Playing career	1947–1948
Position	Guard
Number	15
Career history
1947	Birmingham Skyhawks
1947–1948	Chicago Stags
Career highlights and awards
Consensus second-team All-American (1943) All-PCC (1943)
Career BAA statistics
Points	10 (0.9 ppg)
Assists	0 (0.0 apg)
Games played	11
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

After his college career ended, Rock played for the Birmingham Skyhawks in the PBLA, which was a professional basketball league that lasted for less than one full season due to underfunding. He averaged 6.9 points per game in seven games before the league folded.[2] Rock then signed with the Chicago Stags of the BAA. In 11 games played, he averaged 0.9 points.[1] His basketball career ended after the season, and Rock worked for the Los Angeles Police Department where he became a captain.[3] Rock retired in 1979 and lived the rest of his life in the San Diego area. On October 31, 2002, he succumbed to cancer.[3]