Tony Worrell

Tony Worrell (December 29, 1965 – November 10, 2015) was an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the North Texas Mean Green.

Tony Worrell
Personal information
Born(1965-12-29)December 29, 1965
Goldsboro, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedNovember 10, 2015(2015-11-10) (aged 49)
Grand Junction, Colorado, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Career information
High schoolGoldsboro (Goldsboro, North Carolina)
CollegeNorth Texas (1984–1988)
NBA draft1988: undrafted
PositionSmall forward
Career history
1990–1992Commodore
1996–1997Independiente General Pico
Career highlights and awards

Early life

Worrell was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, and attended Goldsboro High School.[1] Worrell garnered recruiting attention after playing well in All-Star camps the summer before his senior year and was named to the North Carolina East-West All-Star game.[2] Ultimately, he was scouted by 150 colleges and committed to play for the North Texas Mean Green.[1]

College career

Worrell scored 1,516 points during his Mean Green career and is ranked 8th in program scoring history.[1] He led the team to its first NCAA tournament appearance in 1988 behind his 20.2 points per game during the season.[3] He clinched the Mean Green's NCAA bid by scoring 33 points in the 1988 Southland tournament, earning MVP honors.[4] Worrell scored a team-high 15 points in their loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels.[1][5] He was named the Southland Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 1988[6][7] and became the first African-American student-athlete at the University of North Texas to earn the award.[8] Worrell was a two-time selection to the All-Southland first-team.[9]

Worrell was inducted into the North Texas Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.[9] He was named to the 1980s all-decade Southland Conference team in 2013.[10]

Professional career

Following the close of his college career, Worrell went undrafted in the 1988 NBA draft. He joined the Dallas Mavericks for the NBA Summer League, where he impressed coaches but ultimately did not make the final roster.[11] Worrell was also selected by the Rapid City Thrillers as the 50th overall pick in the 1988 Continental Basketball Association draft.[12] He played professional basketball for 11 years in Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, France and Argentina.[9] Worrell played for Commodore in the Netherlands from 1990 to 1992.[13]

Later life and death

Worrell moved to Grand Junction, Colorado, with his family in 2001.[1] He coached youth basketball and officiated games.[1]

Worrell died on November 10, 2015, in Grand Junction.[1][8][14]

References
  1. "Tony Worrell". Brown's Cremation & Funeral Service. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  2. "Ex-Goldsboro star seeks Heels' attention". Raleigh News and Observer. March 17, 1988. p. 21. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  3. Wakley, Ralph (March 16, 1988). "North Texas State forward Tony Worrell, a North Carolina..." UPI. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  4. "NTSU's Worrell psyched to play UNC". The Chapel Hill News. March 17, 1988. p. 9. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  5. Drooz, Alan (March 18, 1988). "NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT : Other West Regional Games : North Carolina Has No Trouble in 83-65 Win". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  6. "Champ North Texas State leads All-SLC parade". The Town Talk (Alexandria, Louisiana). March 9, 1988. p. 14. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  7. "NTSU earns NCAA bid". The Paris News. Associated Press. 11 March 1988. p. 3B. Retrieved 28 December 2022 – via Newspapers.com.open access
  8. "North Texas Hall Of Famer Tony Worrell Passes Away". University of North Texas. November 11, 2015. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  9. "Tony Worrell". University of North Texas. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  10. Hofferth, Dave (February 27, 2013). "Lamar well represented on 1980s all-decade team". 12 News. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  11. "Tarpley needed revue workout; others needed work". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. July 30, 1988. p. 42. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.open access
  12. "1988 CBA Draft". NBA Hoops Online. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  13. "Tony Worrell Basketbal statistieken Spelers Dossier". NBB Database (in Dutch). Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  14. "Well-known, loved hoops official Worrell dies at 49". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. November 14, 2015. p. 11. Retrieved April 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. open access
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