Val Bracey

Valray Bracey[lower-alpha 1] (born October 27, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played college basketball for Central Michigan University and later professionally in Iceland where he was named the Úrvalsdeild Foreign Player of the Year in 1982, the same year he won the Icelandic Basketball Cup.

Val Bracey
Personal information
Born (1959-10-27) October 27, 1959
Grand Rapids, Michigan
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Career information
High schoolUnion
(Grand Rapids, Michigan)
College
NBA draft1979: 9th round, 170th overall pick
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
PositionGuard
Career history
As player:
1980–1983Fram
As coach:
1980–1982Fram
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As coach:

Early life

Bracey was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, one of seven siblings.[3]

Playing career

College career

Bracey started his college career with Delta College[4] where he averaged 17 points per game and was an All-Region junior college pick. In 1976, he transferred to Central Michigan University[5] where he played until 1979. In 82 games for the Central Michigan Chippewas, he averaged 12.5 points while shooting 48,6% from the field.

Professional career

After graduating, Bracey was drafted by the Detroit Pistons with the 170th pick in the 9th round of the 1979 NBA draft.[6] He was waived by the Pistons in September the same year, bringing their roster down to 15 players.[7]

In 1980, Bracey signed with 1. deild karla club Fram as a player-coach.[8] On 14 October, he starred in an exhibition game with a selection of American and Icelandic players, scoring 23 points in a 105–93 win against the Chinese national team.[1][9]

During the summer of 1981, Bracey had a tryout with the Portland Trail Blazers[10] but returned to Fram before the start of the 1981–82 season[11] with Kolbeinn Kristinsson hired as his assistant coach.[12] In September, he helped Fram to victory in the annual Reykjavík Basketball Tournament and led all scorers with 109 points.[13] In October, Fram had agreed to loan him to Valur ahead of its games against Crystal Palace in the FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup.[14] Shortly before Valur departed to England, Fram barred Bracey from going,[15] citing their desire to have him get more practice time with newly signed Guðsteinn Ingimarsson.[16] On 4 March 1982, he scored a career high 47 points in a victory against ÍR.[17] During the season, he helped the Fram finish as the runner-up in the Úrvalsdeild karla and win the Icelandic Cup[2] while being named the Úrvalsdeild Foreign Player of the Year.[18]

Fram initially started with American Douglas Kintzinger during the 1982–83 season but soon signed Bracey again.[19][20] His Icelandic career came to an end in May 1983 when foreign players where barred from playing in the Icelandic leagues.[21]

Personal life

Bracey's son is basketball player Austin Magnús Bracey.[22]

Notes
  1. Bracey's last name was alternatively spelled as Bracy or Brazy in the Icelandic media.[1][2]

References
  1. "Shouse og Brazy fóru á kostum!". Vísir (in Icelandic). 14 October 1980. p. 6. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  2. "Fram vann sinn fyrsta stórsigur í körfuknattleik". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 26 March 1982. p. 31. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  3. "Þar rythminn sem heillar". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 12 March 1983. pp. 8–9. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  4. Bill Frank (2 May 1976). "All-state cagers flee to other areas". Battle Creek Enquirer. p. C3. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  5. "Guydon, two others headed for Central". The Herald-Palladium. 22 April 1976. p. 25. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  6. Charlie Vincent (26 June 1979). "Pistons stick to local diet - Special K top pick". Detroit Free Press. p. 35. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  7. "Pistons cut Central Michigan guard Val Bracey". The Times Herald. 22 September 1979. p. 38. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  8. "Framarar fá harðskeyttan bakvörð". Þjóðviljinn (in Icelandic). 10 October 1980. p. 11. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  9. "Þreyttir Kínverjar máttu þola 10 stiga tap". Dagblaðið. 14 October 1980. p. 15. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  10. "Brazi aftur til Fram!". Vísir (in Icelandic). 27 July 1981. p. 17. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  11. "Bracey aftur til Fram". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 30 July 1981. p. 47. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  12. "Kolbeinn aðstoðar Brazy". Vísir (in Icelandic). 1 September 1981. p. 7. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  13. "Fram varð meistari í fyrsta sinn". Vísir (in Icelandic). 30 September 1981. p. 7. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  14. "Val Brazy leikur með Val gegn C. Palace". Vísir (in Icelandic). 7 October 1981. p. 7. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  15. "Valsmenn gabbaðir". Tíminn (in Icelandic). 8 October 1981. p. 13. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  16. "Þeir settu okkur út af laginu í byrjun". Vísir (in Icelandic). 8 October 1981. p. 6. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  17. "Brazy skoraði 47 stig af 94". Tíminn (in Icelandic). 5 March 1982. p. 21. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  18. "Torfi valinn besti leikmaðurinn í körfunni af þjálfurum liðanna". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 1 April 1982. p. 46. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  19. "Framarar ráku Douglas - Val Brazy kemur á ný". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 27 October 1982. p. 21. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  20. "Val Brazy var óstöðvandi". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 1 November 1982. p. 25. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  21. "Erlendir leikmenn bannaðir". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 18 May 1983. p. 21. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  22. Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (4 December 2014). "bBesta byrjun nýliða í 33 ár". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 18 October 2020.
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