Andy Tonkovich


Andrew Edward Tonkovich was an American professional basketball player and coach. He was selected as the first overall pick in the 1948 BAA draft by the Providence Steamrollers. He played college basketball for the Marshall Thundering Herd.

Basketball career

College career

Tonkovich led the Thundering Herd as team captain to the NAIB championship in 1947. He was named to the All-Tournament team and the NAIB All-American first-team. Tonkovich scored 1,578 points for the Thundering Herd, which was a record for the program at the time.

Professional career

After his college career, he was selected as the first overall pick in the 1948 BAA draft by the Providence Steamrollers.
Tonkovich played 17 games for the Steamrollers during the 1948–49 BAA season. He left the team midseason and signed with the Wheeling Blues of the All-American Basketball League as a player-coach.

After Basketball

After his playing retirement, Tonkovich became a high school coach and physical education teacher in West Virginia and Florida. He served as the basketball coach at St. John Central High School in Bellaire, Ohio, from 1952 to 1954. Tonkovich was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1973 and the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985.

Career statistics

BAA

Source