Forest Edward Able (born July 27, 1932) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player. He is nicknamed "Frosty". A

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

, Able attended Fairdale High School in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

. He enrolled at the

University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public university, public research university in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. Chartered in 1798 as the Jefferson Seminary, it became in the 19t ...

and played a season on their freshman team during the 1951–52 season. Able was the subject of controversy when he announced his intention to enrol at Western Kentucky State College (now

Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University (WKU) is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. It was founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a few decades earlier. It operates regional campuses in Glas ...

) to be closer to his girlfriend who also attended the college. Able starred with the

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and Lady Toppers are the athletic teams that represent Western Kentucky University (WKU), located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, competing in the ...

, where he tallied 1,221 career points. As a senior, Able was named the Hilltoppers’ most valuable player and named to the

Newspaper Enterprise Association The Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) is an editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States and established in 1902. The oldest syndicate still in operation, the NEA was originally a secondary new ...

26-man All-America squad. After his college career, Able had a brief stint with the

Syracuse Nationals The Philadelphia 76ers are an American basketball team currently playing in the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 76ers are third in NBA ...

who selected him in the

1956 NBA draft The 1956 NBA draft was the tenth annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on April 30, 1956, before the 1956–57 season. In this draft, eight NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball pl ...

. He appeared in one game against the

Rochester Royals The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

where he recorded two field goal attempts, an assist and a rebound. Able considered himself "a nervous wreck" during his appearance and was released shortly after his debut. Following the close of his playing career, Able became head coach at his alma mater Fairdale High School in 1959 and coached for more than 10 years. He taught physical education and health for 30 years. Able was inducted into the WKU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011. Able's grandson, Kameron, played on the

Morehead State Eagles football The Morehead State Eagles football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Morehead State University located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The team competes in the Division I FCS, NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivi ...

team.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

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Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

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References

External links

College statisticsWKU HOF ListDraft Review- College Stats
1932 births Living people American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Basketball coaches from Kentucky Basketball players from Louisville, Kentucky Fairdale High School alumni High school basketball coaches in Kentucky Point guards Shooting guards Syracuse Nationals draft picks Syracuse Nationals players Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball players 20th-century American sportsmen {{Louisville-stub