James R. Rayl (June 21, 1941 – January 20, 2019) was an American professional basketball player in the

ABA ABA may refer to: Businesses and organizations Broadcasting * Alabama Broadcasters Association, United States * Asahi Broadcasting Aomori, Japanese television station * Australian Broadcasting Authority Education * Académie des Beaux- ...

. He was a 6'2" and 175 lb guard.

High school career

Born in

Kokomo, Indiana Kokomo ( ) is a city in Indiana and the county seat of Howard County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Howard County, the Kokomo-Peru CSA, which includ ...

, Rayl went to Kokomo High School from 1956 to 1959. He was named 1959's Indiana Mr. Basketball and the recipient of the Trester Award for the state of Indiana his senior year.

College career

Rayl attended

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. * Indiana Univers ...

from 1959 to 1963, where he was an All-American his junior and senior seasons. Rayl averaged 20.6 ppg for his career and still holds the

Hoosier Hoosier is the official demonym for the people of the U.S. state of Indiana. The origin of the term remains a matter of debate, but "Hoosier" was in general use by the 1840s, having been popularized by Richmond resident John Finley's 1833 poem " ...

single-game scoring record of 56 points, which he did twice against

Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It ...

and

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...

. He shot 41.6 percent from the floor and 83.5 percent from the line in 68 games as a Hoosier.

Professional career

Jimmy Rayl was selected by the

Cincinnati 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 Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

in the third round and 23rd pick of the

1963 NBA draft The 1963 NBA draft was the 17th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on April 30 and May 7, 1963, before the 1963–64 season. In this draft, nine NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basket ...

. He later signed and played two seasons for the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first est ...

. He held a career average of 11.1 ppg.

Death

Rayl died at his home in Kokomo on January 20, 2019, at age 77.

References

External links

* 1941 births 2019 deaths All-American college men's basketball players Amateur Athletic Union men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Indiana Cincinnati Royals draft picks Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball players Indiana Pacers players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Point guards Shooting guards Sportspeople from Kokomo, Indiana {{1940s-US-basketball-bio-stub