Raymond Downs is an American former college basketball player for the University of Texas at Austin.[1] Downs was a three-year starter for the Texas Longhorns men's basketball team under head coaches Thurman "Slue" Hull (1955–56) and Marshall Hughes (1957). He received recognition as a two-time all-Southwest Conference and two-time second-team All-American forward in 1956 and 1957.[2]

Downs led the Longhorns in scoring in all three of his seasons at Texas.[3] In his junior season, Downs scored an average of 26.4 points per game—an achievement that remains the UT record for highest season scoring average. He also holds the second-highest career scoring average for a Texas men's basketball player with 22.3 points per game, trailing only Kevin Durant.[4] Downs continues to hold the record for most games scoring 30 or more points with 18. He also tied Slater Martin's UT's single-game scoring record with 49 points against Baylor in Waco, although his 49 points represent the highest single-game points total for a Texas player in a road game.

Downs was selected in the sixth round of the 1957 NBA draft (44th overall selection) by the St. Louis Hawks.[5][6]

When only 8 years old, Downs survived the sinking of the merchant freighter Heredia on May 18, 1942, by the German U-boat U-506. He and his family were returning from Colombia where his father had been working. Downs, his parents and his sister all survived the sinking, which killed 36 on board.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Men's Hall of Honor – Raymond Downs". texassports.com. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  2. ↑ "2014–15 Texas Basketball Fact Book" (PDF). texassports.com. p. 140. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  3. ↑ 2014–15 Texas Basketball Fact Book, p. 134
  4. ↑ 2014–15 Texas Basketball Fact Book, p. 114
  5. ↑ 2014–15 Texas Basketball Fact Book, p. 147
  6. ↑ "1957 NBA Draft". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  7. ↑ "The true story of a family caught in a WWII U-boat attack - the Boston Globe". The Boston Globe.


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