{{Short description|American basketball player}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Scotty Steagall | image = Scotty Steagall.jpg | image_size = 250px | caption = Steagall with the Phillips 66ers. | career_number = 33 | career_position = Forward | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 11 | weight_lb = 170 | league = | team = | team_link = | birth_date = {{birth date|1929|11|13}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{death date and age|2001|9|16|1929|11|13}} | death_place = | nationality = American | high_school = Stewardson<br/>(Shelby County, Illinois) | college = Millikin (1947–1951) | draft_year = 1951 | draft_round = 2 | draft_pick = 12 | draft_team = Indianapolis Olympians | career_start = | career_end = | years1 = 1951–1952 | team1 = Phillips 66ers | years2 = 1953–1954 | team2 = Phillips 66ers | highlights = * First-team All-American – Converse (1951) * NAIA tournament MVP (1951) * Small College national scoring champion (1951) }} '''Scotty Steagall''' (November 13, 1929 – September 16, 2001)<ref name=draftreview>{{cite web| title =Scotty Steagall| work =1951 NBA Draft| publisher =The Draft Review| date =| url =http://www.thedraftreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2617:scotty-steagall&catid=42:1951-nba-draft | accessdate =September 15, 2014}}</ref> was an American basketball player. After a collegiate career at Millikin University, Steagall was selected in the second round (12th overall) of the 1951 NBA draft by the Indianapolis Olympians.<ref name=draftreview/> He skipped the NBA, however, and opted instead to play in the Amateur Athletic Union for the Phillips 66ers, one of the most dominant teams in amateur basketball during the mid-20th century.
==College career== Steagall had a prolific career at Millikin between 1947 and 1951. During his four years as a member of the Big Blue, he scored 2,127 points and led all small colleges in scoring nationally as a senior.<ref name=scoringchamp>{{Citation|title =Steagall Wins Small College Scoring Title| newspaper =Chicago Sunday Tribune| pages =1| date =April 1, 1951| url =http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1951/04/01/page/43/article/steagall-wins-small-college-scoring-title| accessdate = September 15, 2014}}</ref> That season he scored 888 points in 31 games for an average of 28.6 points per game.<ref name=scoringchamp/> In addition to the scoring average, Steagall also led the nation in total field goals (314), free throws (260), and assists (122).<ref name=scoringchamp/> He guided Millikin to a berth in the NAIA national championship game, but despite losing to Hamline, Steagall was named the NAIA Tournament MVP.<ref name=scoringchamp/><ref name=hoopedia>{{cite web | title =Scotty Steagall|work =Players| publisher =College Hoopedia| date =| url =http://www.collegehoopedia.com/players/scotty-steagall| accessdate = September 15, 2014}}</ref> ''Converse'' named him a first team All-American for his outstanding play during 1950–51.<ref name=hoopedia/>
His scoring bursts were not limited to his senior season, however. As a freshman in 1947–48, Steagall averaged 12.0 points per game, increased it to 21.2 as a sophomore, then 23.9 as a junior.<ref name=draftreview/><ref name=scoringchamp/> He set the then-single game scoring mark for small colleges with a 59-point effort against Augustana College.<ref name=aaustart>{{cite news|title=Scotty Steagall to Join Oilers|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1068720|newspaper=Mt. Vernon Register|date=June 1, 1951|page=8|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = September 15, 2014}}{{Open access}}</ref>
==AAU career== After college, Steagall bypassed an NBA career despite being drafted by the Indianapolis Olympians. He signed to work in the sales department for the Phillips Petroleum Company in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.<ref name=aaustart/> He was to also play for their company team, the Phillips 66ers, in the Amateur Athletic Union.<ref name=aaustart/> After one season with the team in 1951–52, Steagall had to serve in the United States military to fight in the Korean War, thus missing the 1952–53 season.<ref name=koreanwar>{{cite news|title=Shurtleff Hosts '66' Oilers at Alton|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/26547787|newspaper=The Edwardsville Intelligencer|date=November 30, 1953|page=8|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = September 15, 2014}}{{Open access}}</ref> He returned in November 1953 and re-joined the 66ers,<ref name=koreanwar/> but lasted just one more season before being cut in March 1954.<ref>{{cite news|title=Phillips Drops Two|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/24299869|newspaper=The Post-Standard|date=March 16, 1954|page=15|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = September 15, 2014}}{{Open access}}</ref>
In 1972, Steagall was elected into the Millikin Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web| title =Scott Steagall, Class of 1950| work =Millikin Big Blue| publisher =Millikin University| url =http://athletics.millikin.edu/hof.aspx?hof=216&path=&kiosk=| accessdate =September 15, 2014}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{1951 NBA draft}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steagall, Scotty}} Category:1929 births Category:2001 deaths Category:American men's basketball players Category:American military personnel of the Korean War Category:Basketball players from Illinois Category:Forwards (basketball) Category:Indianapolis Olympians draft picks Category:Millikin Big Blue men's basketball players Category:Phillips 66ers players