# Skip Thoren > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Skip_Thoren > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Skip_Thoren.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skip_Thoren > Source revision: 1355505641 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American basketball player}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Skip Thoren | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 10 | weight_lbs = 230 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|4|5}} | birth_place = [Rockford, Illinois](/source/Rockford%2C_Illinois), U.S. | highschool = [Rockford East](/source/Rockford_East_High_School) (Rockford, Illinois) | college = [Illinois](/source/Illinois_Fighting_Illini_men's_basketball) (1962–1965) | draft_year = 1965 | draft_round = 4 | draft_pick = 30 | draft_team = [Baltimore Bullets](/source/Baltimore_Bullets_(1963%E2%80%931973)) | career_start = 1965 | career_end = 1970 | career_number = 50, 43 | career_position = [Center](/source/Center_(basketball)) | years1 = 1965–1966 | team1 = [Simmenthal Milano](/source/Olimpia_Milano) | years2 = 1966–1967 | team2 = Twin Cities Sailors | years3 = {{abay|1967|start}}–{{abay|1969|end}} | team3 = [Minnesota Muskies](/source/Minnesota_Muskies) / [Miami Floridians](/source/Miami_Floridians) | highlights = * [ABA All-Star](/source/ABA_All-Star_Game) ([1969](/source/1969_ABA_All-Star_Game)) * [EuroLeague](/source/EuroLeague) champion (1966) * Second-team [All-American](/source/NCAA_Men's_Basketball_All-Americans) – [AP](/source/Associated_Press) ([1965](/source/1965_NCAA_Men's_Basketball_All-Americans)) * Third-team All-American – [NABC](/source/National_Association_of_Basketball_Coaches), [UPI](/source/United_Press_International) (1965) * Third-team [''Parade'' All-American](/source/Parade_All-America_Boys_Basketball_Team) (1961) }} '''Duane W. "Skip" Thoren''' (born April 5, 1943) is an American former professional [basketball](/source/basketball) player. At a height of 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) tall, he played at the [center](/source/center_(basketball)) position. ==High school== A native of [Rockford, Illinois](/source/Rockford%2C_Illinois), Thoren attended [Rockford East High School](/source/Rockford_East_High_School) from 1957–58 to 1960–61 and led the E-Rabs to the ''"Elite 8"'' of the [Illinois High School Association](/source/Illinois_High_School_Association) state basketball tournament, losing to the eventual [state champion](/source/Illinois_High_School_Boys_Basketball_Championship) [Collinsville High School](/source/Collinsville_High_School) in the quarterfinals of the 1961 tournament.[https://www.ihsa.org/archive/bkb/mm/1961b.htm IHSA.org] Thoren led the E-Rabs to consecutive regional championships and 20 win seasons.[https://www.rrstar.com/sports/20190220/rps-hall-of-fame-world-hoops-traveler-skip-thoren-honored-to-be-coming-back-to-rockford RRStar.com] As a junior his team finished the season with an overall record of 21 wins and only 5 losses and a [Big 8 Conference](/source/Northern_Illinois_Conference_(athletic_conference)) record of 7 wins and 3 losses, finishing in second place. Ironically this team would lose in the state tournament to conference opponent, [Freeport](/source/Freeport_High_School_(Illinois)) in the IHSA sectional on March 9, 1960. In his 24 games as a junior, Thoren scored 513 points, averaging 19.7 points per game and was named second team all-conference at center.[https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/2019/01/boys-basketball-1959-1960-rockford-east_31.html NIC 10 History Book] As a senior, Thoren's team dominated the conference, losing only to [East Aurora High School](/source/East_Aurora_High_School) mid-season and finish the conference portion of the campaign with a 9–1 record. In the 28 games played during the season, Erickson played in 27 and lead the team in scoring at 632 points, averaging 23.4 points per game and he would be named first-team all-conference at the center position. When the conference portion of the season ended, the E-Rabs compiled an overall record of 20 wins and only 1 loss.[https://nic10historybook.blogspot.com/2019/02/boys-basketball-1960-1961-rockford-east.html NIC 10 History Book] During regional and sectional play, Thoren's team defeated all of the competition until the ''"Elite-Eight"'' where they lost to eventual champion Collinsville on the evening of March 17, 1961 at [Huff Gymnasium](/source/Huff_Hall) in [Champaign](/source/Champaign%2C_IL).Glory Days Illinois: Legends of Illinois High School Basketball By Taylor Bell Even though the E-Rabs only played two games in the tournament, Thoren was the ninth leading scorer with 43 points and Rockford East finished with an AP ranking of number 3. In his two years of varsity basketball, Thoren scored 1,145 points in 53 games, averaging 21.6 points per game. After the season, Thoren was named to the All-State team.''Glory Days Illinois: Legends of Illinois High School Basketball'' by Taylor Bell ==College career== Thoren chose to play [college basketball](/source/college_basketball) at the [University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign](/source/Illinois_Fighting_Illini_men's_basketball) after high school and was a member of the freshman basketball team for the 1961–62 season. He played in every single game during his three-year career and was the starting center for the final two seasons, replacing [Bill Burwell](/source/Bill_Burwell_(basketball)). As a sophomore during the [1962-63 season](/source/1962%E2%80%9363_Illinois_Fighting_Illini_men's_basketball_team), Thoren joined fellow sophomore, [Tal Brody](/source/Tal_Brody) and future [Illini](/source/Illinois_Fighting_Illini_men's_basketball) hall of fame athlete, [Dave Downey](/source/Dave_Downey), on a team that would finish with an overall record of 20–6 and a [Big Ten](/source/Big_Ten) record of 11 and 3, placing them in a tie for the [conference championship](/source/List_of_Big_Ten_Conference_men's_basketball_regular-season_champions). At the end of the regular season, Illinois would advanced to the [NCAA tournament](/source/1963_NCAA_University_Division_basketball_tournament), playing in the [Mideast Region](/source/1963_NCAA_University_Division_basketball_tournament). The Illini would defeat [Bowling Green](/source/Bowling_Green_Falcons_men's_basketball) in the second round to earn a berth in the ''"Elite Eight"'', but would lose to eventual national champion [Loyola](/source/1962%E2%80%9363_Loyola_Ramblers_men's_basketball_team), 79–64 at [Jenison Fieldhouse](/source/Jenison_Fieldhouse). In his junior season of [1963–64](/source/1963%E2%80%9364_Illinois_Fighting_Illini_men's_basketball_team), the Fighting Illini would start the season with 10 wins and only 3 losses, however, the team would falter and lose seven of its next eight games, dropping them in the conference standings.Fighting Illini Basketball: A Hardwood History By [News-Gazette](/source/The_News-Gazette_(Champaign-Urbana)), Sports Publishing LLC {{ISBN|1-58261-356-7}} During the season, on December 28, 1963, in a game versus [UCLA](/source/1963%E2%80%9364_UCLA_Bruins_men's_basketball_team), Thoren set the all-time single game rebounding record for Illinois with 24 rebounds.[https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/fightingillini.com/documents/2018/10/5/2018_19_ILLINI_MBB_Record_Book.pdf Illini MBB Record Book p. 129] The Illini would finish the season 13–11 overall and 6–8 in the conference. After the season, Thoren was named second team All-Big Ten and was dubbed an [Honorable Mention All-American](/source/1964_NCAA_Men's_Basketball_All-Americans) team MVP as well as captain for the following season.''A Century of Orange and Blue: Celebrating 100 Years of Fighting Illini Basketball'' by [Loren Tate](/source/Loren_Tate), Jared Gelfond pp. 268–270 {{ISBN|1-58261-793-7}} During Thoren's senior season, the Illini returned to their winning ways for [1964–65](/source/1964%E2%80%9365_Illinois_Fighting_Illini_men's_basketball_team). Overall Illinois would finish the season with an 18–6 record while finishing third in the Big Ten with a 10–4 record, losing twice to top-ranked [Michigan](/source/1964%E2%80%9365_Michigan_Wolverines_men's_basketball_team). During the season the team would win the [Kentucky Invitational Tournament](/source/Kentucky_Invitational_Tournament) and finish the year with a Coaches ranking of number 16. After the season, Thoren would be named team MVP as well as 1st team All-Big Ten and 1st team All-American. During his playing time at Illinois, Thoren's teams would win 51 of 74 games and win the [1963 championship](/source/List_of_Big_Ten_Conference_men's_basketball_regular-season_champions). Thoren is recognized as a notable member of the athletic fraternity [Beta Theta Pi Fraternity House (Champaign, Illinois)](/source/Beta_Theta_Pi_Fraternity_House_(Champaign%2C_Illinois)). ==Professional career== Thoren played three seasons (1967–1970) in the [American Basketball Association](/source/American_Basketball_Association) (ABA), as a member of the [Minnesota Muskies](/source/Minnesota_Muskies) and [Miami Floridians](/source/Miami_Floridians). He averaged 13.2 [points per game](/source/points_per_game) and 11.0 [rebounds per game](/source/rebounds_per_game), in his career, and appeared in the [1969 ABA All-Star Game](/source/1969_ABA_All-Star_Game). Before playing in the ABA, Thoren played in Italy, with [Simmenthal Milano](/source/Olimpia_Milano), along with [Bill Bradley](/source/Bill_Bradley), and he won the 1965–66 season [FIBA European Champions Cup](/source/Euroleague) (EuroLeague) championship.[http://www.batsweb.org/Sport/Basket/Coppe/form1966.htm Le formazioni delle finaliste in Europa dal 1966 al 1970.] ==Honors== ===Basketball=== * 1964 - Team MVP[https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/fightingillini.com/documents/2018/10/5/2018_19_ILLINI_MBB_Record_Book.pdf FightingIllini.com] * 1964 - 2nd Team All-[Big Ten](/source/Big_Ten_Conference) * 1964 - Honorable Mention [All American](/source/1964_NCAA_Men's_Basketball_All-Americans) * 1965 - Team Captain * 1965 - Team MVP * 1965 - 1st Team All-Big Ten * 1965 - 1st Team [All American](/source/1965_NCAA_Men's_Basketball_All-Americans)[http://collegehoopedia.com/players/duane-skip-thoren CollegeHoopedia.com] * 1974 - Inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame as a player.[http://www.ibcaillinois.org/skip-thoren.cfm IBCA Hall of Fame][http://basketballmuseumofillinois.com/hall-of-fame/players/19-hof-players/651-skip-thoren BasketballMuseumOfIllinois.com] * 2004 - Elected to the "[Illini Men's Basketball All-Century Team](/source/Illinois_Fighting_Illini_men's_basketball)". * 2008 - [Honored jersey](/source/Illinois_Fighting_Illini_men%2527s_basketball) which hangs in the [State Farm Center](/source/State_Farm_Center) to show regard for being the most decorated basketball players in the University of Illinois' history. ==Statistics== ===College=== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" ! width=40px style="{{NCAA color cell|Illinois Fighting Illini}}; text-align:center" |Season ! width=40px style="{{NCAA color cell|Illinois Fighting Illini}}; text-align:center" |Games ! width=40px style="{{NCAA color cell|Illinois Fighting Illini}}; text-align:center" |Points ! width=40px style="{{NCAA color cell|Illinois Fighting Illini}}; text-align:center" |PPG ! width=40px style="{{NCAA color cell|Illinois Fighting Illini}}; text-align:center" |Field Goals ! width=40px style="{{NCAA color cell|Illinois Fighting Illini}}; text-align:center" |Attempts ! width=40px style="{{NCAA color cell|Illinois Fighting Illini}}; text-align:center" |Avg ! width=40px style="{{NCAA color cell|Illinois Fighting Illini}}; text-align:center" |Free Throws ! width=40px style="{{NCAA color cell|Illinois Fighting Illini}}; text-align:center" |Attempts ! width=40px style="{{NCAA color cell|Illinois Fighting Illini}}; text-align:center" |Avg ! width=40px style="{{NCAA color cell|Illinois Fighting Illini}}; text-align:center" |Rebounds ! width=40px style="{{NCAA color cell|Illinois Fighting Illini}}; text-align:center" |Avg ! width=100px style="{{NCAA color cell|Illinois Fighting Illini}}; text-align:center" |Big Ten
Record ! width=100px style="{{NCAA color cell|Illinois Fighting Illini}}; text-align:center" |Overall
Record |- |[1962–63](/source/1962%E2%80%9363_Illinois_Fighting_Illini_men's_basketball_team) |26 |143 |5.5 |53 |125 |.424 |37 |58 |.638 |150 |5.8 |{{sort|1103|11–3}} |{{sort|2006|20–6}} |- |[1963–64](/source/1963%E2%80%9364_Illinois_Fighting_Illini_men's_basketball_team) |24 |488 |20.3 |187 |373 |.501 |74 |114 |.649 |331 |13.8 |{{sort|0608|6–8}} |{{sort|1311|13–11}} |- |[1964–65](/source/1964%E2%80%9365_Illinois_Fighting_Illini_men's_basketball_team) |24 |533 |22.2 |219 |391 |.560 |95 |137 |.693 |349 |14.5 |{{sort|1004|10–4}} |{{sort|1806|18–6}} |- |- class="sortbottom" |'''Totals''' |'''74''' |'''1164''' |'''15.7''' |'''459''' |'''889''' |'''.516''' |'''206''' |'''309''' |'''.667''' |'''830''' |'''11.2''' |'''{{sort|2715|27–15}}''' |'''{{sort|5123|51–23}}''' |}[https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/skip-thoren-1.html Sports-Reference.com] ===ABA career statistics=== {| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 90%; white-space: nowrap;" |- ! colspan="6" style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid #aaa;"| Legend |- | style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid black;"|   GP | Games played | style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid black;"|  MPG  | Minutes per game |- | style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid black;"|  FG%  | style="padding-right: 8px" | [Field-goal](/source/Field_goal_(basketball)) percentage | style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid black;"|  FT%  | [Free-throw](/source/Free_throw) percentage |- | style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid black;"|  RPG  | [Rebounds](/source/Rebound_(basketball)) per game | style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid black;"|  APG  | [Assists](/source/Assist_(basketball)) per game |- | style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid black;"|  PPG  | Points per game | style="background-color: #F2F2F2; border: 1px solid black" |  '''Bold'''  | Career high |- |} ====Regular season==== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;" |- ! Year ! Team ! GP ! MPG ! FG% ! FT% ! RPG ! APG ! PPG |- |style="text-align:left;"| [1967–68](/source/1967%E2%80%9368_ABA_season) | style="text-align:left;"| [Minnesota](/source/1967%E2%80%9368_Minnesota_Muskies_season) | 63 || 19.1 || .434 || '''.622''' || 6.9 || .9 || 8.2 |- |style="text-align:left;"| [1968–69](/source/1968%E2%80%9369_ABA_season) | style="text-align:left;"| [Miami](/source/1968%E2%80%9369_Miami_Floridians_season) | '''78''' || 33.9 || '''.484''' || .615 || 13.4 || 2.5 || '''16.7''' |- |style="text-align:left;"| [1969–70](/source/1969%E2%80%9370_ABA_season) | style="text-align:left;"| [Miami](/source/1969%E2%80%9370_Miami_Floridians_season) | 29 || '''35.2''' || .451 || .594 || '''13.6''' || '''2.6''' || 14.5 |- |- class="sortbottom" |style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 170 || 28.6 || .465 || .612 || 11.0 || 1.9 || 13.2 |- |} ====Playoffs==== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;" |- ! Year ! Team ! GP ! MPG ! FG% ! FT% ! RPG ! APG ! PPG |- |style="text-align:left;"| [1968](/source/1968_ABA_Playoffs) | style="text-align:left;"| [Minnesota](/source/1967%E2%80%9368_Minnesota_Muskies_season) | 2 || 26.0 || '''.500''' || '''.583''' || '''13.5''' || '''2.0''' || '''17.5''' |- |style="text-align:left;"| [1969](/source/1969_ABA_Playoffs) | style="text-align:left;"| [Miami](/source/1968%E2%80%9369_Miami_Floridians_season) | '''12''' || '''33.5''' || .473 || .574 || 12.9 || 1.4 || 13.1 |- |- class="sortbottom" |style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 14 || 32.4 || .478 || .575 || 13.0 || 1.5 || 13.7 |- |} ====All-star game==== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;" |- ! Year ! Team ! GP ! MPG ! FG% ! FT% ! RPG ! APG ! PPG |- |style="text-align:left;"| [1969](/source/1969_ABA_All-Star_Game) | style="text-align:left;"| [Miami](/source/1968%E2%80%9369_Miami_Floridians_season) | 1 || 17.0 || .250 || 0.0 || 5.0 || 2.0 || 2.0 |- |} ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *{{basketballstats|bbr=t/thoresk01}} {{Olimpia Milano 1965–66 Euroleague champions}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Thoren, Skip}} Category:1943 births Category:Living people Category:ABA All-Stars Category:All-American college men's basketball players Category:American expatriate basketball people in Italy Category:American men's basketball players Category:Baltimore Bullets (1963–1973) draft picks Category:Basketball players from Rockford, Illinois Category:Centers (basketball) Category:Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball players Category:Miami Floridians players Category:Minnesota Muskies players Category:Olimpia Milano players Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Category:Undrafted ABA players Category:20th-century American sportsmen --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Skip Thoren](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skip_Thoren) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skip_Thoren?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.