{{Short description|American basketball player (1925–1987)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Vern Gardner | image = Vern_Gardner.jpg | width = | caption = Gardner in 1948 | number = 12 | position = Power forward / center | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 5 | weight_lb = 200 | birth_date = {{birth date|1925|05|14}} | birth_place = Afton, Wyoming, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1987|08|26|1925|05|14}} | death_place = Ogden, Utah, U.S. | high_school = Star Valley (Afton, Wyoming) | college = Utah (1945–1949) | draft_year = 1949 | draft_league = BAA | draft_round = 1 | draft_pick = 5 | draft_team = Philadelphia Warriors | career_start = 1949 | career_end = 1952 | years1 = {{nbay|1949|start}}–{{nbay|1951|end}} | team1 = Philadelphia Warriors | highlights = * {{nowrap|2× Consensus second-team All-American (1947, 1949)}} * Third-team All-American – Converse (1948) * No. 33 retired by Utah Utes | stats_league = NBA | stat1label = Points | stat1value = 1,339 (8.9 ppg) | stat2label = Rebounds | stat2value = 349 (4.0 rpg) | stat3label = Assists | stat3value = 245 (1.6 apg) }} '''Vernon B. Gardner''' (May 14, 1925 – August 26, 1987) was an American basketball player. He was a two-time consensus All-American at the University of Utah and played three seasons with the Philadelphia Warriors.
Vern Gardner was a 6'5 forward/center who played at Star Valley High School in Afton, Wyoming and played collegiately at the University of Utah, where he was a second team consensus All-American in 1947 and 1949. Gardner led the Utes to the NIT championship in 1947, at a time when this tournament was considered as prestigious as the NCAA Tournament is today. Gardner was named tournament MVP. His number 33 was retired by the University of Utah.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/utah/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/0607-mg-07.pdf |title=2006-07 Utah Utes men's basketball media guide |access-date=August 29, 2010 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224002/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/utah/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/0607-mg-07.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
After the completion of his college career, Gardner was selected in the first round of the 1949 BAA draft by the Philadelphia Warriors. Gardner played three seasons for the Warriors, averaging 8.9 points per game over his career.<ref name=BRef>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gardnve01.html|title=Vern Gardner|website=Basketball Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=30 November 2022}}</ref>
Following his retirement from the BAA, Gardner became a high school coach and teacher, first at his alma mater Star Valley High, then at Bonneville High School in Ogden, Utah. Gardner died of a stroke on August 26, 1987.<ref>{{cite news |title= Vern Gardner dies, former Utah basketball standout|author= Brad Rock|newspaper= The Deseret News|date= August 27, 1987|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dZMUAAAAIBAJ&pg=5448,5064933&dq=vern-gardner+number+retired&hl=en |access-date=August 28, 2010}}</ref>
== Career statistics == {{NBA player statistics legend}}
===NBA===
Source<ref name = BRef/>
====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;" |1949–50 | style="text-align:left;" |Philadelphia |'''63''' |– |.342 |'''.767''' |– |'''1.9''' |'''13.5''' |- | style="text-align:left;" |1950–51 | style="text-align:left;" |Philadelphia |61 |– |.337 |.711 |3.9 |1.5 |5.4 |- | style="text-align:left;" |1951–52 | style="text-align:left;" |Philadelphia |27 |18.8 |'''.371''' |.652 |'''4.1''' |1.4 |5.9 |- | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |Career |151 |18.8 |.344 |.748 |4.0 |1.6 |8.9 |}
====Playoffs==== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;" |- !Year !Team !GP !MPG !FG% !FT% !RPG !APG !PPG |- | style="text-align:left;" |1950 | style="text-align:left;" |Philadelphia |2 |– |.341 |.667 |– |'''1.0''' |'''18.0''' |- | style="text-align:left;" |1951 | style="text-align:left;" |Philadelphia |2 |– |'''.500''' |'''1.000''' |2.0 |.0 |5.0 |- | style="text-align:left;" |1952 | style="text-align:left;" |Philadelphia |'''3''' |25.7 |.368 |.909 | '''4.7''' |'''1.0''' |8.0 |- | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |Career |7 |25.7 |.366 |.826 |3.6 |.7 |10.1 |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category}} * [https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gardnve01.html NBA stats]
{{navboxes|list= {{1947 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans}} {{1949 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans}} {{1949 BAA Draft}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gardner, Vern}} Category:1925 births Category:1987 deaths Category:All-American college men's basketball players Category:American men's basketball players Category:Basketball players from Wyoming Category:Centers (basketball) Category:High school basketball coaches in Utah Category:High school basketball coaches in Wyoming Category:People from Afton, Wyoming Category:Philadelphia Warriors draft picks Category:Philadelphia Warriors players Category:Power forwards Category:Utah Utes men's basketball players Category:20th-century American sportsmen
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