# Wallace Jones > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Wallace_Jones > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Wallace_Jones.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace_Jones > Source revision: 1335544303 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American basketball player (1926–2014)}} {{for|the musician|Wallace Jones (musician)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Wallace Jones | image = | width = | caption = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 4 | weight_lb = 225 | birth_date = {{birth date|mf=yes|1926|07|14}} | birth_place = [Harlan, Kentucky](/source/Harlan%2C_Kentucky), U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2014|07|27|1926|07|14}} | death_place = [Lexington, Kentucky](/source/Lexington%2C_Kentucky), U.S. | high_school = Harlan (Harlan, Kentucky) | college = [Kentucky](/source/Kentucky_Wildcats_men's_basketball) (1945–1949) | draft_year = 1949 | draft_league = BAA | draft_round = 1 | draft_pick = 8 | draft_team = [Washington Capitols](/source/Washington_Capitols) | career_start = 1949 | career_end = 1952 | career_number = 17 | career_position = [Power forward](/source/Power_forward_(basketball)) | years1 = {{nbay|1949|start}}–{{nbay|1951|end}} | team1 = [Indianapolis Olympians](/source/Indianapolis_Olympians) | highlights = * 2× [NCAA champion](/source/List_of_NCAA_Men's_Division_I_Basketball_champions) ([1948](/source/1948_NCAA_Men's_Division_I_Basketball_Tournament), [1949](/source/1949_NCAA_Men's_Division_I_Basketball_Tournament)) * Consensus second-team [All-American](/source/NCAA_Men's_Basketball_All-Americans) ([1949](/source/1949_NCAA_Men's_Basketball_All-Americans)) * First-team [All-SEC](/source/List_of_All-SEC_men's_basketball_teams) (1949) | stats_league = NBA | stat1label = [Points](/source/Point_(basketball)) | stat1value = 1,428 (10.2 ppg) | stat2label = [Rebounds](/source/Rebound_(basketball)) | stat2value = 408 (5.1 rpg) | stat3label = [Assists](/source/Assist_(basketball)) | stat3value = 429 (3.1 apg) | bbr = joneswa01 | medal_templates = {{MedalSport|Men's [basketball](/source/Basketball_at_the_Summer_Olympics)}} {{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }} {{MedalOlympics}} {{MedalGold|[1948 London](/source/1948_Summer_Olympics) | [Team competition](/source/Basketball_at_the_1948_Summer_Olympics)}} }} '''Wallace Clayton "Wah Wah" Jones''' (July 14, 1926 – July 27, 2014) was an American professional [basketball](/source/basketball) player. He played in the [National Basketball Association](/source/National_Basketball_Association) (NBA) from 1949 to 1952 with the [Indianapolis Olympians](/source/Indianapolis_Olympians). ==Biography== Jones was born in [Harlan, Kentucky](/source/Harlan%2C_Kentucky). He attended [Harlan High School](/source/Harlan_High_School_(Kentucky)), where he set a national scoring record in basketball and led his school to a state championship. He was all-state in football, basketball and baseball.{{cite web|title='Wah Wah' Jones Passes Away|url=http://www.ukathletics.com/genrel/072814aaa.html|publisher=[University of Kentucky](/source/University_of_Kentucky)|access-date=July 31, 2014|archive-date=August 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810141903/http://www.ukathletics.com/genrel/072814aaa.html|url-status=dead}} Jones attended the [University of Kentucky](/source/University_of_Kentucky), where he continued to play varsity football, basketball and baseball. He was twice All-[SEC](/source/Southeastern_Conference) in football. In basketball, he was a three time [All-American](/source/All-American) and four time All-SEC. He led the Wildcats to two NCAA Championships, in [1948](/source/1948_NCAA_Men's_Division_I_Basketball_Tournament) and [1949](/source/1949_NCAA_Men's_Division_I_Basketball_Tournament). Jones was a member of the [1948 Olympic](/source/Basketball_at_the_1948_Summer_Olympics) Gold medal-winning team with Adolph Rupp's "[Fabulous Five](/source/Fabulous_Five_(Kentucky_Wildcats))" and the [Phillips 66ers](/source/Phillips_66ers). During his four years at Kentucky, the basketball team had a combined record of 130–10 and won the SEC championship every year.{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/jo/wally-jones-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418075751/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/jo/wally-jones-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 18, 2020 |title=Wallace Jones Olympic Results |access-date=June 14, 2018}} He holds the unique distinction of being an All-American under both legends, [Adolph Rupp](/source/Adolph_Rupp) (basketball) and [Bear Bryant](/source/Bear_Bryant) ([football](/source/American_football)) when both coached at Kentucky. He is the only player to have his number retired in both football and basketball at Kentucky.{{citation |last=Martin |first=Douglas |title=Wah Wah Jones, Versatile Kentucky Athlete, Dies at 88 | newspaper=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=July 28, 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/29/sports/29jones.html}} At the University of Kentucky, Jones was a member of the [Phi Delta Theta](/source/Phi_Delta_Theta) fraternity.{{cite web|url= http://www.straitpinkie.com/kentucky-2/all-time-kentucky-team-starting-pg-12-ralph-beard/|title= All-Time Kentucky Team (Starting PG): #12 Ralph Beard|publisher= straitpinkie.com|access-date= May 27, 2013|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131005231849/http://www.straitpinkie.com/kentucky-2/all-time-kentucky-team-starting-pg-12-ralph-beard/|archive-date= October 5, 2013}} Jones was selected in the seventh round of the [1949 NFL draft](/source/1949_NFL_draft) by the [Chicago Bears](/source/Chicago_Bears), but did not play in the league.{{cite web|url=http://www.databasefootball.com/teams/teamyear.htm?tm=CHI&yr=1949&lg=nfl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070905163755/http://www.databasefootball.com/teams/teamyear.htm?tm=CHI&yr=1949&lg=nfl |title=1949 Chicago Bears |website=databaseFootball.com |archive-date=September 5, 2007 |url-status=usurped |access-date=July 16, 2020}} [[File:Wallace-Jones-jersey.jpg|thumb|left|upright|A jersey honoring Jones hangs in [Rupp Arena](/source/Rupp_Arena).]] In 1953, Jones was elected the [sheriff](/source/Sheriffs_in_the_United_States) of [Fayette County, Kentucky](/source/Fayette_County%2C_Kentucky).[http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2010/09/05/farmers-political-rise-recalls-another-former-cats/ Story, Mark, ''Farmer's political rise recalls another former Cat's''] Lexington Herald-Leader. September 5, 2010. In 1956, Jones was the Republican nominee for [Kentucky's 6th congressional district](/source/Kentucky's_6th_congressional_district) seat in the [United States House of Representatives](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives). Though [Dwight Eisenhower](/source/Dwight_Eisenhower), heading the Republican ticket, carried the state, Jones lost the election to Democrat [John C. Watts](/source/John_C._Watts). In 1978, Jones started a charter bus company called "Blue Grass Tours" that is contracted to the [UK Athletics department](/source/Kentucky_Wildcats). Blue Grass Tours is currently run by his son Wallace (Wah) Jones and grandson Corey Jones, and manages a fleet of [coach busses](/source/Coach_(bus)) for the use of the athletic teams. ==="Wah Wah"=== Known as Wallace in his early years, Jones acquired the [nickname](/source/nickname), "Wah Wah", when his younger sister Jackie, just learning to talk, could not pronounce his name.[http://www.kentucky.com/2014/07/27/3354327/legendary-uk-basketball-and-football.html Legendary UK basketball and football star Wah Wah Jones dies] Lexington Herald-Leader. July 27, 2014. ===Death=== Jones died in Lexington on July 27, 2014, at the age of 88. {{clear}} ==Career statistics== {{NBA player statistics legend}} ===NBA=== Source{{cite web|url=http://basketball-reference.com/players/j/joneswa01.html|title=Wah Wah Jones|website=[Basketball Reference](/source/Basketball_Reference)|publisher=[Sports Reference](/source/Sports_Reference)|accessdate=10 February 2023}} ====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](/source/1949%E2%80%9350_NBA_season) |style="text-align:left;"| [Indianapolis](/source/1949%E2%80%9350_Indianapolis_Olympians_season) | '''60''' || – || .374 || .751 || – || 3.2 || '''12.5''' |- |style="text-align:left;"| [1950–51](/source/1950%E2%80%9351_NBA_season) |style="text-align:left;"| [Indianapolis](/source/1950%E2%80%9351_Indianapolis_Olympians_season) | 22 || – || '''.392''' || '''.792''' || '''5.7''' || '''3.9''' || 11.2 |- |style="text-align:left;"| [1951–52](/source/1951%E2%80%9352_NBA_season) |style="text-align:left;"| [Indianapolis](/source/1951%E2%80%9352_Indianapolis_Olympians_season) | 58 || 22.8 || .313 || .750 || 4.9 || 2.6 || 7.4 |- class="sortbottom" |style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 140 || 22.8 || .355 || .757 || 5.1 || 3.1 || 10.2 |} ====Playoffs==== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;" |- ! Year ! Team ! GP ! MPG ! FG% ! FT% ! RPG ! APG ! PPG |- | style="text-align:left;"| [1950](/source/1950_NBA_playoffs) | style="text-align:left;"| [Indianapolis](/source/1949%E2%80%9350_Indianapolis_Olympians_season) | '''5''' || || .301 || '''.853''' || || '''4.4''' || '''14.6''' |- | style="text-align:left;"| [1952](/source/1952_NBA_playoffs) | style="text-align:left;"| [Indianapolis](/source/1951%E2%80%9352_Indianapolis_Olympians_season) | 1 || 8.0 || '''.333''' || – || .0 || .0 || 2.0 |- class="sortbottom" |style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 6 || 8.0 || .303 || .853 || .0 || 3.7 || 12.5 |- |} ==Head coaching record== {{NBA coach statistics start}} |- | style="text-align:left;"|[Indianapolis](/source/1950%E2%80%9351_Indianapolis_Olympians_season) | style="text-align:left;"|{{nbay|1950}} | 12||7||5||{{Winning percentage|7|5}}|| style="text-align:center;"|4th in [Western](/source/Western_Division_(NBA))||3||1||2||{{winpct|1|2}} | style="text-align:center;"|Lost in [division semifinals](/source/1951_NBA_playoffs) |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 12||7||5||{{Winning percentage|7|5}}|| ||3||1||2||{{Winning percentage|1|2}}||  {{s-end}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/joneswa01.html Stats] {{Navboxes | list1 = {{Indianapolis Olympians coach navbox}} {{Footer 1948 Olympic Champions Basketball Men}} {{1948 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball navbox}} {{1949 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball navbox}} {{1949 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans}} {{1949 BAA Draft}} {{Bears1949DraftPicks}} }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Wallace}} Category:1926 births Category:2014 deaths Category:All-American college men's basketball players Category:American men's basketball players Category:Basketball coaches from Kentucky Category:Basketball players at the 1948 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players from Kentucky Category:Indianapolis Olympians coaches Category:Indianapolis Olympians players Category:Kentucky Republicans Category:Kentucky Wildcats football players Category:Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players Category:Kentucky Wildcats baseball players Category:Medalists at the 1948 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball Category:People from Harlan, Kentucky Category:Power forwards Category:United States men's national basketball team players Category:Washington Capitols draft picks Category:20th-century American sportsmen --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Wallace Jones](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace_Jones) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace_Jones?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.