# Walt Torrence

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**Walter Alexander Torrence**[1] (July 31, 1937 – September 20, 1969) was an American [basketball](/source/Basketball) player. He played [college basketball](/source/College_basketball) for the [UCLA Bruins](/source/UCLA_Bruins_men's_basketball). He earned [all-conference](/source/List_of_All-Pac-12_Conference_men's_basketball_teams) honors in the [Pacific Coast Conference](/source/Pacific_Coast_Conference) (PCC) as a junior, and was named an [All-American](/source/NCAA_Men's_Basketball_All-Americans) as a senior in 1959. After college, Torrence joined the [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army). He was one of five Army members on the [US national basketball team](/source/United_States_men's_national_basketball_team) which won the gold medal at the [Pan American Games](/source/Pan_American_Games) in 1963.

## Early life

Growing up in [Sacramento, California](/source/Sacramento,_California), at age nine, Torrence played basketball at Lincoln Christian Center after school. When the other boys went home for dinner, he would stay and practice, and still be there when they came back after eating. He would get back home around 8:00 p.m., get in trouble and sometimes be spanked, but continue to stay out late anyway.[2] Torrence later played basketball at [Grant Union High](/source/Grant_Union_High_School_(Sacramento,_California)), leading them to an undefeated season in 1954–55.[3] He also competed in track, finishing tied for second in the [high jump](/source/High_jump) at the 1955 state meet and establishing a personal best of 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m).[4]

## College career

Torrence attended the [University of California, Los Angeles](/source/University_of_California,_Los_Angeles) (UCLA), and played [guard](/source/Guard_(basketball)) for the [Bruins basketball team](/source/UCLA_Bruins_men's_basketball) for three seasons (1956–1959).[3] Despite not being exceptionally tall or strong at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) and 180 pounds (82 kg), he led the team in [rebounding](/source/Rebound_(basketball)) for three straight seasons.[5][6] As a sophomore in [1956–57](/source/1956%E2%80%9357_UCLA_Bruins_men's_basketball_team), he was named the Bruins' top first-year [varsity](/source/Varsity_team) player.[7] He received honorable mention from conference coaches for the [All-PCC team](/source/List_of_All-Pac-12_Conference_men's_basketball_teams),[8] and was named third-team All-Coast by [United Press International](/source/United_Press_International) (UPI).[9]

In [1957–58](/source/1957%E2%80%9358_UCLA_Bruins_men's_basketball_team), Torrence averaged 12.4 points per game to finish second on the Bruins behind senior center Ben Rogers, who scored one more point (324–323).[10] Torrence earned second-team All-PCC honors,[11] and was also named second-team All-Pacific Coast by UPI.[12]

Entering the [1958–59 season](/source/1958%E2%80%9359_UCLA_Bruins_men's_basketball_team), Torrence was the only returning full-time starter for UCLA. By then, he had also become a notable high jumper on the Bruins' track team.[13] UCLA basketball coach [John Wooden](/source/John_Wooden) called him the best player on the team, which also included future Olympic gold medalist [Rafer Johnson](/source/Rafer_Johnson) and future two-time national championship coach [Denny Crum](/source/Denny_Crum).[14] Torrence became the fourth player in UCLA history to score over 1,000 points in his career.[5] He led the PCC in scoring with 344 points, averaging 21.4 points per game,[15] and was the only unanimous selection for the first-team All-PCC.[16] Torrence finished the season with overall averages of 21.5 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, which were both ranked second in school history at the time behind [Willie Naulls](/source/Willie_Naulls).[6] Torrence was voted a third-team [All-American](/source/NCAA_Men's_Basketball_All-Americans) by UPI, and he was also a first-team selection by the [Converse Basketball Yearbook](/source/Converse_Basketball_Yearbook) and the [Helms Athletic Foundation](/source/Helms_Athletic_Foundation).[a][17][18][19] The [University of California](/source/University_of_California) system named him their athlete of the year for 1959.[20]

Torrence finished his UCLA career with averages of 15.3 points and 8.5 rebounds, leaving the school ranked second in scoring average, and third in both total points and career rebounds. He was inducted into the [UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame](/source/UCLA_Athletics_Hall_of_Fame) in 2009.[6] Through the 2017–18 season, his final season averages of 21.5 points and 11.6 rebounds still ranked fifth all-time among UCLA seniors.[6][21] Wooden included Torrence among former players he would choose for his all-time 2-2-1 [zone press](/source/Zone_press) unit.[b]

## US Army

Selected by the [New York Knicks](/source/New_York_Knicks) in the eighth round of the [1959 NBA draft](/source/1959_NBA_draft),[22] Torrence instead joined the [US Army](/source/US_Army). He was commissioned a [second lieutenant](/source/Second_lieutenant) in 1960, and was stationed at [Angel Island](/source/Angel_Island_(California)) in California in his first year. He was a [captain](/source/Captain_(armed_forces)) by 1965, when he took command of Headquarters Battery, 5th Missile Battalion at [Olathe Naval Air Station](/source/Olathe_Naval_Air_Station) in [Kansas](/source/Kansas).[23]

Torrence competed in the 1962 Military Olympics in Germany.[23] In 1963, he was the [captain](/source/Captain_(sports)) of the [Armed Forces](/source/United_States_Armed_Forces) team that won the United States trials for the [Pan American Games](/source/Pan_American_Games). It was the first time that the military services won the trials.[24] Torrence was one of five Armed Forces members, all from the Army, who were selected for the 12-man [US national team](/source/United_States_men's_national_basketball_team) at the [1963 PanAm Games](/source/Basketball_at_the_1963_Pan_American_Games) in Brazil.[25] The US won the gold medal, but Torrence played in just three games after returning home due to the death of his father.[26][27] He was also a member of the US squad which finished fourth at the [1963 World Championship](/source/1963_FIBA_World_Championship).[28]

## Death

On September 20, 1969, Torrence died at age 32 in [Mercy San Juan Hospital](/source/Mercy_San_Juan_Hospital) in [Carmichael, California](/source/Carmichael,_California), from injuries suffered in a car accident near Sacramento.[1] He was a passenger in a car on [Interstate 80](/source/Interstate_80_in_California) about 1⁄4 mi (400 m) west of [Alta](/source/Alta,_California) that went off the center divide, hit a concrete drain box, and glanced off an oncoming car.[1][29] His wife Ada and four children—Sandra, Alex, Gregory, and Raymond—received a court-approved settlement of $25,000 from the driver and owners of the vehicle.[30]

## Notes

1. UPI was used to complile the [consensus All-American team that year](/source/1959_NCAA_Men's_Basketball_All-Americans). Converse (1932–1948) and Helms (1929–1948) had also been used in the past.[31]

1. Wooden also named [Keith Erickson](/source/Keith_Erickson), [Gail Goodrich](/source/Gail_Goodrich), [Keith Wilkes](/source/Keith_Wilkes) (known later as Jamaal Wilkes), and [Sidney Wicks](/source/Sidney_Wicks).[32]

## References

1. ["Weekend's Bloody Traffic Toll Claims Three Lives"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25925527/). *Auburn Journal*. September 25, 1969. p. A-1. Retrieved December 3, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. Hyland, Dick (December 27, 1958). ["Walt Torrence Hard Worker"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25780776/). *Los Angeles Times*. Retrieved November 28, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Walt Torrence Dies of Crash Injuries"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25893527/). *Independent*. September 23, 1969. Retrieved December 2, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. Penella, Bob (January 11, 1956). ["Wooden Eyes Choice Performer"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/los-angeles-evening-citizen-news/156810708/). *Citizen-News*. p. 8. Retrieved October 11, 2024. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. Kendall, John D. (February 10, 1959). ["UCLA's Walt Torrence Rates As All-American"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25839175/). *La Grange Observer*. United Press International. p. 5. Retrieved November 30, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["UCLA To Induct Eight New Members Into Athletics Hall Of Fame This Friday"](https://uclabruins.com/news/2009/10/6/207902971.aspx?path=wsoc). UCLA Athletics. October 6, 2009. Retrieved December 24, 2018.

1. ["Three Awards Go To UCLA's Banton"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26495483/). *Los Angeles Times*. March 14, 1957. Part IV, p. 6. Retrieved December 24, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Cal's Friend on PCC Coaches All-Star Five"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26495662/). *The San Francisco Examiner*. March 13, 1957. Sec. II, p. 10. Retrieved December 24, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Baylor of Seattle Top U.P. All-Coast Team"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26495567/). *Redlands Daily Facts*. March 8, 1957. p. 8. Retrieved December 24, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Rogers Wins Bruins Point Title"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26495836/). *The Independent*. March 17, 1958. p. C-3. Retrieved December 24, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Northwest Puts 4 On PCC All-Star 5"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26495976/). *The News-Review*. Associated Press. March 14, 1958. p. 8. Retrieved December 24, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Gambee Is Picked on UP Coast Five"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26496020/). *Corvallis Gazette-Times*. March 14, 1958. p. 8. Retrieved December 24, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. Davis, Seth (2014). [*Wooden: A Coach's Life*](https://books.google.com/books?id=DXLWAAAAQBAJ&dq=%22walt%20torrence%22%20wooden&pg=PA163). Times Books. p. 163. ISBN 9780805099416. Retrieved November 29, 2018.

1. Wooden, John (2005). [*Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization*](https://books.google.com/books?id=F1QQ7ToNyxgC&pg=PA11). McGraw Hill Professional. p. 11. ISBN 9780071467100. Retrieved November 29, 2018.

1. ["Torrence, Smart Take Top Honors"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25900387/). *Register Guard*. March 20, 1959. p. 4B. Retrieved December 2, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["UCLA Star Paces All-PCC Selections"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25900742/). *The Daily Sun*. March 13, 1959. p. C-3. Retrieved December 2, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. Miller, Norman (March 3, 1959). ["Robertson Tops Voting For All-America Team"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25778500/simpsons_leadertimes/). *Daily Leader-Times*. p. 9. Retrieved November 29, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Converse All-American Selection System Tops"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25861869/). *The Journal-Tribune*. February 19, 1960. p. 23. Retrieved November 30, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Harman Is On Foundation Second Team All-American"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25862404/). *Gazette-Times*. April 2, 1959. p. 13. Retrieved November 30, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["UCLA Hoops Star Wins Top Honors"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25899849/). *Daily Independent Journal*. October 19, 1959. p. 10. Retrieved December 2, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. Timiraos, Alex (2018). ["2018–19 UCLA Men's Basketball Information Guide"](https://uclabruins.com/documents/2018/10/15/MBKB_19MG_107_128.pdf). UCLA Athletic Communications Office. p. 127. Retrieved December 25, 2018.

1. ["Harman Choice of SL Hawks"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26399702/). *Medford Mall Tribune*. April 1, 1959. p. 8. Retrieved December 21, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Captain in Command"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25861291/). *The Kansas City Times*. June 17, 1965. p. 4A. Retrieved November 30, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Service Stars Win Pan-American Trials"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25862861/). *Springfield Daily News*. Associated Press. April 3, 1963. p. 11. Retrieved December 2, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["U.S. Cagers Named For PanAm Games"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25861657/). *Leader-Telegram*. UPI. April 4, 1963. p. 14. Retrieved December 2, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["FOURTH PAN AMERICAN GAMES -- 1963"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150404144932/http://www.usab.com/history/pan-am-mens/fourth-pan-american-games-1963.aspx). USA Basketball. June 10, 2010. Archived from [the original](https://www.usab.com/history/pan-am-mens/fourth-pan-american-games-1963.aspx) on April 4, 2015. Retrieved December 24, 2018.

1. ["Walt Torrence Father Dies"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26493654/). *Los Angeles Times*. May 1, 1963. Part III, p. 8. Retrieved December 24, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["United States Cage Cub Bites Dust In Brazil"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25898921/). *The Mexia Daily News*. May 31, 1963. p. 6. Retrieved December 2, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Three die in county auto accidents during weekend"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25753189/). *The Press-Tribune*. September 22, 1969. p. 1. Retrieved November 27, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Walt Torrence Family Awarded Settlement"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25839133/). *Auburn Journal*. July 30, 1970. p. B-5. Retrieved November 30, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. Johnson, Gary K. (2005). ["NCAA Men's Basketball Finest"](http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketballs_finest/2005/m_basketball_finest.pdf). *Ncaa Men's Basketball's Finest*. National Collegiate Athletic Association. [ISSN 1521-2955](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1521-2955). Retrieved December 25, 2018.

1. Terbush, Don (June 29, 1975). ["Sideline Slants"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/25753305/). *The Times-Standard*. p. 11. Retrieved November 27, 2018. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Walt Torrence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Torrence) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Torrence?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.