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Rubin Collins

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Rubin Collins
Collins with the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks during the 1973–74 season
Personal information
Born (1953-10-19) October 19, 1953 (age 71)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeMaryland Eastern Shore (1971–1974)
NBA draft1974: 2nd round, 36th overall pick
Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers
Playing career1974–1979
PositionShooting guard
Career history
1974–1975Scranton Apollos
1976–1977Lancaster Red Roses
1977–1979Washington Metros / Baltimore Metros / Mohawk Valley Thunderbirds
Career highlights and awards
  • First-team All-NAIA (1974)
  • Second-team NAIA All-American (1973)
  • 2× First-team All-MEAC (1973, 1974)
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Rubin Collins Jr. (born October 19, 1953) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks. Collins was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers as the 36th overall pick of the 1974 NBA draft but spent his professional career in the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA).

High school and college career

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A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,[1] Collins attended Edison High School.[2] He transferred to Washington High School in Princess Anne, Maryland, where he led the team to a 19–0 record during the 1970–71 regular season.[3] Collins was offered scholarships by over 40 colleges.[3]

Collins played college basketball for the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks from 1971 to 1974. During his junior season in 1973–74, he led the Hawks in scoring when they won the MEAC men's basketball tournament and became the first men's basketball team from a historically black college to receive an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).[1][4] He was named to the first-teams of the All-MEAC and All-NAIA in 1974.[5]

Collins was inducted into the Maryland Eastern Shore Athletics Hall of Fame twice: as a member of the 1973–74 NIT team in 2004 and individually in 2010.[1]

Professional career

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At the conclusion of his junior season, Collins successfully applied for a hardship from the National Basketball Association (NBA) to be eligible in the 1974 NBA draft.[6] He was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers as the 38th overall pick. Collins signed with the Trail Blazers on September 5, 1974,[7] and attended rookie camp with the team.[8] He was cut before the season began.[9] Collins played one game for the Scranton Apollos of the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA) during the 1974–75 season.[10] He played alongside his Hawks teammate, Billy Gordon, in the Urban Coalition League of Washington, D.C., in 1975.[11]

Collins spent the 1975 preseason with his hometown Philadelphia 76ers but was told to seek another tryout elsewhere.[12] He signed with the Washington Bullets before the 1976–77 season but was waived on September 30, 1976.[13] Collins played for the Lancaster Red Roses of the EBA during the 1976–77 season.[10] He played two further seasons in the EBA for the Washington Metros, Baltimore Metros and the Mohawk Valley Thunderbirds from 1977 to 1979.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Fifty Shades of Maroon and Gray: Rubin Collins". University of Maryland Eastern Shore. December 31, 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  2. ^ Hunt, Donald (July 4, 2020). "Honoring HBCU Legends: Philadelphia has produced many Black college standouts". The Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Reuben Collins On National All-Star Team". The Daily Times. April 16, 1971. p. 24. Retrieved February 12, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Northam, Mitchell (February 5, 2018). "High-flying Hawks: Maryland Eastern Shore hoops broke HBCU barriers". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  5. ^ "The History of UMES Basketball" (PDF). University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  6. ^ "Hardship List of N.B.A. Involves 20". The New York Times. May 9, 1974. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  7. ^ "Pro cage briefs". Press-Telegram. September 6, 1974. p. 32. Retrieved February 12, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Blaker rookies at camp". The Columbian. September 11, 1974. p. 15. Retrieved February 12, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Here's A Secret". The Evening Sun. October 8, 1974. p. 32. Retrieved February 12, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ a b c "Rubin Collins". Stats Crew. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  11. ^ Cullen, Rick (February 13, 1975). "from the sidelines". The Daily Times. p. 34. Retrieved February 12, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Jasner, Phil (September 17, 1975). "76ers Forward March Trampled Durrett". Philadelphia Daily News. p. 71. Retrieved February 12, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Pro Sports Transactions". The Times Record. September 30, 1976. p. 30. Retrieved February 12, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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