Mel Hutchins
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 22, 1928 Sacramento, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Arcadia (Arcadia, California) |
| College | BYU (1947–1951) |
| NBA draft | 1951 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall |
| Selected by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks | |
| Playing career | 1951–1958 |
| Position | Power forward / Center |
| Number | 14, 2, 9, 4, 10 |
| Career history | |
| 1951–1953 | Milwaukee Hawks |
| 1953–1957 | Fort Wayne Pistons |
| 1957–1958 | New York Knicks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 4,851 (11.1 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 4,186 (9.6 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,298 (3.0 apg) |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Melvin R. Hutchins (born November 22, 1928) is a retired American basketball player. He played professionally in the NBA from 1951 to 1958.
A 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) power forward–center, Hutchins attended Brigham Young University in 1946–47 and 1947–48 as a freshman and sophomore, and after a one-year absence where he worked in Southern California, in 1949–50 and 1950–51. As a senior, he led BYU to the 1951 NIT National Championship. At the conclusion of the 1951 season, Hutchins played in the annual East-West College All-Star game, where he was named MVP after leading the West to victory.
On February 16, 2013, Hutchins and his BYU teammate Roland Minson had their jerseys retired during a ceremony at half-time of a BYU and University of Portland basketball game.
Hutchins was taken with the second pick in the 1951 NBA draft. He played for the Milwaukee Hawks, Fort Wayne Pistons, and New York Knicks. In 1952, as a rookie, he was the co-leader of the NBA in total rebounds with 880, at a rate of 13.3 rebounds per game. As of 2016, Hutchins and Wilt Chamberlain are the only rookies in NBA history to lead the league in rebounding. Hutchins and Bill Tosheff were named co-NBA Rookie of the Year by newspaper writers—a designation not currently recognized by the NBA, although it has appeared in the official NBA record book as recently as 1998. During his career, Hutchins appeared in four NBA All-Star Games, (1953, 1954, 1956, and 1957), and finished fourth in MVP voting in 1956.
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