Ball, Willie

William Bolowtofsky

Ball played both guard and forward at CCNY (City College of New York) in the early 1920s, and was considered one of the school's greatest players by head coach Nat Holman. He is a member of the CCNY Athletic Hall of Fame.

In Ellis Island to Ebbet's Field, Peter Levine wrote, "...[Ball] had entered City College as Willie Bolowtofsky. By the end of his freshman year, he changed it to Barlow and in his junior year to Ball. Although there is no way of knowing why Willie changed his name, his classmates at City noticed...next to his picture in the Microcosm, the editors wrote: 'First Bolowtofsky, Barlow, then Ball/ A few more years/ He'll have no name at all.'"

Birth and Death Dates:
unknown

Career Highlights:
Ball played at City College at a time when the school's basketball program was on the verge of emerging as one of the best in the country. In 1920, Willie's junior season, the legendary Nat Holman took over as the school's head coach. That year, City College had a successful season behind the play of Ball and teammates Nat Krinsky, Chick Feigin, and Morris Raskin.

That year, the Beavers won 13 of their first 15 games. In the season finale, they played rival NYU (New York University) in front of the largest crowd in New York City college basketball history. At the 22nd Regiment Armory, over 10,000 fans saw NYU defeat City College , 39-21. Ball scored a team-high 13 points in the game, and CCNY finished the season with a 13-3 record.

The following year, Ball and City College had a record of 11-4, but again fell to NYU in their annual showdown. Ball is a member of the CCNY Athletic Hall of Fame.

Origin:
unknown

Career Dates:
Ball played at City College in 1920-1921.

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