Phil Tollestrup (born October 12, 1949) is a former Canadian basketball player and Olympian. Among his accomplishments, he was the fourth overall scorer in the 1976 Summer Olympics (21.3 ppg),[1] where Canada competed for the bronze medal;[2][3][4] was drafted in the NBA by the Buffalo Braves in 1973;[5][6][7] was a First Team CIAU All-Canadian (1973);[8][9][10] was the University of Lethbridge's Male Athlete of the Year (1973);[9][11][12] and was a First Team Canada West All-Star.[13]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 21, 1949 Raymond, Alberta, Canada |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Raymond High School (Raymond, Alberta) |
| College | BYU (1968–72) University of Lethbridge (1972–73) |
| NBA draft | 1973: 20th round, 211th overall pick |
| Selected by the Buffalo Braves | |
| Position | Forward |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1973-74 | Saski Baskonia (Spain) |
| As coach: | |
| 1978-80 | McMaster University |
| 2004-07 | Lethbridge College |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
International career
editTollestrup played for the Canadian men's national basketball team from 1971 to 1979.[10][11] This included representing Canada in the 1976 Olympics.[14][15] Tollestrup played well in these Olympics, being the tournament's fourth overall leading scorer with 21.3 ppg.[1][9][15] The '76 Olympics were also noteworthy in that Canada competed for the bronze medal and finished fourth overall,[2][3][4] one of only three times in the past 80 years in which Canada has competed for an Olympic medal in basketball.[4]
Tollestrup also represented Canada in three Pan American Games (1971, 1975, 1979),[14][15][12] the 1972 Pre-Olympic Tournament,[16] the 1973 World Student Games[5][9][12] and the 1974 FIBA World Championships.[5][14][17] Tollestrup played well in these tournaments as well: in the 1974 World Championships, he was selected as a North / South American All-Star[15] and was Canada's third-leading scorer with 13.3 ppg.[17] In the 1972 Pre-Olympic tournament, he was Canada's second-leading scorer with 19.3 ppg.[16]
Professional
editTollestrup was drafted by the Buffalo Braves in the 20th round as the 211th overall pick in the 1973 NBA draft.[6][7][18] In the 1973–74 season, Tollestrup played professionally in the Spanish first division for Saski Baskonia.[9][11][13]
University
editIn high school, Tollestrup led Raymond High School to win two provincial championships (1967, 1968).[9][11][15] He was also named provincial MVP.[5]
He played at BYU the following four years (1968–72).[5][9][12] At BYU, he played on the conference championship team.[15]
Tollestrup played his final year (1972–73) at the University of Lethbridge.[9] [10][12] This was the University of Lethbridge's inaugural year in basketball.[11] In this year, he established intercollegiate scoring records[15] when he averaged 26.4 ppg.[13] He was named a First Team All-Canadian,[8][10][11] a Canada West First Team All-Star[13] and as the University of Lethbridge's Male Athlete of the Year.[9][11][12] In this year, he also led the Pronghorns to the Canada West championship game.[9][12][13]
Coaching career
editTollestrup coached McMaster University from 1978 to 1980.[10][14][15] He then coached at the high school level in Milk River, Stirling and Magrath in Alberta, Canada.[9][12] He then coached the Lethbridge College Kodiaks from 2004 to 2007.[9][12][15]
Post-career Awards
editTollestrup has been inducted into the Canada Basketball Hall of Fame (1991),[14] the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame (1984),[15] the City of Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame (2011),[9] the University of Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame[11] and the City of Raymond Sports Hall of Fame,.[10][12][15] Additionally, the 1976 Canadian men's national team of which Tollestrup was a member[1] was inducted into the Canada Basketball Hall of Fame.[19]
Personal life
editTollestrup was born on October 12, 1949.[3][6][14] He is a native of Raymond, Alberta, Canada.[5][6][11]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Event Standings". FIBA Archive. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Phil Tollestrup". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ a b c "Phil Tollestrup". Canadian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ a b c "Reflecting on when Karl Tilleman, Eli Pasquale, and Their Fellow Canadian University Teammates Took a Shot at Ruling the Basketball World". Somers Point News. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "#40 Phil Tollestrup". BYU Cougars. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Los Angeles Clippers Draft Picks". Basketball Reference. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Phil Tollestrup". Draft Express. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Men's Basketball All-Canadian Teams" (PDF). U Sports. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Phil Tollestrup". Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Hall of Fame Inductees". The Meliorist. No. 35. 28 March 2002. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Phil Tollestrup". University of Lethbridge Athletics. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Lethbridge's Olympians". Lethbridge Sports Council. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Phil Tollestrup". U Sports Hoops. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Phil Tollestrup--Athlete" (PDF). Canada Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Phil Tollestrup". Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Canada". FIBA Archive. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Canada". FIBA Archive. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "Phil Tollestrup". Basketball Reference. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ "1976 Senior Men's Olympic Team – Team" (PDF). Canada Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved 15 February 2024.