George Wilson was a 6-8 post player from Chicago who played PF and C on the 1962 through 1964 Bearcat teams. He came to Cincinnati as a two time Parade High School All-American and was rated a top five prospect in the 1960 recruiting class.

Wilson had a legendary career in Chicago Public League play and is considered one of the Top Five players EVER to come from Illinois by noted Illinois high school basketball expert Taylor Bell (now retired as Chicago Sun-Times prep sports editor). Its worth repeating. . .he was one of the top 5 basketball players ever to come from the state of Illinois. The others are Dike Eddleman, Isaiah Thomas, Cazzie Russell, and Quinn Buckner. That's pretty lofty company indeed.

Only 14 players in Illinois HS basketball history made First Team All-State for three straight years. Wilson was one of them. His 1958 Marshall HS team went 31-0 and won the state championship, becoming the first Chicago Public League team, and the first all-black team, to do so. The 1958 team is considered among the top five in Illinois HS basketball history.

The '59 Commandoes lost by a single point in a highly disputed outcome. The referees called three early fouls on Wilson and Waukegan won, 63-62. Marshall won 115 games in his four year HS career (and he added 72 wins as a Bearcat). His 1960 team went 31-2 and won the IHSAA state championship again. Along the way, Marshall defeated Carver HS, led by the promising sophomore Cazzie Russell. The Commandoes won three straight All-City championships (Public League versus Catholic League) in 1958-59-60.

An only child, Wilson moved to Chicago from Mississippi to live with his mother before he was 10 years old. He lived on the West Side of the city where Marshall HS is located. He grew 10 inches taller from 8th grade to freshman year at Marshall. Wilson used a hook shot to dominate his opponents. His nickname among HS teammates was 'The Messiah'.

When it came time to pick a college, Wilson quickly narrowed his favorites to Cincinnati and Illinois. His basketball hero Oscar Robertson (then an All-American at UC) met him at the Cincinnati airport and hosted him on his visit. Wilson signed scholarships with both Cincinnati and the Illini (commonplace in those days) but opted for Cincinnati in the summer of 1960. Some compared him to a young Bill Russell when he was being recruited.

Wilson was a three year starter at Cincinnati and earned All-American honors in 1963. His teams won the NCAA championship in 1962 and finished as runner-up in 1963 (to Loyola University from Chicago). He was a starter on the 1964 US Olympic basketball team and won a Gold Medal in Tokyo that summer. He went on to a seven year NBA career, starting with the Cincinnati Royals as their #1 (territorial) draft pick.

Wilson continues to live in the Cincinnati area and can be seen at high school and Cincinnati games on occasion. He also recently attended the Huggins 'Roast'. He also is a very good professional speaker and shares his experiences and the lessons he has learned of a life lived richly.

If you ever see him, wish him luck on his next round of golf.

Tom Gray
Bearcat fan since 1958