John Tidwell
Encyclopedia
John W. Tidwell is a retired American
basketball
player and medical doctor. He played for the University of Michigan
from 1958 to 1961 and broke the school's records for points scored in a single game and single season. He later became an obstetrician-gynecologist
in Charlotte, North Carolina
.
in southern Illinois
. He played basketball for Herrin High School
from 1955 to 1957, leading the school to a 28–3 record as a junior and 31–2 as a senior. In 1957, the 6 feet, 4 inch Tidwell was the tallest player and the high scorer for the Herrin High School team that won the Illinois state basketball championship. Herrin defeated Elgin in the quarter-finals, Quincy Notre Dame
in the semi-finals, and Collinsville
in the championship game. The 1957 state championship was considered a great feat because Herrin was a relatively small city, and Illinois had only one class in basketball. Tidwell was also selected as a first-team forward on the 1957 Illinois All-State basketball team.
. Michigan's head coach Bill Perigo did not travel to Herrin to recruit Tidwell, but Tidwell chose Michigan because of its good engineering school.
He played college basketball for the University of Michigan
from 1958–1961. Tidwell managed to excel in basketball game despite what the Chicago Daily Tribune
described as "the handicap of a short and twisted left arm." Tidwell sustained the injury while playing quarterback for the freshman football team while in high school in 1953. He dislocated his left elbow when his arm was pinned behind his back on being tackled. He had a pin placed in his elbow. Tidwell later recalled how the injury had affected his jump shot:
As a sophomore, Tidwell made a name for himself in his first varsity basketball game for Michigan. Tidwell was matched up against University of Pittsburgh
All-American Don Hennon
and scored 22 points in his debut. He followed with 24 points in his second collegiate game against the University of Tennessee
and another 24 points the following week against Butler. He also led the Wolverines with 22 points in a 93–68 win over the University of Detroit
in the Motor City Classic. His play helped lead Michigan to a 6–1 start in 1958, and he was credited with having "created an upsurge of interest in basketball at Michigan." After his first seven games, sports writer Jerry Green
called Tidwell "the most exciting cager to arrive at Michigan in years." Green noted that Tidwell "floats quietly around the court, shooting sure-handedly, making deft passes, piling up points." In December 1958, the Chicago Daily Tribune
reported, "One of the big ones from Illinois got away last year -- and turned up on the Ann Arbor campus of the University of Michigan." Michigan's coach Perigo noted, "He's so smooth and steady out there you don't notice him until he comes out."
As a junior during the 1959–1960 academic year, Tidwell broke the Michigan record for single game scoring record on February 27, 1960, as he hit 17 of 25 field goals and seven of ten free throws for 41 points in a 72–65 win against Michigan State
. Tidwell's 41 points also broke the Yost Fieldhouse
record which had been set by Indiana
's Don Schlundt
with 29 points in 1953. Tidwell also broke the season scoring record as a junior with 520 points -- an average of 21.6 points per game. At the end of the 1959–1960 basketball season, Tidwell was selected as the team's most valuable player and elected captain of the 1960–1961 team.
As the senior captain of the 1960–1961 Michigan basketball team, Tidwell suffered a mid-season slump in February 1961, but still finished the season with 441 points and an average 19.2 points per game. On March 4, 1961, he broke his own single game scoring record with 43 points against the University of Minnesota
. Two days later, on March 6, 1961, Tidwell scored 24 points against Illinois in his final home game for Michigan. When he left the game, he was given a three-minute standing ovation by the spectators at Yost Fieldhouse
. At the end of the season, he was selected by his teammates as the team's most valuable player for the second consecutive year.
During his three years playing for the Wolverines, Tidwell scored 1,386 points. At the conclusion of his Michigan basketball career, head coach Dave Strack
called Tidwell "one of the finest collegiate basketball players in the nation."
Tidwell was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers
in the fourth round (38th overall pick) of the 1961 NBA Draft
, but he chose instead to attend medical school.
where he began practicing as on obstetrician-gynecologist. Tidwell is the founder and managing partner of the Mintview Charlotte Women's Specialists medical group in Charlotte.
Tidwell was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
in 1996.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and medical doctor. He played for the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
from 1958 to 1961 and broke the school's records for points scored in a single game and single season. He later became an obstetrician-gynecologist
Obstetrics and gynaecology
Obstetrics and gynaecology are the two surgical–medical specialties dealing with the female reproductive organs in their pregnant and non-pregnant state, respectively, and as such are often combined to form a single medical specialty and postgraduate training programme...
in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
.
Early years
Tidwell grew up in HerrinHerrin, Illinois
Herrin is a city in Williamson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,501 at the 2010 census. It is home to Country Musicstar David Lee Murphy, the hometown of baseball's Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman, and the hometown of San Diego State University men's basketball coach Steve...
in southern Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. He played basketball for Herrin High School
Herrin High School
Herrin High School is a secondary school located in Herrin, Illinois. It has an enrollment of about 735 students.It is one of the only high schools in the U.S. that has its own bank, The First Tiger Trust.-Athletics:...
from 1955 to 1957, leading the school to a 28–3 record as a junior and 31–2 as a senior. In 1957, the 6 feet, 4 inch Tidwell was the tallest player and the high scorer for the Herrin High School team that won the Illinois state basketball championship. Herrin defeated Elgin in the quarter-finals, Quincy Notre Dame
Quincy Notre Dame High School
Quincy Notre Dame High School is a Roman Catholic co-educational high school in Quincy, Illinois in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, serving students in grades 9-12.- History :...
in the semi-finals, and Collinsville
Collinsville High School
Collinsville High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school in the Collinsville Community Unit School District 10. In 2011, Collinsville High School had an enrollment of 1,985 students.-Academics:...
in the championship game. The 1957 state championship was considered a great feat because Herrin was a relatively small city, and Illinois had only one class in basketball. Tidwell was also selected as a first-team forward on the 1957 Illinois All-State basketball team.
Michigan
Tidwell was one of the most highly rated high school basketball players in the Midwest in 1957. He reportedly received scholarships from 70 colleges, including the University of Illinois and University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. Michigan's head coach Bill Perigo did not travel to Herrin to recruit Tidwell, but Tidwell chose Michigan because of its good engineering school.
He played college basketball for the University of Michigan
Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Wolverines play home basketball games at the...
from 1958–1961. Tidwell managed to excel in basketball game despite what the Chicago Daily Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
described as "the handicap of a short and twisted left arm." Tidwell sustained the injury while playing quarterback for the freshman football team while in high school in 1953. He dislocated his left elbow when his arm was pinned behind his back on being tackled. He had a pin placed in his elbow. Tidwell later recalled how the injury had affected his jump shot:
"I never could get full range of motion back. ... When taking a right-handed jump shot, it was unorthodox. It was an unusual shot, because I couldn't straighten my left arm. I ended up shooting it from lesser height, bending my right arm more to compensate for my left arm. The right elbow was out. It was a different shot. But I shot it effectively."
As a sophomore, Tidwell made a name for himself in his first varsity basketball game for Michigan. Tidwell was matched up against University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt men's basketball team competes in the Big East Conference and plays their home games in...
All-American Don Hennon
Don Hennon
Don Leroy Hennon is a surgeon and a former basketball player for the University of Pittsburgh Panthers basketball team where he was a two-time Consensus All-American...
and scored 22 points in his debut. He followed with 24 points in his second collegiate game against the University of Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers basketball
The Tennessee Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA men's basketball competition. The Volunteers currently compete in the Southeastern Conference...
and another 24 points the following week against Butler. He also led the Wolverines with 22 points in a 93–68 win over the University of Detroit
Detroit Titans men's basketball
The Detroit Titans team is the basketball team that represents the University of Detroit Mercy in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The school's team currently competes in the Horizon League. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 1999...
in the Motor City Classic. His play helped lead Michigan to a 6–1 start in 1958, and he was credited with having "created an upsurge of interest in basketball at Michigan." After his first seven games, sports writer Jerry Green
Jerry Green
Gerald B. "Jerry" Green is an American Democratic politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1992, where he represents the 22nd legislative district, having represented the 17th Legislative District until 2002....
called Tidwell "the most exciting cager to arrive at Michigan in years." Green noted that Tidwell "floats quietly around the court, shooting sure-handedly, making deft passes, piling up points." In December 1958, the Chicago Daily Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
reported, "One of the big ones from Illinois got away last year -- and turned up on the Ann Arbor campus of the University of Michigan." Michigan's coach Perigo noted, "He's so smooth and steady out there you don't notice him until he comes out."
As a junior during the 1959–1960 academic year, Tidwell broke the Michigan record for single game scoring record on February 27, 1960, as he hit 17 of 25 field goals and seven of ten free throws for 41 points in a 72–65 win against Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans men's basketball
The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center...
. Tidwell's 41 points also broke the Yost Fieldhouse
Yost Ice Arena
Yost Ice Arena is an indoor ice hockey arena located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the home of the University of Michigan varsity ice hockey team which plays in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association...
record which had been set by Indiana
Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball
The Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Indiana University . The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the NCAA. The Hoosiers play on Branch McCracken Court at the Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana on the IU...
's Don Schlundt
Don Schlundt
Don Schlundt was an American collegiate basketball player.-Collegiate career:Schlundt, a 6'9 center, played collegiately at the Indiana University after a standout high school career at Washington Clay High School in South Bend, Indiana. He played for the Hoosiers from 1951-1955...
with 29 points in 1953. Tidwell also broke the season scoring record as a junior with 520 points -- an average of 21.6 points per game. At the end of the 1959–1960 basketball season, Tidwell was selected as the team's most valuable player and elected captain of the 1960–1961 team.
As the senior captain of the 1960–1961 Michigan basketball team, Tidwell suffered a mid-season slump in February 1961, but still finished the season with 441 points and an average 19.2 points per game. On March 4, 1961, he broke his own single game scoring record with 43 points against the University of Minnesota
Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball
The Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team represents the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Golden Gophers have played in the Big Ten since the conference began sponsoring basketball in 1905...
. Two days later, on March 6, 1961, Tidwell scored 24 points against Illinois in his final home game for Michigan. When he left the game, he was given a three-minute standing ovation by the spectators at Yost Fieldhouse
Yost Ice Arena
Yost Ice Arena is an indoor ice hockey arena located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the home of the University of Michigan varsity ice hockey team which plays in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association...
. At the end of the season, he was selected by his teammates as the team's most valuable player for the second consecutive year.
During his three years playing for the Wolverines, Tidwell scored 1,386 points. At the conclusion of his Michigan basketball career, head coach Dave Strack
Dave Strack
Dave Strack is a former university athletic director for the University of Arizona and and head basketball coach of the University of Michigan. He is an inductee of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.-Early life:Strack grew up in Indiana...
called Tidwell "one of the finest collegiate basketball players in the nation."
Tidwell was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
in the fourth round (38th overall pick) of the 1961 NBA Draft
1961 NBA Draft
The 1961 NBA Draft was the 15th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on March 27, 1961 before the 1961–62 season. In this draft, nine NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year college...
, but he chose instead to attend medical school.
Medical career
After graduating from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1965, Tidwell spent a year as an intern at the University of Maryland Hospital and four years as a resident at the University of Michigan. After two years in the U.S. Army, he moved to Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
where he began practicing as on obstetrician-gynecologist. Tidwell is the founder and managing partner of the Mintview Charlotte Women's Specialists medical group in Charlotte.
Tidwell was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
The University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...
in 1996.