Mel Riebe

Mel Riebe, a 1955 graduate of The College of Wooster, will be inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame during a May 20 ceremony at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Riebe's basketball career as an athlete took place prior to his enrollment at the College as a 34-year-old. The standout started his hardwood career after a brief baseball career didn't pan out. He played for the Cleveland Chase Brassmen and the Cleveland Allmen Transfers, and in fact, led the National Basketball League in scoring during the 1943-44 and 1944-45 seasons. Later, after spending time in the Navy, Riebe appeared in 81 career games with the Boston Celtics of the Basketball Association of America, where he scored 912 points while dishing out 145 assists.

At the College, Riebe turned his attention to golf, due to not having amateur status in baseball or basketball. On the link, Riebe averaged 78.2 strokes per round over his three-year career. In 1952, Riebe went a perfect 10-0 in dual matches as the Scots' No. 2 man, and helped Wooster to a runner-up finish at the conference championship. A year later, despite a 4-5-2 head-to-head record against the oppositions' top men, Riebe finished in a three-way tie for medalist honors with a 76 at the conference championship. As a senior, Riebe helped the Scots to the Ohio Conference title as the Scots' 621 bested Ohio Wesleyan University's 628. In dual matches, Riebe turned in a 6-7-1 record while anchoring the team from the No. 1 position.

Even more impressive, while thriving as a student-athlete, the father-of-three owned a gas station in nearby Homerville, Ohio.

Upon graduation, Riebe embarked on a career in education, service as the athletic director and coach at nearby Waynedale High School. Riebe died in 1977.