CARTHAGE ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME
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John Thiel, a native of Beloit, Wis., was the first Red Men post-World War II basketball star and the only Carthaginian to play professional basketball in the United States. Thiel led the Red Men in scoring in 1946 with 364 points but withdrew from school after the fall 1946 semester. He returned for the 1947-48 season and earned All-Little 19 Conference honors with a 20.6 points per game scoring mark. After scoring 33 points in the 1948-49 season opener against Quincy University, Thiel left the team to join the National Basketball Association Milwaukee (now Atlanta) Hawks. He played one season for the Hawks before returning to play his senior year at Carthage in 1951. Thiel also lettered three times in football (1945, 1947-48). He went on to teach and coach basketball at Galesburg High School in Galesburg, Ill., where he compiled a 398-90 record from 1955-1973, losing only 11 home games in that period.
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