Francis Patrick "Chink" Crossin Jr. (July 4, 1923 – January 10, 1981) was an American professional basketball player and coach.[1] He earned his nickname from the sound that the chain-link nets made when his shots dropped through.[2]
During his high school basketball career at Luzerne High School in Luzerne, Pennsylvania, Crossin averaged 24 points per game, and led all Pennsylvania high school players in scoring in 1941.[3] He played basketball at the University of Pennsylvania in the 1942–43 and 1943–44 seasons before serving in World War II with the United States Navy for two years.[2] Crossin returned to Penn for the 1946–47 season. After the end of his college career, Crossin was selected with the 6th pick in the inaugural 1947 BAA draft by the Philadelphia Warriors. In three seasons with the team, Crossin averaged 4.7 points and 1.5 assists per game.[1]
Crossin played five seasons in the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL) from 1950 to 1955 for the Pottsville Pros/Packers, Wilkes-Barre Aces, Williamsport Billies, Berwick Carbuilders, Hazleton Pros and Sunbury Mercuries.[4] He was named the EPBL Most Valuable Player in 1952 and was a two-time All-EPBL First Team selection.[4] Crossin served as head coach of the Pottsville Packers during the 1951–52 season,[5] and won the 1952 EPBL championship.[6] Crossin served as head coach of the team when it relocated to become the Wilkes-Barre Aces until they folded four games into the 1952–53 season.[5]
BAA/NBA career statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | APG | Assists per game | ||
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | PPG | Points per game | ||
| FT% | Free-throw percentage | Bold | Career high | ||
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | FG% | FT% | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947–48 | Philadelphia | 39 | .240 | .565 | 0.5 | 1.8 |
| 1948–49 | Philadelphia | 44 | .349 | .619 | 1.2 | 4.0 |
| 1949–50 | Philadelphia | 64 | .322 | .782 | 2.3 | 7.0 |
| Career | 147 | .318 | .711 | 1.5 | 4.7 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | FG% | FT% | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Philadelphia | 10 | .327 | .889 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| 1949 | Philadelphia | 2 | .419 | .714 | 1.5 | 15.5 |
| 1950 | Philadelphia | 2 | .333 | .889 | 2.0 | 13.0 |
| Career | 14 | .355 | .840 | 1.2 | 6.9 | |
References
- ^ a b "Chink Crossin Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved on June 3, 2017.
- ^ a b Zeitlin, Dave. "Common Bonds". Penn Gazette. June 30, 2010. Retrieved on June 3, 2017.
- ^ "Francis "Chink" Crossin". Penn Athletics. Retrieved on June 3, 2017.
- ^ a b "Francis Crossin minor league basketball statistics". Stats Crew. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ^ a b "Chink Crossin minor league basketball coaching records". Stats Crew. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
- ^ "1951-52 Pottsville Packers Statistics". Stats Crew. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
External links
- Career statistics from NBA.com and Basketball Reference
