Melvin Lowell Peterson (born March 23, 1938) is an American former National Basketball Association (NBA) and American Basketball Association (ABA) player.
Collegiate career
Mel attended Wheaton College. While at Wheaton College, Mel was selected as a three-time All-American basketball player.[1] He was also selected as the Most Outstanding Player of the 1957 NCAA Men's Division II basketball tournament, as Wheaton College won the inaugural NCAA Division II tournament.[2] Mel finished his career at Wheaton College, averaging 22.7 points and 15.8 rebounds per game. He still ranks as Wheaton College's all-time leader in points per game, career points, field goals made, and career rebounds.[3]
Professional career
Mel was drafted with the fourth pick in the 11th round of the 1960 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons. On August 15, 1963, Mel signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Bullets. In two games with the Bullets, Mel recorded a total of two points and one rebound. Peterson did not play for the following three seasons. Mel made his ABA debut on October 13, 1967, for the Oakland Oaks.[4]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Denotes seasons in which Peterson's team won an ABA championship |
NBA/ABA
Source[4]
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963–64 | Baltimore | 2 | 1.5 | 1.000 | – | .5 | .0 | 1.0 | |
| 1967–68 | Oakland (ABA) | 77 | 20.6 | .427 | .265 | .817 | 5.9 | 1.4 | 9.5 |
| 1968–69† | Oakland (ABA) | 51 | 13.9 | .502 | .000 | .800 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 5.4 |
| 1969–70 | L.A. Stars (ABA) | 4 | 13.3 | .286 | .000 | 1.000 | 3.3 | .3 | 5.8 |
| Career (ABA) | 132 | 17.8 | .441 | .225 | .820 | 4.8 | 1.2 | 7.8 | |
| Career (overall) | 134 | 17.6 | .442 | .225 | .820 | 4.7 | 1.2 | 7.7 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969† | Oakland (ABA) | 14 | 7.0 | .600 | .500 | .583 | 2.0 | .3 | 3.1 |
| 1970 | L.A. Stars (ABA) | 4 | 5.5 | .500 | – | .500 | 1.5 | .5 | 1.8 |
| Career | 18 | 6.7 | .583 | .500 | .571 | 1.9 | .3 | 2.8 | |
References
- ^ "Wheaton College Athletics – Men's Basketball All-Americans". athletics.wheaton.edu. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
- ^ "2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament Records and Statistics: Division II men's basketball Championship" (PDF). Retrieved July 13, 2012.
- ^ "Wheaton College Athletics – Men's Basketball Career Records". athletics.wheaton.edu. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
- ^ a b "Mel Peterson NBA & ABA statistics". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
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