Archie Dees Biography
Archie Dees is a former American basketball player who played for Indiana University from 1958-1962 as a forward and center. He is one of just three players to receive multiple Big Ten MVP honors along with Jerry Lucas and Scott May (who also played for Indiana). He is from Ethel, Mississippi and played for Mount Carmel High School in Mount Carmel, Illinois prior to attending Indiana University. He was selected No. 2 overall in the 1958 NBA Draft by the Cincinnati Royals and played in the NBA until 1962. He died in Bloomington, Indiana in 2016.
- Name: Archie Dees
- Position: Forward/Center
- Nationality: USA
- Born: February 22, 1936
- Died: April 4, 2016 (age 80)
- Hometown: Ethel, Mississippi
- High School: Mount Carmel (Mount Carmel, Ill.)
- Height: 6’8″ (203 cm)
- Weight: 205 lb (93 kg)
- Seasons: 4 (1955-1958)
- Jersey: #22, 44, 29
Awards and Accolades
As Player
- Indiana University Hall of Fame (1983)
- All-Century Indiana University Team (2001)
- No. 2 Overall in NBA Draft (1958)
- Consensus second-team All-American (1958)
- Big Ten MVP (1957, 1958)
Archie Dees High School Profile
Archie Dees was born in Ethel, Mississippi in 1936. He decided to attend Mount Carmel High School in Illinois where he was a prep school star. He scored 2,337 points in his career and was the highest scoring player at Mount Carmel until Tyra Buss eclipsed his mark for Mount Carmel.
He decided to attend Indiana University in 1955 to play under legendary head coach Branch McCracken.
Archie Dees Seasons with the Hoosiers
13-9 (6-8 Big Ten)
14-8 (10-4 Big Ten)
13-11 (10-4 Big Ten)
🥉 NCAA Regional Third Place
Archie Dees Indiana University Statistics
| Season | G | FG | FGA | FG% | FT | FTA | FT% | TRB | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-1956 | 22 | 140 | 332 | 0.422 | 103 | 127 | 0.811 | 252 | 63 | 383 |
| 1956-1957 | 22 | 187 | 440 | 0.425 | 176 | 209 | 0.842 | 317 | 59 | 550 |
| 1957-1958 | 22 | 230 | 480 | 0.479 | 153 | 186 | 0.823 | 345 | 67 | 613 |
| Career | 68 | 557 | 1252 | 0.445 | 432 | 522 | 0.828 | 914 | 189 | 1546 |
Archie Dees Career at Indiana University
In the middle of a rebuild at Indiana University, Archie Dees attended the university under then head coach Branch McCracken as a highly sought after recruit from Mount Carmel High School. Archie Dees was well-known during his college career for being a proficient free throw shooter for his size (6’8″). He set many records for scoring based on a 22-game season.
He started his sophomore year and was a high scorer with 17.4 ppg and 11.5 rpg. He immediately grabbed the attention of opponents, but was not able to lead the Hoosiers himself to victory many of the games. Indiana had a slight improvement in their record reaching a record of 13-9 overall, but not making the postseason tournaments.
His junior year saw improvement to his stats and the Hoosier team overall. He led the team with a 25.0 ppg and 14.4 rpg average and the Hoosiers ended No. 15 overall. Indiana ended the season as Big Ten Regular season champions, but were not invited to play in the postseason. Archie won the Big Ten MVP during this year for his outstanding play.
Archie played well in his senior season too leading the team with 25.5 ppg and 14.4 rpg. He led the Hoosiers to the postseason this year where Indiana lost to Notre Dame in the Mideast Regionals Semi-Finals 94-87. Archie ended the season as Big Ten MVP as well. He is one of only three players to win the Big Ten MVP twice in his college career. He was selected as consensus second-team All-American.
Archie entered the NBA Draft and was selected No. 2 overall by the Cincinnati Royals.
Archie Dees Career after Indiana University
Archie Dees was selected No. 2 overall in the NBA Draft by the Cincinnati Royals. He played a season for them and then played for the Detroit Pistons, Chicago Packers, St. Louis Hawks, and Cleveland Pipers. He retired in 1962 from the NBA.