William Bedford

Position:
C
Ht./Wt.:
7-0 / 225
Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Memphis,Tenn.
High School:
Melrose H.S.

A 7-footer who attended Melrose High, Bedford was a key member of the 1985 team that reached the NCAA Final Four. He ranks 26^th on the career scoring chart with 1,225 points.

Bedford, who didn't begin playing organized basketball until high school, was named to the Metro Conference first team after the 1986 season and also was a third-team All-American. In 1984, he earned a spot on the Metro Conference All-Freshman team.

During the Tigers' NCAA tournament appearances in 1984 and 1985, he was named each season to the All-Midwest Region team.

A natural shot blocker because of his height, Bedford led the team by averaging 2.6 blocks in the 1984-85 season and 2.7 blocks in the 1985-86 season. He remains the school's fourth-leading shot-blocker with 234. His 86 blocks during the 1985-86 season remaining a single-season record for a Tigers' junior.

After his Memphis career, he was selected in the first round of the 1986 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. He was the sixth pick overall and spent six seasons in the NBA with three teams. He was a member of the 1990 Detroit Pistons team that was the NBA title.