Missouri State

CARL WILKS
Basketball, 1958-62
Inducted February 23, 1985

One of the great rebounders of the Eddie Matthews era of Missouri State basketball, Springfield Central product Carl Wilks was a dominant force inside for the cage Bears as a letterman from 1959 through 1962. He was a freshman on the 1958-59 team which won 23 of 26 games and finished first in the MIAA and second in the nation in NCAA Division II. The Bruins were second in conference play each of the next three seasons with Wilks leading the team in rebounding with 9.9 a game as a sophomore, 10.9 a game his junior year, and 9.5 a game when he was a senior. He also led the Bruins in free throw percentage his sophomore year and landed a spot on the MIAA conference meet all-tournament team. Wilks was a co-captain for the Bears as a senior and was a recipient of the Virgil Cheek Athletic Achievement Award upon his graduation from MSU in 1962. He finished his career with 662 rebounds, currently sixth on the all-time list, and his four-year rebound average of 8.7 is eighth on the career list. Wilks finished with a four-year total of 637 points, an average of 8.4 a contest for his 76-game MSU career.