Willie Murrell, a star on Kansas State’s 1964 Final Four basketball team, died earlier this month in Commerce City, Colo. He was 77.
Murrell was born in Taft, Okla., and attended Eastern Oklahoma A&M before transferring to Kansas State in 1962.
For two seasons, Murrell thrived in coach Tex Winter’s triangle offense, averaging a double-double in 1962-63 and 1963-64. In his K-State career, Murrell averaged 20.6 points and 10.7 rebounds.
He led the Wildcats to Big Eight championships both years and in 1964 the Wildcats won the Midwest Region championship by beating Wichita State on the Shockers’ home floor behind Murrell’s 28 points.