Herb Wilkinson

Herbert Wells Wilkinson (December 13, 1923 – May 19, 2026) was an American college basketball player who won the 1944 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament as a freshman while playing for Utah. He then transferred to the University of Iowa as a sophomore and became a three-time All-American.

Early life Wilkinson was born in Hurricane, Utah, and raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He attended East High School in Salt Lake City. When Wilkinson was a sophomore he only stood ; by the time he enrolled in college, however, he had grown to . His childhood home also had a high jump pit, and in addition to his basketball skills, Wilkinson became an excellent high jumper, placing fourth at the 1945 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In need of a replacement, the NCAA committee turned to Utah, despite the fact that the Redskins had four losses and had just lost their first-round game in the NIT tournament. Utah had one player, Lyman Condie, a medical student, who quit the team midway through the season to pursue medical school. Additionally, all of Utah's players were raised within 30 miles of the Utah campus. These players included Arnie Ferrin, Fred Sheffield, and Wat Misaka who was of Japanese descent. The next day, Harrison saw Herb's picture on the front page of the newspaper with his teammates lifting him on their shoulders for having made the championship-winning shot. He called Clay and asked, "Is that your little brother?" Herb averaged 9.6 points per game while Clay, a junior, averaged 11.5 ppg as the team's starting center. Wilkinson finished his schooling and became a dentist instead.

Wilkinson died at his home in Cedar Hills, Utah, on May 19, 2026, at the age of 102.