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Joe Reiff

1911 – 1988

American basketball player

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About Joe Reiff

Lived 1911 – 1988 (aged 76). Joe Reiff was an American basketball player.

Joseph Reiff (June 5, 1911 – February 9, 1988) was an American basketball player and referee. He was a three-time All-American center at Northwestern University.

Reiff, a 6'3 (1.91 m) center from Crane Technical High School in Chicago, chose to attend nearby Northwestern University and play for Hall of Fame coach Dutch Lonborg. Reiff led the Wildcats to a Western Conference championship in his sophomore year. Reiff led the league in scoring with a 10.0 average. Northwestern finished 13-1 (11-1 in league play) and would later be retroactively named 1931 National Champions by the Helms Athletic Foundation and Reiff was named a consensus All-American.

In his junior year, Reiff finished second in the conference in scoring to Purdue senior John Wooden. In his senior year, Reiff again led Northwestern to a conference title and led the league in scoring for a second time at 14.0 points per game. He was once again named a consensus All-American

After graduating from Northwestern, Reiff played for Rosenberg-Avery of Chicago in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and was named to the All-AAU team. He then became a basketball referee in the Western Conference from 1937-1947.

Joe Reiff was a charter inductee into the Northwestern athletics Hall of Fame, elected in 1984.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
Crane High School, Northwestern University
Awards
1933 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans; AAU Men's Basketball All-Americans; College Humor (magazine); Helms Athletic Foundation; NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
Also known as
Joseph Reiff

People in Joe Reiff's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Joe Reiff's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Joe Reiff?

American basketball player (1911-1988)

When was Joe Reiff born?

Joe Reiff was born on 5 June 1911 in Muskogee.

When did Joe Reiff die?

Joe Reiff died on 9 February 1988.

What was Joe Reiff's occupation?

Joe Reiff was a basketball player.

What nationality was Joe Reiff?

Joe Reiff was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Joe Reiff

· Wikidata: Q6211980

· DBpedia: Joe Reiff

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Joe Reiff. https://biography.guide/joe-reiff/

MLA: "Joe Reiff." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/joe-reiff/.

Chicago: "Joe Reiff." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/joe-reiff/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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