Ron Thorsen

Ronald Albert Thorsen (13 April 1948 – 1 December 2005) was a Canadian basketball player and coach. Among his many accomplishments, he was captain of the Canada men's national basketball team in the 1970s; was a three-time Canadian university ("CIAU") First Team All-Canadian; broke multiple CIAU and University of British Columbia ("UBC") scoring records; is the only UBC player to be drafted in the NBA; and was a three-time CIAU national champion, twice as a player (1970, 1972) and once while coaching the UBC women's team.

High school Thorsen played at the high school level in Prince George, BC. Only 17 other athletes in Canadian university basketball history were three-time First Team All-Canadians.

In the 1969–70 season, Thorsen set the UBC records for most points in a single game (48), highest season points per game (20.3) and most total season points (650). Thorsen was also named the BC University Athlete of the year in 1972. In 1971, he was the only unanimous conference all-star. These are the only national championships in program history.

The Thunderbirds also won the conference championship in 1970 and 1972 and were the conference championship runner-up in 1971. Thorsen is the only UBC player to be drafted in the NBA. His highest-scoring game in this tournament occurred against Australia when he led all scorers with 26 points. He was also Canada's second leading scorer in their games against Korea and Panama, where he scored 18 and 13 points, respectively. Additionally, in the 1972 Pre-Olympic Tournament, he was again Canada's third-leading scorer.

Coaching career Thorsen coached the UBC women's basketball team in the '70s, where he led the team to win the national championship in 1973. He also coached and taught in British Columbia in the years preceding his death.

Post-career recognition Thorsen has been inducted into the Canada West Hall of Fame (2022), the Basketball BC Hall of Fame (2006), the UBC Sports Hall of Fame (in its inaugural 1993 class) and into the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame (1999).

Personal life / death Thorsen was born in Hollister, California and raised in San Jose, California. Thorsen moved to Prince George, BC in 1965 after his father elected to spend his retirement there. Thorsen earned bachelor's and master's degrees in physical education.

Thorsen died in early December 2005 at the age of 56.