Boyd Batts is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 retired professional basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 player.

Batts played center

Center (basketball)

The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...

 for the Thornridge High School

Thornridge High School

Thornridge High School is a public high school located in Dolton, Illinois. It was built as part of Thornton Township High Schools District 205. It is sometimes confused with the similar sounding schools in the same district: Thornton Township High School and Thornwood High...

. His Falcons lost only one game during his junior and senior seasons and won back-to-back state titles. The 1972 team was undefeated, with no team coming within 14 points of them.. Playing with National High School Player of the Year, Quinn Buckner

Quinn Buckner

William Quinn Buckner, commonly known as Quinn Buckner is a former American professional basketball player and coach. He played collegiately at Indiana University, and was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 7th pick of the 1976 NBA Draft...

, Batts dominated the 1971 and 1972 tournaments

Illinois high school boys basketball championship

The Illinois High School Boys Basketball Championship is a single elimination tournament held each spring. It is organized by the Illinois High School Association ....

, scoring 141 points and grabbing 98 rebounds through the eight games. In the quarterfinal game in 1972, Batts scored 34 points on 15-of-20 shooting with 18 rebounds in a win over Collinsville

Collinsville High School

Collinsville High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school in the Collinsville Community Unit School District 10. In 2011, Collinsville High School had an enrollment of 1,985 students.-Academics:...

. He then bettered that output with a 37 point (14-of-18) and 15-rebound performance in the championship game versus Quincy

Quincy Senior High School

-History:The first school dedicated to high school students in Quincy, Illinois opened in 1891 at the corner of 12th and Maine. This "Pride of the Gem City" served students until 1933 when the "new" Quincy Senior High opened at 14th and Maine in 1933. The building sits along Historic Maine Street...

. In 2007, the Illinois High School Association

Illinois High School Association

The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...

 named Batts one of the 100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament.

Post high school

Batts continued to play basketball beyond high school, attending Vincennes University

Vincennes University

Vincennes University is a public university in Vincennes, Indiana, in the United States. Founded in 1801 as Jefferson Academy, VU is the oldest public institution of higher learning in Indiana. Since 1889, VU has been a two-year university, although baccalaureate degrees in seven select areas are...

 in the 1972-73 school year. He then transferred for the 1973-74 school year to the University of Hawaii

University of Hawaii

The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...

. Finally, Batts had his most collegiate success at UNLV

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

University of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of...

. After college, Batts was a seventh-round NBA Draft pick by the New York Knicks

New York Knicks

The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...

 in the 1976 Draft

1976 NBA Draft

The 1976 NBA Draft was the 30th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 8, 1976 before the 1976–77 season. In this draft, 18 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...

. However, he only played professionally overseas.