Hall of Fame
Bill Warden's talent on the court was so impressive that he was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers after he graduated.
As a Cardinal, he finished as the record holder for most points in a career (2,249), most points in a season (689), most points in a game (52), most field goal attempts in a season (533), most field goals in a career (847), most field goals in a season (254), most free throws in a career (555), highest career scoring average (28.5) and highest single-season scoring average (32.8).
Warden was a unanimous First Team All-College Conference of Illinois (CCI) selection all four years at North Central, making him the first and only Cardinal to be so honored. He was also selected to the Helms Athletic Foundation NAIA All-America First Team as a junior in 1953-54.
He was the first player in NAIA history to average more than 30 points per game in two consecutive seasons and his scoring average of 34.7 points per game as a senior led the nation.
After two years in the Army, he chose to play in the National Industrial Basketball League with Caterpillar Tractor Co., which had a management program that interested him. At heart, however, he wanted to teach and coach. In 1960, he earned a master's degree in guidance and counseling from Bradley University and then moved on to Morgan Park High School on Chicago's South Side, where he spent 20 years coaching and teaching physical education. The high point of his Morgan Park career came in 1976 when his team won the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) State Championship.
In 1981, Warden returned to North Central to head the men's basketball program. In his 16 years as head coach at the College, Warden won more than 200 games and led his teams to four National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III playoff appearances and three College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Championships.
