
- Name
- George Critz
- Position
- Forward
- Class
- SR
- Hometown (Last School)
- Bellbrook, OH (Sugar Creek)
- Ht
- 6'3"
- Wt
- 194
- Seasons
- 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64
- Birthday
- November 13, 1942
George Critz, pronounced CRY-ts, played forward for the University of Kentucky Wildcats basketball team during the early 1960s. Standing at 6’3″ and weighing 194 pounds, he was part of a talented roster under the legendary coach Adolph Rupp.
Critz was born George Andrew Critz on November 13, 1942, to Velma Ruth Andrews and John Paul Critz. His father, John, was a mechanical engineer at Wright Patterson Air Force Base.
Critz was a virtual unknown hailing from the small community of Beelbrook, Ohio, near Dayton, but impressed Kentucky scouts with his hustle on the court and scoring potential. Although the 6-4 Ohioan achieved only honorable mention on the All-State team during four years as a forward-center at Sugar Creek High, his 1,600 points indicated a good chance for
development. Critz had a single game high of 50 points in his senior year. He also took part in track and baseball. His father was a mechanical engineer in Bellbrook
As a freshman, Critz averaged 7.9 points per game and played in all 18 games—14 of them as a starter. He excelled as a rebounder, with 131 grabs off the boards, which ranked him third in this department.
The road to regular duty with a team of Kentucky’s calibre is a difficult one to traverse and Critz is found the going rough. Nobody realized better than Critz himself that he had a long way to go and he did a good job of trying to prepare himself to be a dependable basketball player.
As a sophomore, Critz saw only the briefest of action—a little over six minutes in two games—and managed to pick up just two points and haul down an equal number of rebounds.
As a junior, Critz saw action in only one game, playing two minutes and scoring 2 points. He was always a willing worker who tried hard to improve himself.
Just prior to his senior year, Critz got married to Doris Ann Barnett of Bellbrook. They were married on August 15, 1964 at Bellbrook Methodist church.
As a senior, Critz managed to find himself in Rupp’s doghouse when he and three men from Lexington were charged with disorderly conduct and loitering then released on a $500 bond in Louisville for selling $1.50 tickets to the Kentucky-Notre Dame game at Freedom Hall for $5.00. He was disciplined and suspended for two games. He played in one game during the season.
Though not a high scorer, he contributed to Kentucky’s successful seasons during his tenure. After college, he transitioned into a career in education and became a high school principal in Columbia, Kentucky.
