Connie Dierking

Conrad William Dierking (October 2, 1936 – December 29, 2013) was an American professional basketball player whose career spanned 1958 to 1971. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he grew up on Long Island, where he starred in basketball for Central High School in Valley Stream, New York.

A 6'9" center, Dierking attended the University of Cincinnati, where he set the Bearcats' single-season record of 18.8 rebounds per game, a mark that still stands, as well as the single-game record of 33 rebounds. He led the team in scoring in 1956–57 at 18.5 points per game, and in 1957–58 he averaged a double-double of 15.8 points and 14.9 rebounds per game, leading the Bearcats to the Missouri Valley Conference championship. His teammates included Oscar Robertson. Dierking was named second-team All-American by the Newspaper Enterprise Association.

He was selected in the first round of the 1958 NBA draft as the fifth overall pick by the Syracuse Nationals. He was named to the University of Cincinnati's James P. Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame in 1986.