Don Meineke

Who was Don Meineke?

Don "Monk" Meineke was an American professional basketball player.

Meineke averaged 20.6 points as a junior for the Dayton Flyers, helping lead the team to an NIT runner-up finish in 1951. He averaged 21.1 points per game as a senior and led the team to another second-place finish in the NIT in 1952. Meineke was an AP second-team All-American selection after his senior year.

Meineke received the National Basketball Association's first Rookie of the Year Award after the 1952-53 NBA season while playing for the Fort Wayne Pistons. Meineke led the league in personal fouls and disqualifications the same season. The 26 disqualifications he had in his first year is still the NBA single-season record. His 334 personal fouls in only 68 games gave him an average of more than 4.9 fouls per game.

Meineke played for the Rochester Royals in the 1955-56 season, and after sitting out the 1956-57 season, rejoined the relocated Cincinnati Royals in 1957-58.