Mel Hutchins, when he played for Brigham Young University. He helped lead B.Y.U. to the National Invitation Tournament championship in 1951, at a time when it rivaled the N.C.A.A. championship tournament in prestige.
Brigham Young University
Mel Hutchins, the All-American center who helped elevate Brigham Young University to the top ranks of college basketball in 1951 and became an N.B.A. All-Star and a senior member of a remarkable sports family, died on Wednesday in Encinitas, Calif. He was 90.
He had been treated for Alzheimer’s disease, his son, Matthew, said.
At 6 feet 5 inches, Hutchins was hardly a big man, but he was an outstanding rebounder, both at Brigham Young and as a professional.