Benedict Jay Poquette (born May 7, 1955) is an American former basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he graduated from East Lansing High School and Central Michigan University. He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round (36th pick overall) of the 1977 NBA draft, and played for them from 197879. He also played for the Utah Jazz in 198083, the Cleveland Cavaliers in 198487, and the Chicago Bulls in 1987 (his last season in the NBA).

Ben Poquette
Personal information
Born (1955-05-07) May 7, 1955 (age 69)
Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High schoolEast Lansing
(East Lansing, Michigan)
CollegeCentral Michigan (1973–1977)
NBA draft1977: 2nd round, 36th overall pick
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Playing career1977–1990
PositionPower forward
Number50
Career history
19771979Detroit Pistons
19791983Utah Jazz
19831987Cleveland Cavaliers
1987Chicago Bulls
1987–1989Irge Desio
1989–1990S. Bennedetto Gorizia
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points4,899 (6.8 ppg)
Rebounds3,371 (5.2 rpg)
Blocks794 (1.1 bpg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

His best seasons in the league occurred while playing for the Utah Jazz. The Jazz franchise had just arrived in Salt Lake City in 1979 after five mostly unsuccessful seasons in New Orleans. The team was thin up front, having traded away top big men Rich Kelley, Spencer Haywood, Joe C. Meriweather, and Truck Robinson in the previous two seasons. Despite being relatively undersized at 6'9" and 235 pounds, Poquette was tasked with replacing the 7'0" Kelley at center. Poquette posted modest averages of 9.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in his four seasons with Jazz, but excelled at shot-blocking, setting franchise records for most blocks in a career (517 in 321 games) and single season (174 in 1980–81). Notably, Poquette also had the somewhat dubious distinction of leading the NBA in personal fouls during that 1980–81 season, with 342 total fouls committed.

See also

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