Vince Yockel Passes Away

CLEMSON, SC – Vince Yockel, Clemson’s first first-team All-ACC basketball player, died at his home in Greenwood Wednesday evening at the age of 77.

Yockel was a Clemson basketball star under Press Maravich from the 1955-56 season through the 1957-58 campaign. In his three years on the varsity (freshmen were not eligible in those years), he scored 18.2 points per game in 74 contests. That scoring average is still third best in Clemson history on a per game basis.

Yockel, who came to Clemson from Jersey City, NJ, averaged 20.9 points per game as a sophomore in 1955-56, and is still one of just five players in Clemson history to average at least 20 points per game for a season. He led the Tigers in scoring all three of his seasons on the varsity.

In 1957-58, Yockel joined four other players from the New York Metropolitan area to form the first-team All-ACC squad. He averaged 13.8 points per game that year, ironically the low average of his career, but he led the Tigers in many other categories, including defense.

For his career, Yockel had 32 games with at last 20 points, still fourth most in Clemson history. One of his greatest games came at Wake Forest in his senior year when he scored 30 points and led the Tigers to their first ACC road win.

The three-year starter was named to the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982.

Yockel went into the Textile Industry after graduating from Clemson and he remained in the upstate of South Carolina. He played in the Textile League for many years. He and his wife raised five children, and all five are Clemson graduates. Each of those children have at least on child that is a Clemson graduate as well.

Funeral Arrangements:A memorial service will be held at Greenwood Blyth Funeral Home Chapel, 1425 Montague Avenue on August 13, 2013 at 2 p.m.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Hospice Care of the Piedmont, 408 West Alexander Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646.