Bus Whitehead

{{Short description|American basketball player}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Bus Whitehead

| image = Bus Whitehead.jpg

| image_size = 300px

| caption = Whitehead with the Phillips 66ers

| position = Center / power forward

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 9

| weight_lb = 210

| number = 14, 52

| birth_date = {{birth date|1928|1|13}}

| birth_place = Kansas City, Kansas

| nationality = American

| death_date = {{death date and age|2010|6|11|1928|1|13}}

| death_place = Lincoln, Nebraska

| high_school = Scottsbluff (Scottsbluff, Nebraska)

| college = Nebraska (1947–1950)

| draft_year = 1950

| draft_round = 7

| draft_pick = 75

| draft_team = Chicago Stags

| career_start =

| years1 = 1950–1953

| team1 = Phillips 66ers

| highlights =

• AAU All-American (1952)
• AP Honorable Mention All-American (1950)
• First-team All-Big Seven (1950)

}}

Milton Edgar "Bus" Whitehead (January 13, 1928 – June 11, 2010).{{cite web| last = | first = | title = Obituary:Whitehead, Milton E. "Bus" Jr. | work = Lincoln Journal Star | url = http://journalstar.com/lifestyles/announcements/obituaries/whitehead-milton-e-bus-jr/article_bba1a48c-fdaf-590d-9751-923efde6c556.html | accessdate = September 3, 2014}} was an American basketball player. He was an All-conference college player for the University of Nebraska and was an AAU All-American for league power Phillips 66.

Whitehead came to the Cornhuskers from Scottsbluff, Nebraska and led the Huskers to back to back Big Seven Conference titles in 1949 and 1950. In the 1948–49 season, Whitehead teamed with guard Claude Retherford as the Huskers tied Oklahoma for the Big Seven title. After Retherford's graduation, Whitehead became the focal point of the Nebraska offense for 1949–50. Averaging 15.7 points per game (then a school single-season record), Whitehead was the only unanimous member of the Big Seven all-conference first team.{{cite news|title=Bus Whitehead Unanimous Choice For All-Big Seven Cage Honors|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/64787178/?terms=|newspaper=The Lincoln Star|date=12 March 1950|page=19|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = September 3, 2014}} {{Open access}} He was also named an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press.{{cite news|title=1950 AP All-America Basketball Team|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/45711216/?terms=Ap+all-america+basketball|newspaper=The Bee|date=9 March 1950|page=28|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = September 3, 2014}} {{Open access}} Following the season, Whitehead became the first Nebraska player selected to play in the East-West college All-Star game.

After graduation, Whitehead was drafted by the Chicago Stags in the seventh round of the 1950 NBA draft. Instead, Whitehead chose to play for the Phillips 66ers of the Amateur Athletic Union and in 1952 was named an AAU All-American. After his time with the 66ers, Whitehead entered private business. He also spent a season as an assistant coach at his alma mater.

Whitehead was named to the University of Nebraska Athletic Hall of Fame and the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame. In 2011, the University of Nebraska named the court of their new practice facility the "Bus Whitehead Court," in honor of their All-American center.{{cite web| last = | first = | title = Nebraska Unveils Hendricks Training Complex | work = Scout.com | url = http://nebraska.scout.com/story/1117265-nebraska-unveils-hendricks-training-complex#/story/1117265-nebraska-unveils-hendricks-training-complex | accessdate = September 3, 2014}}

Bus Whitehead died on June 11, 2010, at his home in Lincoln, Nebraska.