During his four-year basketball career at Hampden-Sydney, Balas annually earned all-state recognition and was the team catalyst during one of the most successful periods in H-SC basketball history.
In February 1949, the Richmond Times-Dispatch wrote, "Bill Balas has done the most in recent years to get Hampden-Sydney College a prominent place in the Old Dominion court picture."Â Balas was also called "the Barrymore of the Backboards" because of his good looks and thespian tactics on the court.
A four-time all-state basketball selection, Balas brought his one-hand shot from Pennsylvania to the South in the fall of 1945 and immediately made an impact on Tiger basketball.
As a freshman, he was the state scoring champion with 340 points. The following season, he earned second team all-state honors as the Tigers posted a 14-6 record and claimed the Virginia State Championship. As a senior, Balas was co-captain and leading scorer on a record-setting team. Under legendary coach George "Gummy" Proctor, the Tigers' 22-3 season record earned the Mason-Dixon championship, with numerous impressive victories, including two wins each over Virginia Tech, Richmond and Randolph-Macon. The 22-3 record posted by the 1948-49 team stood for 43 years before being broken in 1992; their .880 winning percentage stood as the school record until the 1994-95 season.
Originally from McKeesport, Pennsylvania, Balas is now retired and lives with his wife, Mary Jo, in Salem, South Carolina.
