Bio

The Associated Press began publishing all-state basketball teams in March of 1957 so Dibelius missed out on that accolade by a year. But he didn't miss out on many more honors as he is regarded by many as one of the best to ever come out of the Neenah/Menasha area. A 6-foot-1 playmaker with a great shot and quickness with the ball in his hands, Dibelius scored a whopping 1,863 points during an era when reaching 1,000 was considered highly unusual. He helped St. Mary Catholic to a 77-17 record during his four years of playing for legendary coach Ralph McClone, including Catholic-school state titles in 1953 and 1955. A four-time all-Catholic tournament selection, Dibelius scored 31 points as a freshman in a 71-61 upset of Milwaukee Don Bosco in the semifinals of the state event held at St. Norbert College. He then had 18 points in a 69-67 victory over Superior Cathedral in the title game. Cathedral's squad that year was led by forward Dave Tucker, a WBCA Hall of Fame member who went on to star at Minnesota. Dibelius scored a career-high 76 points against Columbus as a senior, making 33 of 39 shots from the floor and 10 of 13 free throws. He also had 17 rebounds in the 118-30 romp victory. The 76 points scored is the second-highest single-game scoring spree in state history, trailing just the 88 points Aaron Ritchay put up for Mellen in 1917. Dibelius accepted a scholarship to play basketball at Marquette and scored 29 points in his first varsity contest, a 100-90 loss at Illinois. He averaged 14.0 ppg for coach Jack Nagle at Marquette. Also an accomplished baseball player, Dibelius agreed to a $20,000 signing bonus to join the Washington Senators organization in the summer of 1958. His career at Marquette was over due to NCAA rules, but he was able to play two seasons at NAIA UW-Oshkosh, where he led the team in scoring twice. Dibelius was drafted in the 10th round by the New York Knicks in 1961, but never reported to camp and then spent the rest of his working career in collegiate athletics. 

Dibelius was inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2007.