The Woodward Alumni Hall of Fame Association
Howard "Butch" Komives Inducted 1994 - Class of 1960
Before there was Macomber's Jimmy Jackson, there was Howard "Butch" Komives. This Woodward all-star was the king of the court in the late 1950s. He is also recognized as the finest basketball player in Toledo history.
Butch attended Lagrange Elementary School and Parkland Junior High School.
In 1956, Butch started his freshman year at Woodward and promptly joined the junior varsity basketball team. Later that season, he was elevated to varsity status for the final six games.
During his sophomore year, Butch automatically earned a varsity position. Butch was top scorer in the city league, averaging more than 19 points per game. That year, he played his highest scoring game. Although Butch shot 52 points, Woodward still lost the game to the Waite Indians. That shows the caliber of talent Butch was up against in those days!
As a senior at W.H.S., Butch served as floor captain while achieving the honor of scoring leader. He was the driving force that paved the way for Woodward to share the City League Championship with Scott High School that year.
For three years, Butch was named All -City during his high school career. The Woodward star was the first player in Toledo's city league history to achieve this distinction.
Following his graduation from W.H.S. in 1960, Butch attended Bowling Green State University where he played varsity hoops as a freshman.
For Butch, his junior year marked a record achievement at BGSU. The varsity hoopsters advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, the Falcons lost at Michigan State in East Lansing.
Things, however, were definitely looking up for Butch. He was leading scorer for the Falcons his senior year. The Woodward alumnus also lead the country in scoring with an average of 36.7 points per game!
That same year, he was selected third team All-American.
During the spring of 1964, Butch graduated from BGSU and was invited to the Olympic try-out camp at New York City's Flushing Meadows.(Ironically, former Woodward Assistant Principal and Ohio University basketball star was also trying out for the team that year.)
Drafted by the New York Knicks in 1964, Butch played with the team until his contract was picked up by Detroit in 1970. He played for the Motor City team for a few years and ended his NBA career at St. Louis.
In 1975, Butch purchased a Wendy's franchise in Boulder, Colorado, and managed stores there until moving back to Toledo. Returning to his hometown, Butch became a well-known restaurateur here, too.
In honor of his accomplishments on the court, Butch was inducted into the Toledo City League and Bowling Green State University Halls of Fame.
Today, he still holds many BGSU scoring records. Butch is one of only four players in Bowling Green's history to be a three-time Mid-American conference first team All-League selection.
Married to Marcia, Butch currently sells insurance in the Toledo area. His son, Shane, is a member of the 1993-1994 Bowling Green State University Basketball Team.