The Dennis Rodman of his era, Bill Bridges owned the backboards during his Kansas University men’s basketball career.

“He was exceptional — for his size one of the best rebounders in the game,” former KU assistant coach Jerry Waugh said of the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Bridges.

Bridges’ jersey No. 32 will be hung in the south end zone of Allen Fieldhouse at halftime of tonight’s KU-TCU game.

“There was a lot of Bill in Dennis Rodman,” Waugh added, referring to the recent NBA rebound standout who won titles with Chicago and Detroit. “I don’t know how many Bill had, but he got his rebounds the hard way. He worked for every one. Not many just fell in his hands.”

Bridges, who played at KU from 1958 to ’61, is the fourth-leading rebounder in school history with 1,081. He grabbed 30 rebounds against Northwestern in 1960 for the third-leading single-game total in Jayhawk history. Only NBA Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain had more boards in a game — 36 against Iowa State in 1958 and 31 versus Northwestern in 1957.

“I maintain there’s nothing you can do to create that kind of player. It’s an art form,” Bridges said. “You learn to anticipate situations and make it happen. You’ve got to want it.”

Bridges was just as productive during a 13-year career in pro basketball.

“Bill was simply a tremendous rebounder,” said former KU head coach Ted Owens. “I taught rebounding based on what I saw from Bill. He moved before he jumped. He was a quiet leader, a terrific player.”

Bridges was so scrappy he often frustrated 7-footer Chamberlain at practice.

Former Kansas University men's basketball standout Bill Bridges will have his jersey hung in the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse at halftime of tonight's KU game against TCU.

“Bill was on the freshman squad,” Waugh said, “and they practiced against the varsity. Bill would back Wilt off the block. One day Bill got a little too aggressive. Wilt was tired of a freshman pushing him around, put his arms around him and just picked him up off the ground.

“It was humorous but was Wilt sending a message, too.”

Bridges remembers.

“I was that little gnat, a nuisance to Wilt,” Bridges said. “Even in the pro ranks … he was like the big brother coming after me. One day I took an elbow from him when I was playing for Atlanta and he was playing for Philadelphia, and he knocked out all my front teeth.”

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Bridges, a native of Hobbs, N.M., was the first Big Eight Conference player to score 1,000-plus points and grab 1,000-plus rebounds. He was a three-time All-Big Eight selection and earned All-America honors in 1961.

He grabbed 1,000 rebounds despite playing in only 78 games, recording an amazing 13.9 rebounds per game during a three-year career. The Bill Bridges award annually goes to KU’s leading rebounder.

“The biggest honor I could have,” Bridges said, “is the honor bestowed on me in 1962 when they named the rebounding award after me. I’ve always felt humbled and honored by that. It’s still there after all these years.”