Don Barbush of Palmyra, Class of 1957, was a four year letterman in basketball. A 5-9 guard, Barbush was only the second Shippensburg player in history to score 1,000 or more points in career. He finished with 1,033 points.
A native of Harrisburg, Barbush’s best season was his senior campaign in 1957. He led the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in scoring with 18.5 points per game. Leading the Red Raiders to a 12-8 record, he scored in double figures 19 times in 20 games and tallied 369 points. He scored 20 or more points 10 times with a career high of 30 points in an 83-69 win over Kutztown. He also was ranked among the nation’s leading foul shooters.
At the time, the 12 wins was a new Shippensburg team record for victories in a season and it was the first winning season in six years for the Red Raiders. Barbush was voted second team All-PSAC. Shippensburg finished fourth in the overall conference standings that year, which included all 14 teams.
Barbush lettered as a reserve his freshman year in 1954. He averaged 8.6 points per game. The team was 8-12 and finished sixth in the conference. One of the losses was to national powerhouse St. Francis (Pa.) led by All-American Maurice Stokes. The following year Barbush averaged 7.6 points per game while Shippensburg ended up 8-13.
In 1956 Barbush received honorable mention in the voting for All-PSAC. He was the only Shippensburg player to receive any votes. The 14 coaches voted for first, second and third teams, and honorable mention. Shippensburg finished the year with a 9-12 record and Barbush averaged 15.9 points per game. He was the fourth leading scorer in the conference. In 12 PSAC games he scored 207 points for an average of 17.3. Overall he tallied 333 points in 21 games and Shippensburg finished 10th in the league that year.
Following graduation Barbush entered the teaching profession and he retired in 1988 from the Lower Dauphin School District. Upon his retirement from public education he became Director of Children’s Home, Masonic Homes in Elizabethtown from which he retired again in 1995.
