Willie Vernon Murrell (September 13, 1941 – December 6, 2018) was an American professional basketball player. Murrell was born in Taft, Oklahoma. A 6'6" forward, he played at Kansas State University from 1962 to 1964. He averaged 20.6 points and 10.7 rebounds per game during his time at Kansas State and was a 1964 All-American AP Honorable Mention. In 1964, he led Kansas State to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. The team was eliminated by UCLA, despite a 29-point, 13-rebound effort from Murrell. In 2009, Murrell's No. 44 jersey was retired by Kansas State. After college, Murrell played three seasons in the American Basketball Association as a member of the Denver Rockets, Miami Floridians, and Kentucky Colonels. He averaged 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds in 228 ABA games. Murrell died on December 6, 2018, at age 77 in Denver, Colorado.