Jestor Posted February 25, 2011 Author Share Posted February 25, 2011 1955 OVERALL AWARDS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Player of the Year: SR PF Henry Wolff Wake Forest 20.6 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 1.5 APG 0.5 SPG, 3.0 BPG Freshman of the Year: FR SG John Bartley Southern California 14.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.8 APG 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG Coach of the Year: Efren Bazemore Niagara 29 - 6 (8 - 4) All-league 1st Team: C JR Joe Newkirk Niagara 15.7 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.3 SPG, 2.9 BPG PF SR Henry Wolff Wake Forest 20.6 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.5 SPG, 3.0 BPG SF SR Gino Rickman Harvard 22.6 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.5 BPG SG SR Clarence Witter Indiana 26.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.1 BPG PG JR Delbert Nick Wake Forest 17.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG All-league 2nd Team: C JR Manual Crawford Wake Forest 13.7 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 2.6 BPG PF SR Rodger Gee Furman 8.9 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 4.1 BPG SF JR Terry Jack Citadel 20.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG SG SR Frankie Baker Southern Methodist 17.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 2.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG PG JR Joshua Casarez Southern California 14.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 6.5 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG All-league 3rd Team: C JR Joshua Setser Loyola-Maryland 16.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 2.2 BPG PF SR Seth Templeton Akron 14.0 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.4 SPG, 2.4 BPG SF SR Sean Salters Wake Forest 12.9 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG SG JR Arthur Neel Richmond 24.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG PG JR Fritz Anderson Mississippi 12.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 6.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG All-freshman Team: C FR Jerald Coughlin Denver 14.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.1 BPG PF FR Justin Obannon West Virginia 12.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG SF FR Bert Hopkins Navy 16.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG SG FR John Bartley Southern California 14.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG PG FR Granville Lederman North Carolina 16.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG "Just when I'm starting to really like you, you go away." So it was with Henry Wolff, who'd won the hearts of the nation his last two years of play. At the time of his graduation, Wolff was #5 in all-time points scored, and the all-time #1 in rebounds, blocks and field goals made. And yet, despite all his heroics, Wake Forest was twice denied the title after making it to the Final Four in consecutive years. 1955 Recruiting Rankings # Team Conference Best Player Rtg 5* 4* 3* 2* 1* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Montana PCC PF Brian Priest ***** 5 0 0 0 0 2. Loyola-IL Great Lakes SF Thomas Putman ***** 1 3 0 0 0 3. Southern Methodist SWC PG Gervasio Marin ***** 1 2 1 2 0 4. Rice SWC SF Brian Murray ***** 3 0 0 0 0 5. Duquesne Whig SF Wally Moye ***** 1 2 0 2 0 6. Virginia Tech Southern C Charles Steffens **** 0 4 2 0 0 7. Valparaiso Great Lakes PF Lonnie Gonzalez **** 0 4 0 0 0 8. Idaho PCC PF William Oney ***** 2 0 1 0 1 9. UCLA PCC SF Wade Falco ***** 1 1 2 1 0 10. Southern California PCC SF Jeff Bugg **** 0 4 0 0 0 11. Furman Southern Stars PG Colton Dipietro **** 0 4 1 0 0 12. William & Mary Whig C Robert Head ***** 1 1 2 0 0 13. Richmond Southern Stars SF Aaron Cartier **** 0 3 1 1 0 14. Wake Forest Southern Stars C Justin McGlothlin **** 0 3 0 0 0 15. San Francisco PCC C Herbert Rickman ***** 2 0 0 2 0 16. Georgetown Whig C Gregory Evans ***** 1 2 1 0 0 17. Loyola-Maryland Independent C Mark Ford **** 0 4 0 0 0 18. Stanford PCC SG Charles Penton **** 0 2 3 0 0 19. Marquette Great Lakes PG Sherwood Demoss ***** 1 1 1 0 0 20. South Carolina Southern PG Sheldon McClure **** 0 3 0 1 0 21. Niagara Great Lakes SG Gerald Peters ***** 1 1 1 0 0 22. Dayton Great Lakes SG Leland Armendariz **** 0 2 0 0 0 23. Lafayette Whig PG John Maes ***** 1 1 0 0 0 24. DePaul Great Lakes C Joseph Alfaro **** 0 2 1 0 2 25. Baylor SWC SF Dan Emmett **** 0 2 1 0 0 Yes, you're reading that right. Montana had five 5* recruits in its class. The Grizzlies truly were the royalty of the NCAA's earliest years and the only two-time champions looked well poised to continue their dominance. Four Whig schools in the Top 25 classes testified that the conference had indeed earned its high ranking. 1 Brian Priest PF 6-7 Montana Pacific Coast Conference 2 Cole Gibson SG 6-4 Montana Pacific Coast Conference 3 Ron Kelley PG 6-0 Montana Pacific Coast Conference 4 Wally Moye SF 6-7 Duquesne Whig Conference 5 Thomas Putman SF 6-6 Loyola-IL Great Lakes Conference 6 Gervasio Marin PG 6-2 Southern Methodist Southwest Conference 7 Brian Murray SF 6-5 Rice Southwest Conference 8 William Oney PF 6-5 Idaho Pacific Coast Conference 9 Vern Lamb SG 6-5 Boston University North Star League 10 Scott Frick SG 6-3 11 Theodore Hackett SG 6-4 12 Herbert Rickman C 6-7 San Francisco Pacific Coast Conference 13 Robert Head C 6-8 William & Mary Whig Conference 14 John Maes PG 6-0 Lafayette Whig Conference 15 Wade Falco SF 6-5 UCLA Pacific Coast Conference 16 Ivan Renteria SG 5-11 Montana Pacific Coast Conference 17 Felipe Mora PF 6-10 Rice Southwest Conference 18 Kristopher Maurer PG 5-11 Rice Southwest Conference 19 Perry Mojica PF 6-5 20 Gerald Peters SG 6-3 Niagara Great Lakes Conference 21 Sherwood Demoss PG 6-0 Marquette Great Lakes Conference 22 Terrence Broadwater SF 6-7 Idaho Pacific Coast Conference 23 Gregory Evans C 6-11 Georgetown Whig Conference 24 Ismael Neuman PF 6-10 Montana Pacific Coast Conference 25 Garret Becker PF 6-9 San Francisco Pacific Coast Conference All three of the Top 3 players committed to Montana and all five of the Grizzlies' recruits were in the Top 25 players. People called it the single greatest class they'd ever seen and expectations were high for the Fearsome Five. 1956 Conference Movement New Schools Fresno State Memphis Morehead State Pepperdine St. Francis (PA) Tennessee Tech How ironic that the year after the Steel dissolved, another Pennsylvania school came on to the scene who might have saved the conference from being disbanded. Yet, even despite the Steel's failure and even with the poor quality of the Empire Conference, Morehead State, Memphis, and Tennessee Tech's entry into Division I caused a rift in the Ohio Valley. Namely, the Kentucky and Tennessee schools wanted to break away to form their own conference to cut down on travel costs to Ohio and Pennsylvania. With three of the new schools already in agreement to the plan, Eastern Kentucky, Louisville, Murray State, and Western Kentucky all formally left the Ohio Valley, forming the Bluegrass Conference with the new Kentucky/Tennessee schools. Bluegrass Conference Eastern Kentucky Louisville Memphis Morehead State Murray State Tennessee Tech Western Kentucky This left the Ohio Valley with considerable problems and they struck back by suing the NCAA to deny the new conference an automatic bid, arguing that with four 0 prestige schools (Murray State being the fourth), it would simply be an artificial inflation for the already established schools. After a short debate, and thanks largely to the Sun West precedent established a few years before, the NCAA agreed to the OVC's proposal. This, however, did not stop the Bluegrass from forming. Now left with just five teams, the Ohio Valley had to find schools to replace the defectors. Fortunately, St. Francis (PA) fit the Pennsylvania/Ohio main orientation, so they were invited to join, with a natural immediate acceptance. However, the OVC still wanted a seventh member to ensure long-term survival. Fortunately, Toledo, tired of being the laughingstock of the MAC, was more than happy to change conference allegiances to one where they had a chance of at least being a midtier team. Far less certain were the placements of Pepperdine and Fresno State. Western expansion had traditionally been a problem for the NCAA and while dumping them in the bidless Sun West was always an option, the recent trend to new conferences was far more appealing for all involved, particularly the Sun West, which wanted to get its automatic bid status back. Furthermore, the high travel costs associated with the Sun West, with its extreme north/south ranges also played into it, much as the Bluegrass's creation did. After all, this wasn't the Pacific Coast, long the lords of the college hoops scene. And so a second split occurred. Idaho State, Montana State, Pacific, and Portland all left the Sun West and took on Fresno State and Pepperdine. They also extended invitations to independents San Jose State, Gonzaga, Santa Clara and Washington State to join the new conference, in hopes that those schools would be enough to earn autobid status. Meanwhile, the Sun West's remaining teams of Houston, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Northern Arizona, Texas Tech, and UTEP offered an invite bid to independent St. Mary. Gonzaga and San Jose State happily accepted their offers from the as yet unnamed conference, while Washington State and Santa Clara held out to debate the issue at some length. St. Mary's looked at the Sun West profile and immediately rejected the offer. And then a strange thing happened. Washington State and Santa Clara went to Gonzaga and San Jose State and argued that the four of them should be the leaders in starting a new conference and, in the words of Washington State's president, "not have to rely on those dogs from the Sun West, except those mongrels we choose." Wazzou, it must be remembered, was still very bitter over its ejection from the Pacific Coast. The Bulldogs and Spartans, thrilled with this sudden turn of events, quickly agreed. After careful consideration, the Northwest Four, as they took to calling themselves, agreed on Idaho State and Montana State for their fifth and sixth schools, only to find that the Bengals and Bobcats were resistant to being a new conference's whipping boys. This stalemate was finally broken by an unexpected source. Oregon, tired of Pacific Coast mediocrity, and Washington, wanting to be reunited with Washington State, contacted the Northwest Four about joining the new venture. All sides quickly agreed and they were particularly happy in the state of Washington to revive the rivalry. Now with six schools on the dotted line, there was still just one more member to be found. An invitation was extended to Saint Mary's, but the Pacific Coast, catching wind of the defections, beat the Northwest group to the punch, and the Gaels gleefully accepted the PCC invite. The group then applied to Idaho, arguing that the new conference would likely qualify for a 4 prestige ranking and it'd mean a much more regionally centered alliance for the Vandals, while still holding a multi-state footprint. The offer set off a furious controversy in the state of Idaho. The school had, after all, been a part of the Pacific Coast from the very beginning and they were adverse to moving to a lower stature conference, however slight, even if it meant a more regular appearance in the NCAA tournament. On the other hand, even with three NCAA appearances in the first eight years, Idaho was largely considered a mid-level Pacific Coast team, with little chance of ever becoming one of the elite teams. It was this latter reality that finally swayed Idaho into agreement and just like that, a second new conference was born. Considerable argument arose over whether to call the new league the rather vanilla Northwest Conference or the seemingly Washington-centric Evergreen Conference. A third option arose, the Pacific Northwest, and that ultimately won the day, with the amendment of calling themselves a League rather than a Conference, for, as the minutes of one meeting read, "We are Leagued against the PCC, so we shall be the PNL." Pacific Northwest Gonzaga Idaho Oregon San Jose State Santa Clara Washington Washington State Imagine then, the conference's shock and dismay when the NCAA awarded the new league with a 3 prestige ranking. But it was too late to back out now; everyone was committed to the venture. The upshot of all this in terms of the Independents was that now only Loyola-Maryland, Pepperdine, and Fresno State were unaffiliated. Fortunately for the new schools, the Sun West took them in, leaving the Greyhounds the lone, proud school to be independent. Conference Changes Since 1948 Steel Conference (1948-1954) Whig Conference (1955- Bluegrass Conference (1956- Pacific Northwest League (1956- Idaho Pacific Coast (1948-1955) Pacific Northwest (1956- Gonzaga Independent (1953-1955) Pacific Northwest League (1956- Oregon Pacific Coast (1948-1955) Pacific Northwest (1956- Saint Mary's Sun West (1948-1950) Independent (1951-1955) Pacific Coast (1956- San Jose State Independent (1953-1955) Pacific Northwest League (1956- Santa Clara Sun West (1948-1953) Independent (1954-1955) Pacific Northwest (1956- Washington Pacific Coast (1948-1955) Pacific Northwest (1956- Washington State Pacific Coast (1948-1950) Independent (1951-1955) Pacific Northwest (1956- Saint Mary's, Santa Clara, and Washington State joined Georgetown and William & Mary as the only schools to change conference memberships three times. What's interesting to note is that the founding members of the PNL almost all originally came from either the PCC or the Sun West. Yet more reason for the Sun West to hate what the NCAA did to it so many years ago. Even though the originally planned division of the Sun West didn't occur, at the end of the day, they could say that unlike the Steel, they had at least survived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jestor Posted February 26, 2011 Author Share Posted February 26, 2011 1956 Coaching Changes 15 coaches were fired before the 1956 season and as usual a few coaches retired, but no retirement was more notable than Wake Forest's Julius Durfee. In five seasons at Wake Forest, he built the Demon Deacons into a national powerhouse and between those years at Wake and three years at South Carolina, he had three Final Four teams, a feat exceeded by only Rice's Brian Hill. His 201 victories ranked third at the time of his retirement, behind only Hill (225) and Montana's Mack Halbert (215). As one person would later put it, "Julius *was* Mid-Atlantic basketball in his eight seasons." Durfee, 61 at retirement, also had the most ever All-Americans with 8 and was third winning percentage at 73.6% with a 201-72 career mark, three conference championships (2 Southern Stars, 1 Southern), three conference coach of the year awards (2 Southern Stars, 1 Southern), as well as the first ever National Coach of the Year, won when he guided South Carolina to the Final Four in the NCAA's first year of existence. And now the head coach switches. Chadwick Braxton - Idaho State to Indiana Part of the fallout of the Sun West's failure to split was the Bengals' loss of Braxton, who'd made Idaho State one of the better Sun West teams. A 43 year old Wisconsin native, Braxton jumped at the chance to go back to the Midwest and try to keep the Hoosiers' streak of two straight NCAA appearances going as well as try to lead them to the second weekend for the first time since 1950. Ronald Mayne - Idaho to Akron A stunning coup by the Zips, stealing away the Vandals' head coach after the move to the PNL. Mayne had a losing career record, but three NCAA appearances in his eight years in Idaho. Akron was unquestionably the Great Lakes' doormat, having never made the NCAA tournament and with a school record of 12 wins the previous year. A difficult challenge for Mayne, but he relished the idea of being able to make himself a legend. Jeromy Crowson - Bowling Green Special note here. Crowson was one of those terrible former Akron head coaches, yet despite a 19-71 overall career record, his work as an assistant with the Montana Grizzlies landed him back to the head coaching ranks with the Falcons. Crowson became the first former head coach to find a new head coaching spot after a period as an assistant. Bowling Green was a good team in the early '50s, having made it to the Sweet 16 and Elite, but were now quite awful. Jeramy Black - Indiana to Cincinnati Four NCAA appearances, including a Sweet 16 appearance and three bids in the last four seasons, with 20+ win records to show for them, made this hire an excellent one for the Bearcats. Although they'd had a couple tournament bids since their run to the national championship final in 1950, both were quick first round exits. Lewis Hoke - Rutgers to Detroit Hoke had four NCAA bids in eight years with the Scarlet Knights and turned them into one of the Empire's best teams. An interesting hire by the Titans, who were seeking to develop more regular NCAA appearances. In all, four MAC teams got new coaches, Ohio taking on a former Wake Forest assistant. Cincinnati was widely considered to have made the best get, making the top team in the conference that much better. Justin Pinkard - Minnesota to Creighton Great building job his three years with the Golden Gophers, culminating in an NCAA berth last season. Creighton, like many of the teams finding new coaches, are riding a two year absence from the Big Dance. Percy Hord - Ohio State to Army Lot of Army fans weren't happy with this one, as Hord only had one winning season in his four years with the Buckeyes, last year's NCAA bid. It screamed fluke and the Black Knights, who'd had a winning record every year from 1950 on, deserved better. Abram Lindberg - Gonzaga to Arizona Spent just three years with the Bulldogs, the only coach in their history and he'd quickly turned them into a competitive team. But the former Purdue coach couldn't resist going back to a better situation with Arizona, even if the Wildcats hadn't won more than 8 games in the last two years, ever since they moved to the PCC. Marlon Norman - Davidson to California* Fired from Davidson despite two NCAA bids in the last three years. Still, Norman was one of the luckiest head coaches in the nation. Stumbled into the 1948 national championship with UCLA, got fired after doing nothing after that, yet landed with Davidson, and now landed on his feet with the Golden Bears, returning to the PCC despite getting canned by Davidson. And it's not like Cal was horrible either; they were very much a midpack PCC team, unlike the bottom-feeders in Tucson. Herman Wilkinson - Bowling Green to Gonzaga* Wilkinson's another interesting story. The top coaching assistant with Bowling Green from 1948-1951, he was hired as the Falcons' head coach after Brian Suiter accepted the job at Nevada. His first year at the top man, he took the Falcons to the Sweet 16, then the first round the next year, but just 9 and 10 wins the two seasons after that led to his dismissal. Fortunately, 'Zaga was there to scoop him up and they're hoping his NCAA experience will translate into continued improvement for the school in its fourth season of play and beyond. Bill Miller - Detroit to Idaho Miller, a Fowlerville, Michigan native who spent his entire coaching career in his home state (first as an assistant at Michigan State, then as Detroit's head coach), finally moves out of his comfort zone and heads West. Two NCAA bids in four years with the Titans, but can he recruit outside of the region and state he knows so well? Alex Becker - Cincinnati to Clemson The lead scout for Montana's two national championship teams, he had a pretty successful five year run with the Bearcats, winning three conference titles and two NCAA appearances in building Cincinnati into the MAC's best program. Clemson's only made the NCAA twice and has just one winning record in school history, a 19-16 second round appearance in 1949. Sterling Cano - Santa Clara to Davidson Cano, a Santa Clara alum, was convinced to leave his alma mater by the chance to coach in one of the nation's top conferences. He was an assistant at Wake Forest his first few seasons, so it's territory he's familiar with. As the Broncos' head coach, he led them to five NCAA appearances in six years, but never got to the Sweet 16. Neither has Davidson made into the second weekend in four appearances in eight years. Brian Kinard - William & Mary to Wake Forest Ah, yes. *This* hire. Recall that William & Mary, because of their past history, had a deep hatred of the Southern Stars schools. Remember also that Wake Forest felt bitter because William & Mary had a national championship and the Demon Deacons did. Mix everything altogether, throw in Kinard's leaving William & Mary for Wake Forest and you have the makings of the first intense, deep one on one archrivalry and hatred of two schools in NCAA basketball history. Kinard's house and car were egged after the news broke and numerous William & Mary students protested, calling him a traitor and backstabber. Wake fans, on their side, felt sleazy about Kinard's hire and many called for the hiring to be rescinded before he even set foot on campus. It didn't help that Kinard, a Bucknell alum, had already shown no sense of loyalty when he left his alma mater after four years and four straight NCAA appearances. The fact that he was leaving William & Mary after another four straight NCAA appearances, including the 1954 national title, just made matters all the worse. Later basketball historians, examining Kinard's personal correspondence, found that the only things he cared about were winning national titles and coaching in one of the nation's elite conferences. In accepting the Wake Forest job, he wanted to become the first coach to win national titles at two schools and he relished the challenge of trying to overshadow the beloved Durfee's legacy. From the standpoint of a Wake Forest fan, though, nothing could be worse than that 1956 offseason. Henry Wolff graduated, Durfee retired, and the athletic director hired the coach from the school they hated most all in the span of a few months. Dong White - Creighton to William & Mary To make matters even worse, W&M's decision to replace Kinard was White, who despite two NCAA appearances and an Elite 8 berth his last two years at St. Joseph's, had only a first round exit followed by two nothings in three seasons at Creighton. Fans everywhere decried it as a horrible hire and T-shirts with R-rated plays on White's name became very popular among students and a certain section of the fanbase. Regular Season 1. Montana (72) 0-0 1800 2 2. Wake Forest 0-0 1726 1 3. Rice 0-0 1658 6 4. Niagara 0-0 1576 5 5. Southern California 0-0 1518 7 6. Marquette 0-0 1442 3 7. Texas Christian 0-0 1368 NR 8. Richmond 0-0 1279 10 9. Furman 0-0 1240 4 10. Loyola-IL 0-0 1153 NR 11. Virginia Tech 0-0 1000 NR 12. California 0-0 944 16 13. San Francisco 0-0 912 NR 14. Texas 0-0 897 NR 15. Southern Methodist 0-0 815 NR 16. UCLA 0-0 638 13 17. Valparaiso 0-0 587 NR 18. Dayton 0-0 441 NR 19. Miami 0-0 427 NR 20. Lafayette 0-0 419 14 21. Georgetown 0-0 328 NR 22. Loyola-Maryland 0-0 245 9 23. Baylor 0-0 235 NR 24. Stanford 0-0 208 18 25. Texas A&M 0-0 134 NR Others Receiving Votes: William & Mary 0-0 101 Oregon State 0-0 78 DePaul 0-0 72 Citadel 0-0 37 Saint Mary's 0-0 36 Davidson 0-0 28 Nevada 0-0 18 Duquesne 0-0 14 Arkansas 0-0 9 Duke 0-0 7 South Carolina 0-0 7 Colorado State 0-0 3 There was considerable skepticism regarding the preseason polls, as conventional wisdom said a freshman heavy team like the Grizzlies couldn't be #1 by season's end, but that's what the pollsters stuck to. By January 1st, the Grizzlies were proving the pollsters right and going unbeaten at 11-0. #2 Niagara was 14-0, #4 TCU 12-0, #5 Georgetown 14-0 and #6 Miami 13-0. Also, for the first time ever, the Top 24 teams were considered legitimate in their place, giving home that finally the growing calls for legitimacy would be heeded. #1 Montana was 19-0 as of February 1st, and they and #4 TCU (18-0) remained the nation's last standing unbeatens. More excitingly, all of the Top 25 teams made at least some sense, the latest that had happened in NCAA history. Sadly, by March 1st, some tomfoolery had entered the bottom of the Top 25 and only the Top 22 were realistic, but it still represented major strides. Wake Forest, Montana, and TCU all had a single loss by that point and were natural 1, 2, and 3, and looked locks to earn #1 seeds. Teams Earning the Double Saint Joseph's - Atlantic Six Illinois - Big Ten Niagara - Great Lakes Denver - Mountain States Colgate - North Star Marshall - Ohio Valley Washington - Pacific Northwest It was one of the more successful years for teams to do the double, which greatly pleased the NCAA. Tournament #1 Seeds Montana TCU Wake Forest Niagara What is interesting to note is that for the second straight year in a row, Montana and Rice were the #1 and #2 seeds in the West region 9 Consecutive NCAA Bids Georgetown (1 Sweet 16, 1 Elite 8, 1 Final 4, 2 National Runner-Up) Lafayette (2 Sweet 16) Loyola-Illinois (1 Sweet 16, 2 Final 4, 1 Runner-Up, 1 NCAA Championship) Loyola-Maryland (5 Sweet 16, 1 Elite 8) Montana (1 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8, 1 Runner-Up, 2 NCAA Championships) Rice (1 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8, 1 Final 4, 1 Runner-Up, 1 NCAA Championship) USC (1 Sweet 16, 4 Elite 8) For the first time ever, San Francisco failed to make the tournament, or even finish .500. Now the eternal tournament schools were down to 7 in number. First Round Upsets (Greater than one seed, as always Midwest #16 Western Michigan over #1 TCU #11 Georgia over #6 SMU South #12 Oregon State over #5 Kansas #10 Syracuse over #7 Texas East #10 Columbia over #7 Wisconsin The Broncos' breaking of the Horned Frogs was the first #16 seed over #1 seed since Duquesne's Elite 8 run in 1954, and the sixth time in NCAA history a 16 seed had beat a 1 seed. Save for that mishap, however, the selection committee was extremely pleased with the first round's results, particularly the spotless West region. 2nd Round Upsets West #6 Richmond over #3 Washington Midwest #7 Arizona over #2 Denver East #6 Lafayette over #3 Virginia Tech Sweet 16 West #1 Montana vs #4 Wyoming #2 Rice vs #6 Richmond Midwest #8 California vs #4 Loyola-Maryland #7 Arizona vs #3 Marquette South #1 Wake Forest vs #4 Colgate #2 Georgetown vs #3 USC East #1 Niagara vs #4 Duquesne #2 Furman vs #6 Lafayette An absolutely enjoyable Sweet 16 for those who liked seeing the traditional powers dominate. Interesting storylines included the 3 Whig schools as they fought for their conference to get a 5 rating, and of course, the underdog darling of the tournament, Loyola-Maryland. Every year there was a devoted following who prayed that this might finally be the year the Greyhounds win it all, or at least make it to the Final Four. There was also Furman, the disrespected defending national champion intent on ruining Montana's legacy, and the Grizzlies themselves were fast on the hunt for an unprecedented third national title. Not to be left out, Wake Forest, with ambivalent feelings now that they were again in the second weekend. Let us not forget Georgetown, who'd been twice a national bridesmaid, and USC, who like Loyola-Maryland had never made a Final Four, despite some excellent teams. Rice also intrigued, as the perennial power alongside Montana who had just one title to show for it. In short, virtually every school left in this Sweet 16 was compelling for one reason or another and it made for excellent drama. First off, the Golden Bears again shattering Loyola-Maryland's dreams. Cal took senior Ervin Mosher's 33 points and beat the Greyhounds 76-71, yet another disappointing ending for the country's only, lonely independents. It's not often that two players on the same team break 20+ points in a game and it's even rarer that said team loses. Yet that's precisely what happened to Arizona as junior Bryant Mach's 21 points and sophomore Ken Sechrist's 22 points went to naught as Marquette won 77-74 in an excellent contest. Less exciting - Niagara's 71-60 win over Duquesne and Furman's 72-53 rout of Lafayette, the latter keyed by senior Damien Varela's 16 points and 10 rebounds. Montana took care of business, 88-69 against Wyoming. Despite the glitz of the freshmen class, it was senior William Barajas[/b['s 22 points that carried the Grizzlies. Richmond and Rice had the barnburner of the Sweet 16 and for the second time in the round, the team with two 20+ point scorers lost. Junior Jose Webster's 20 points and 12 rebounds and senior Daniel Roby's 20 points couldn't save the Owls, who lost by a single point, 82-81. Junior Bernard Avalos did the bulk of the sting for the Spiders with 28 points. Colgate made a game of it, but Wake Forest came out 68-60 winners to move a step closer to their third straight Final Four, a feat unprecedented in NCAA history. Finally, Danial Becerra, reprising his star 6th man role from the year before, scored a team high 18 points to lead his Hoyas over the Trojans, who like the Greyhounds saw their Final Four hopes snuffed out. Elite 8 #1 Montana vs #6 Richmond #8 California vs #3 Marquette #1 Wake Forest vs #2 Georgetown #1 Niagara vs #2 Furman Heading into the Elite 8, commentators talked and wrote a lot about the Demon Deacons' bid for a third straight Final Four and their first national championship. Teams with 2 straight Final Fours Wake Forest (1954-1955) Rice (1953-1954) Loyola-Illinois (1953-1954) Virginia Tech (1952-1953) All-Time Final Four Leaders Prior to 1956 Rice - 4 Loyola-Illinois - 4 What's interesting to note is that Rice and Loyola-Illinois both made the 1951, 1953, and 1954 Final Fours. Furthermore, those three mutual Final Fours would by themselves lead the nation in Final Four appearances. Montana, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, and South Carolina each had two each. Actually, it would have been a tie. Georgetown prior to 1956 had three Final Four appearances (1955, 1951, 1949). Of the remaining Elite 8 teams in 1956, only Richmond, California, and Niagara had never been to the Final Four. But that meant nothing. Furman made their first Final Four the season before and had won it all. The marquee matchup was, as you expect, Wake Forest and Georgetown, in a rematch of last year's Final Four. But the others all had their intriguing elements. It started with Marquette earning its second Final Four trip by beating Cal 75-62. Junior big Gilbert Whitlow was unstoppable with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. Then Niagara picked precisely the right time to play its best defense of the season, shutting down Furman 67-49. Senior Joe Newkirk put on an absolutely jaw-dropping display for the Purple Eagles of 19 points, 22 rebounds, and 7 blocks. And 4 assists besides. Montana looked every bit the champion, squashing the Spiders 86-51 on William Barajas's 22 point sand 13 rebounds. And in the matchup everyone was waiting for, Danial Becerra got almost no help with his team-high 17 points and Demon Deacons senior Manual Crawford blasted the Hoyas for 29 points en route to an 80-67 win and the historic third straight Final Four. Final Four #1 Montana vs #1 Wake Forest #3 Marquette vs #1 Niagara Everyone considered Grizzlies/Demon Deacons the real championship, as the Warriors and Purple Eagles were regarded as good, but nowhere near the level of the other two teams. Ratings for Montana/Wake Forest looked to be record-setting, as virtually the entire nation tuned in to this epic battle. Demon Deacons fans, still not quite sure how to feel; Grizzlies fans just dreaming of a shot at the third national title. First, the undercard. Marquette and Niagara put on an absolutely thrilling game. The Warriors concentrated on shutting down Joe Newkirk[/b[, who still came through with 9 points, 8 rebounds and 5 blocks, while juco transfer Daren Martin took advantage of the Newkirk defense to score 23 points for the Purple Eagles. But this time, two players scoring 20+ points would not be the deathkiss. Senior Mark Barr put up 29 points and 11 rebounds and backcourt mate sophomore Lester Mann scored 20 to carry Marquette to a tight, 85-82 win. Analysts called it a superb game and wondered aloud if it would be the greatest Final Four in history. And then came the game everyone wanted. Here's a snippet of the end-game audio of that contest: "Montana's Cole Gibson is called for the foul of Fletcher Osuna with 21 seconds left on the clock. It has been one heck of a game here folks, every bit as good as we all hoped for. The score is tied 76-76 between the Montana Grizzlies and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Osuna makes the first attempt. 77-76 Wake Forest. ...He misses the second. Robert Hanrahan grabs the rebound for the Grizzlies and with 19 seconds left on the clock, here's Hanrahan crossing the court, searching out Montana's main man, William Barajas! Barajas is open on the left wing! Hanrahan passes, Barajas catches. He shoots... and it's good!!!! 78-77 Montana!! The crowd is going crazy here, folks! I can't even hear myself think! But there's still four seconds to go! Here's Justin McGlothlin with the dangerous inbounds missile to Richard Lin. Lin has it! He's open at the top of the key! Clock winding down! 2, 1.. here's the shot, a clear three!!!! AND IT CLANKS OFF THE RIM! GRIZZLIES WIN!!!! GRIZZLIES WIN!!!! 78-77! OH MY GOD, I CAN NOT BELIEVE THE GAME I JUST SAW!!! William Barajas hit all five of his shot attempts, including the game-winner, but it was senior Theodore Brennan's 18 points that really made the difference for Montana. Everyone agreed that no matter what happened in the national championship, this pair of games would go down as the greatest in history, certainly to that point, and maybe ever. National Championship #1 Montana vs #3 Marquette The greatest school in the NCAA's earliest history against a heavy underdog. After the white-knuckle first two games of the Final Four, people were hoping for a good championship. The Grizzlies had other ideas and firmly knocked out the Warriors 80-63 for their third national title in an era when no other school had so much as even two. Marquette's Mark Barr put up a great 23 points in the losing effort of his final college game. For the Grizzlies, it was seniors Erwin Stutz (12 points, 13 rebounds), William Barajas (13 points, 10 rebounds), Sylvester Ward (14 bench points) and finally, some of the stud freshmen who carried the day. Cole Gibson led the Grizzlies with 16 points and Ron Kelley scored 12 bench points. Those who watched the game and were mindful of the Grizzlies' Fearsome Five wondered if Montana would finally be the team to create a true dynasty in the coming years, a powerhouse that would laugh in the face of Wake Forest's three straight Final Fours without a championship. For now, the Montana Grizzlies and their fans were simply happy with their third title captured amidst the best Final Four ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jestor Posted March 13, 2011 Author Share Posted March 13, 2011 Catching Up With The Steel Fallout The previous chapter on the breakup of the Steel Conference forgot to include where the non-Duquesne schools went, so there's the synopsis. Drexel Steel (1948-1954) Ohio Valley (1955- Penn State Steel (1948-1954) Yankee (1955- Pittsburgh Steel (1948-1954) Ohio Valley (1955- Temple Steel (1948-1954) Yankee (1955- Villanova Steel (1948-1954) Atlantic Six (1955- Such placements were largely considered temporary by the five ousted schools, who hoped to someday reunite in a stronger conference, possibly in conjunction with another state. 1956 OVERALL AWARDS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Player of the Year: SR PF Manual Crawford Wake Forest 20.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.1 APG 1.0 SPG, 2.9 BPG Freshman of the Year: FR SG Cole Gibson Montana 13.2 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.8 APG 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG Coach of the Year: Kent Garza Denver 28 - 5 (11 - 1) All-league 1st Team: C SR Joe Newkirk Niagara 15.8 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 2.2 APG, 0.2 SPG, 3.9 BPG PF SR Manual Crawford Wake Forest 20.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 2.9 BPG SF SR Ervin Mosher California 22.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.8 BPG SG SR Mark Barr Marquette 22.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.3 BPG PG SR Anderson Allen DePaul 12.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.1 BPG All-league 2nd Team: C SR Larry Dykes Southern California 11.3 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, 2.8 BPG PF SO Jerald Coughlin Denver 18.8 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.4 SPG, 3.3 BPG SF JR Danial Becerra Georgetown 17.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG SG SR Tony Labrecque Washington 19.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG PG JR Bernard Avalos Richmond 12.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 7.3 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG All-league 3rd Team: C JR Jose Webster Rice 15.3 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.5 BPG PF JR Patrick Rodriguez Furman 14.9 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.9 BPG SF SO Blair Wright Kansas 19.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG SG JR Alphonse Wicks Kansas 15.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG PG SR Delbert Nick Wake Forest 17.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG All-freshman Team: C FR Joshua Jessen Southern Methodist 5.9 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 2.2 BPG PF FR Robert Head William & Mary 11.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG SF FR Theodore Hackett Colgate 11.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG SG FR Cole Gibson Montana 13.2 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG PG FR George Cardona West Virginia 14.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 4.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG 1956 Recruiting Rankings # Team Conference Best Player Rtg 5* 4* 3* 2* 1* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Montana PCC C Charles Eby ***** 4 0 1 0 0 2. San Francisco PCC SF Steven Carter ***** 2 1 1 0 0 3. Marquette Great Lakes SF James Blackman ***** 1 5 0 0 0 4. Texas Christian SWC SF Houston Long ***** 1 2 4 0 0 5. Niagara Great Lakes SF Richard Parker ***** 1 3 1 1 0 6. Georgetown Whig PF John Carrion ***** 2 2 0 0 0 7. Miami Southern Stars PF Leonard Llanes ***** 1 2 2 0 0 8. Southern California PCC C Deandre Foote **** 0 3 2 0 0 9. Dayton Great Lakes PF Matthew Carson **** 0 4 1 0 0 10. Wake Forest Southern Stars PF Andrew McKelvey ***** 1 2 0 0 0 11. Davidson Southern Stars SG Gregory Keith **** 0 4 1 0 0 12. Texas SWC SG Jack Lam ***** 1 1 1 1 0 13. Loyola-Maryland Independent SG Ernest Kerr **** 0 3 0 0 0 14. Nevada Mountain States SG Chas Henley **** 0 3 1 0 0 15. William & Mary Whig SG Rashad Kang **** 0 3 0 0 0 16. Arizona State PCC SF Melvin Despain ***** 1 0 2 0 2 17. Furman Southern Stars SG Arthur Hughes **** 0 2 2 0 0 18. Duquesne Whig C Kenneth Ozuna **** 0 3 0 1 0 19. DePaul Great Lakes PG John Gonzales **** 0 2 0 0 0 20. Texas A&M SWC SF Marlon Gore **** 0 2 1 0 0 21. Georgia Tech SEC C John Lamere **** 0 1 2 1 0 22. Lafayette Whig PF Chris Rome **** 0 1 1 4 0 23. Citadel Southern PF Ahmad Moreno ***** 1 1 0 0 0 24. Richmond Southern Stars C Brian Sosa ***** 1 0 0 0 0 South Carolina was #25. Montana with its second straight #1 recruiting class boded well for a continuation of the Grizzlies dynasty and spelled doom for the rest of the country. The NCAA was secretly thrilled, because dynasties meant epic storylines. # Player Pos Ht Team Conference -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Steven Carter SF 6-8 San Francisco Pacific Coast Conference 2 Charles Eby C 7-0 Montana Pacific Coast Conference 3 Willy Theis SF 6-6 Montana Pacific Coast Conference 4 Isidro Lavender PF 6-7 San Francisco Pacific Coast Conference 5 Gustave Ricourt PG 6-4 6 German Christensen PF 6-8 Montana Pacific Coast Conference 7 Richard Parker SF 6-6 Niagara Great Lakes Conference 8 Brian Sosa C 6-8 Richmond Southern Stars League 9 Jack Lam SG 6-4 Texas Southwest Conference 10 Charles Cartwright PF 6-7 Montana Pacific Coast Conference 11 Melvin Despain SF 6-4 Arizona State Pacific Coast Conference 12 Hugh Davis SF 6-6 13 James Blackman SF 6-4 Marquette Great Lakes Conference 14 Andrew McKelvey PF 6-7 Wake Forest Southern Stars League 15 Daniel Moorman C 6-8 NON-QUALIFIER 16 Houston Long SF 6-9 Texas Christian Southwest Conference 17 Leonard Llanes PF 6-5 Miami Southern Stars League 18 John Carrion PF 6-7 Georgetown Whig Conference 19 Stéphane Malfait SG 6-5 20 Ahmad Moreno PF 6-7 Citadel Southern Conference 21 William Lear PG 6-1 Georgetown Whig Conference 22 Hal Harris PF 6-7 Valparaiso Great Lakes Conference 23 Gil Rigby PG 5-10 24 Pierre Rios SF 6-8 Loyola-IL Great Lakes Conference 25 Sam Luke SF 6-5 The Whig conference's recruiting and tournament success in the two short years it existed was a major boon for the fledgling league and showed it deserved its lofty 4 prestige ranking. Bad news broke out for the Northeast in the newest prestige rankings. The North Star and Atlantic Six were now the region's highest conferences at 2 prestige each. 1957 Conference Movement New Schools Florida State The most obvious place for the Seminoles was the SEC, a 1 prestige, 12 team conference as weak in basketball as it was strong in football. But the NCAA didn't like the idea of such an inferior conference being the largest in the land. The SEC met to discuss what to do about the situation. Florida, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt all had failed to make the NCAA tournament even once, and Kentucky had only been one time. Tennessee was safe because of the strength of its football program, which at the time was one of the better programs in the country. Florida would have a hard time finding a new home. Kentucky, too, featured a good football program, led by head coach Bear Bryant. So it was that Vanderbilt, despite being a respectable football team, who got the axe, with Florida pushing hard for the Florida/Florida State rivalry. Happily for the Commodores, the Bluegrass Conference was there to catch them. For the first time in three years, no discussion emerged of new conferences or breaking up old ones, although the New England region continued to fret over its poor basketball showing. Unfortunately, there just weren't enough quality teams to even think of putting together a conference that could compete with the Southern Stars (Southern private schools), Great Lakes (Upper Midwest), Pacific Coast (West), or Whig (Mid-Atlantic, albeit still a 4). Vanderbilt SEC (1948-1956) Bluegrass (1957- Coach Movement Only 8 coaches were fired prior to the season, the lowest amount in NCAA history. But it was not without its bombshell, as Montana Grizzlies coach Mack Halbert retired at the age of 61, following a heart attack. The press statement released by the legendary coach read in part: "It is with a very difficult decision that I retire. I love the Montana Grizzlies community - its fans, its players, the wonderful administration, and the beautiful thing we've built here together these past nine years. But the doctors say that if I want to live and want to see my grandchildren grow up, I need to retire. And so it is with great regret that I step down from my position as head coach of the Montana Grizzlies. I will continue to support and aid the program as much as my health allows, including helping in the search for my successor. Thank you all for the memories and the incredible times we've had together. Mack Halbert's Resume (1948-1956) Wins - 251 (2nd all time) Winning % - 79.7 (1st all time) NCAA Championships - 3 (1st all time) Conference Championships - 6 (1st all time) All-Americans - 7 (T-2nd all time) #1 Recruiting Classes - 2 (He nearly had 3, as his 1954 class was #2) The retirement of the single greatest coach in the game caused weeks of mourning among Montana Grizzlies fans and all wondered if the Grizzlies could maintain their dominance after Halbert's retirement. James Geyer - San Francisco to Iowa* Five straight NCAA appearances as the Dons' head coach came to an end last year and the general consensus was the program was trending down, leading to his firing. Geyer's still largely living off his 1949 Final Four showing with North Carolina, the only time he's led a team to the second weekend. Iowa has a handful of tournament appearances, but the Hawkeyes only made it out of the first round once, in 1949. They lost in the second round and have not made the Big Dance in two years. George Greenwood - Miami-Ohio to Wisconsin Three average years with the Redhawks, but he did take them to the NCAA Tournament and a first round exit last year. Greenwood will be expected to perform immediately in Madison - the Badgers have only missed the tournament once, in 1951, and have never had a losing record. Dale McGlone - Kansas to Colorado State McGlone did a fantastic job building the Jayhawks, including a Final Four appearance two years ago. The Rams are hoping the 54 year old can finally be the one to take them to the second weekend, where they've never been in six appearances. Scott Stowe - Duke to Denver* Perhaps the most puzzling hire ever. Fired after five terrible years at Duke, he gets a spot in one of the nation's better conferences? While he did bring three straight NCAA appearances to William & Mary from 1949-151, his resume shows he should be in a lower conference. The Pioneers, like the Rams, have several tournament appearances, but no second weekend. Stowe's never been there either. Terrible decision. Charles Henson - North Carolina to Nevada Loyola-Maryland's original, legendary head coach has never missed the NCAA tournament. The Wolfpack made the Final Four in 1952 and the Elite Eight in 1953, but haven't been out of the second weekend yet. Although Henson never delivered a Final Four for the Greyhounds, and although he never got the Tarheels to the second weekend in his three years there, this is an exceptional hire. Especially when you consider that North Carolina hadn't made the Big Dance since their 1949 Final Four appearance before Henson's arrival. Kent Garza - Denver to San Francisco The 60 year old Garza has been solid no matter where he's gone, whether it's his stint at Bradley or with the Pioneers. For a Dons program hoping to re-establish the glory of its first three years, when it made two Elite 8s and a Sweet 16, with no second weekend showings past that, it's a good pick. Alfonzo Reinert - Penn State to North Carolina Another horrible hire. Reinert treaded water in his four seasons as the Nittany Lions' head coach and UNC looks to again drop out of the tournament scene. Tony Gonzalez - Wisconsin to South Carolina The chance to move back south for a coach who built up the Cavaliers' program at Virgina was too much. He took the Badgers to three straight NCAA appearances, including a Sweet 16 showing. The Game****s have been to two Final Fours, but not since 1951, the last time they played in Weekend #2. Leon Bennett - Connecticut to Virginia Tech Bennett's an interesting story. He was the top assistant at UConn from 1948-1952 until Carlo Bloch moved to San Jose State. Bennett got offered the head job with the Huskies, so he stayed in Storrs, where he's turned the program around and taken the team to two straight NCAA appearances. Now the 51 year old gets the call from Virginia Tech, where the Hokies have been to six straight NCAA tournaments, including a Sweet 16, a Final Four (1953) and an NCAA title game appearance (1952) during that run. Leonard Kiger - South Carolina to Duke Led the Game****s to the Final Four in 1952 and a run of three straight NCAA bids the past few years. The Blue Devils are the single worst program in the Southern Stars, having made the NCAA tournament just once in their history, a second round exit back in 1949. It's a long road ahead for the Richmond alum from Maryland, but if he can make this Duke program, he can become a legend. Brian Suiter - Nevada to Furman Bowling Green went to an Elite 8 because of him and the Wolfpack made an Elite 8 and a Final Four in his first two years in Reno. Although he's taken Nevada to the tournament every year he's been there, the last three seasons were all first weekend exits. The pressure will be intense at Furman, with the Paladins winning a national championship two years ago and making the Elite 8 last season. Andrew Bouldin - Virginia Tech to Baylor The man who turned the Hokies into a national power, who has never missed the NCAA tournament in his career at Mississippi and VA Tech, now heads to Waco, TX, to take over a Bears team that, despite two straight NCAA appearances, including a Sweet 16, and a 1950 Elite 8 appearance, hasn't historically been that good. The Austin, TX native no doubt looks forward to the opportunity in his home state. And finally, the hire everyone waited on... David Beach - Furman to Montana 1955 national championship, 1956 Elite 8. Never had a losing record at Furman and only missed the tournament one. He made Furman one of the best teams in the Southern Stars and although it took him seven years to bring the program to that national acclaim, he already has the talent in Bozeman to continue Halbert's legacy. While we're at it: Top Prestige Teams (80+) Montana - 100 Rice - 92 Furman - 86 Wake Forest - 86 Loyola-Illinois - 85 USC - 84 Marquette just misses the cutoff with 79. Independent Loyola-Maryland is 67, tied for 18th in prestige with Citadel and UCLA. Preseason Top 25 1. Montana (72) 0-0 1800 1 2. Rice 0-0 1728 7 3. Loyola-IL 0-0 1656 NR 4. Marquette 0-0 1584 10 5. Texas Christian 0-0 1506 3 6. Niagara 0-0 1407 4 7. Wake Forest 0-0 1371 2 8. Furman 0-0 1293 8 9. Richmond 0-0 1177 NR 10. Southern California 0-0 1142 11 11. Loyola-Maryland 0-0 1117 18 12. Baylor 0-0 994 NR 13. Texas 0-0 954 NR 14. Georgetown 0-0 917 5 15. Southern Methodist 0-0 791 NR 16. San Francisco 0-0 666 21 17. California 0-0 563 NR 18. Dayton 0-0 504 NR 19. Arkansas 0-0 440 25 20. UCLA 0-0 427 22 21. DePaul 0-0 344 20 22. Miami 0-0 284 NR 23. Valparaiso 0-0 278 23 24. Oregon State 0-0 170 NR 25. Davidson 0-0 77 NR January brought a reasonable 1 to 21 in the polls, with 13-0 Rice and TCU, the only unbeaten teams left, at #1 and #2. Montana, at 9-1, was #6. The 1 to 21 held at the start of February, and although the Owls lost, Rice was still #1, only now it was a split vote between them and #2 Loyola-Illinos, newly resurgent since the Thomas Branson days. Montana still stayed in the Top 10 at #7. By the start of March, Rice was again the clear-cut #1, followed by Loyola-Illinois, Richmond, Loyola-Maryland in its highest ranking to that point ever, and TCU in the Top 5. Baylor, Montana, Niagara, William & Mary, and Kent State rounded out the Top 10, with silliness starting at #18. Teams Pulling The Double Illinois (Big 10) Loyola-Illinois (Great Lakes) Kent State (MAC) Lehigh (North Star) Rice (SWC) A lot of 2 seeds beat 1 seeds in the conference finals, and Montana lost in the quarterfinals to Arizona State, much to everyone's surprise. NCAA Tournament - #1 seeds Loyola-Illinois Rice Richmond Baylor TCU and Loyola-Maryland were outraged at the #1 seeding, particularly the Greyhounds, condemned to a #3 seed. Montana drew a #4 seed, Furman a #7 seed. Andrew Bouldin indeed worked miracles his first season back in his home state, while David Beach disappointed in his first year at Montana, at least in the run-up to the tournament. 10 Consecutive NCAA Bids Georgetown (1 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8, 1 Final 4, 2 National Runner-Up) Lafayette (3 Sweet 16) Loyola-Illinois (1 Sweet 16, 2 Final 4, 1 Runner-Up, 1 NCAA Championship) Loyola-Maryland (6 Sweet 16, 1 Elite 8) Montana (1 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8, 1 Runner-Up, 3 NCAA Championships) Rice (2 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8, 1 Final 4, 1 Runner-Up, 1 NCAA Championship) USC (2 Sweet 16, 4 Elite 8) No one dropped out. First Round Upsets (>1 seed diff, as always) West #11 Lehigh over #6 Washington Midwest #11 West Virginia over #6 BYU South #13 Georgia Tech over #4 Duquesne #12 Oregon State over #5 South Carolina East #13 Georgia over #4 Davidson #10 Miami over #7 Youngstown State Bad day to be a #4 seed D team playing a #13 team G, but overall, the upsets were relatively minor in that first round, pleasing the selection committee. Second Round Upsets Midwest #7 UCLA over #2 Wake Forest South #6 Illinois over #3 Loyola-Maryland East #13 Georgia over #5 Nevada Despite the annual disappointment by the Greyhounds and the continuation of the Brian Kinard curse, it was largely a chalk tournament that first weekend. Sweet 16 West #1 Loyola-Illinois vs #4 Montana #2 TCU vs #3 George Washington Midwest #1 Rice vs #4 USC #7 UCLA vs #3 William & Mary South #1 Richmond vs #12 Oregon State #2 Kent State vs #6 Illinois East #1 Baylor vs #13 Georgia #2 Niagara vs #3 Georgetown Several of the nation's marquee franchises were still in play as the Sweet 16 dawned. There were also some surprising newcomers, so it looked to have a good mix for everyone. Loyola-Illinois and Montana was the biggest attraction, obviously. It became an even more hyped game when none other than Newton Richardson, Mack Halbert and Thomas Branson all attended. Halbert looked a little weak, as expected, and he spent most of the game sitting beside Richardson, the two men's wives on either side of them. Branson, meanwhile, arrived with a group of friends. The game itself disappointed, despite sophomore Cole Gibson's 20 points. The more experienced Ramblers routed the Grizzlies 82-67 behind their dominating front court as Loyola-Illinois enjoyed a +20 rebounding advantage. Senior center William Heiser was the star of the game with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Halbert defended David Beach after the game, pointing out, "I had my fair share of early exits, too. Besides, this is a very young team we have right now, a lot of freshmen and sophomores, learning under a new coach. The Ramblers are a great, senior-heavy team, and I don't think Gus Seely gets near as much recognition as he deserves." George Washington beat TCU 66-55 behind tough defense. The first day of the Sweet 16's most thrilling matchup belonged to Oregon State/Richmond, with the Spiders riding six players in double-digit scoring, led by true freshman Brian Sosa's 10 points and 10 rebounds to overcome the Beavers 85-83, despite Oregon State sophomore Tim McCraw's 20 points and freshman Lloyd Luck's 18 points. Kent State squashed Illinois 76-56, thanks to Randall Rhodes's 21 points that were anything but a senior moment. Rice embarrassed USC 101-68 in one of the highest scoring tournament games ever. Senior Jose Webster, no stranger to tournament success put up 31 points and 12 rebounds, while sophomore Kristopher Maurer scored 20. Balanced scoring gave William & Mary the 76-67 win over UCLA, despite French freshman phenom Stephane Malfait's 22 points for the Bruins. The biggest upset of the tournament to that date was #13 Georgia stunning #1 Baylor 76-65. Senior 6th man Carey Lavin's 16 bench points made the difference for the Bulldogs. And finally, senior Danial Becerra was shut down in his last bid for a title with the Hoyas. Niagara won 87-72 via senior Daren Martin's 31 points and senior Gerald Peters' 20 points. Elite 8 #1 Loyola-Illinois vs #3 George Washington #1 Rice vs #3 William & Mary #1 Richmond vs #2 Kent State #13 Georgia vs #2 Niagara With the sole exception of Georgia, this Elite 8 was the best job the selection committee had ever done. Loyola-Illinois and Rice were powerhouses, but Richmond, with the Spiders' fourth straight season in the second weekend, was no slouch. The Purple Eagles of Niagara were also a rising power, with an Elite 8 and a Final Four in the last two years. This was new territory for Georgia, George Washington and Kent State, who'd never before even been to the Sweet 16, and William & Mary, one mustn't forget, won the 1954 championship. Rice and William & Mary was the marquee matchup, but other games came first. Freshman Ronald Zimmerman had his coming out party in the Colonials' biggest game in school history, scoring 19 points to lead George Washington to a 73-71 shocker over Loyola-Illinois. Richmond steamrolled Kent State 97-61 courtesy of senior Bernard Avalos's 23 points and senior Dean Cauley's 15 bench points. Rice went with defense to beat William & Mary 67-49, although Jose Webster did grab 10 points and 10 boards. Niagara ended Georgia's Cinderella run, booting the Bulldogs 75-57 on Daren Martin's 25 points. Final Four #3 George Washington vs #1 Richmond #1 Rice vs #2 Niagara The Owls dreamed of being the first school since Montana to capture two titles, while Niagara and Richmond hoped to continue their rise to national prominence. As for the Colonials? They were just thrilled with the ride. Once again George Washington involved itself in a two point heartpounder, senior Hugo Smith scoring 25 and sophomore reserve Daniel Hynes 17 points. But Smith was a horrific 7 of 28 and that, combined with Richmond senior Bernard Avalos shooting much more accurately for his 23 points, led to the Spiders' 73-71 win. Far less enticing was Rice's 67-61 victory over Niagara. Daren Martin put on a heroic 28 points, but although the Purple Eagles shut down Jose Webster, the Owls showed enough balance to garner the win. National Championship #1 Rice vs #1 Richmond On one side, a senior star without a national title in Jose Webster, and the NCAA's most wins by a coach in Frank Hill, he of the 1-2 record in national title games. On the other side, a fellow senior star sans title in Bernard Avalos and another 41 year old head coach in Porter Gutierrez, who, in his sixth season as the Spiders' coach, had taken them to heights never before dreamed of and caused Boston College fans to lament the day he left. One senior would win and maybe, just maybe, one school would finally win its second title for the first time since Montana. Jose Webster would not suffer the fate of Henry Wolff. In one of the most impressive individual championship showings ever, he rampaged for 32 points and 13 rebounds, and Rice blew the doors off Richmond, 94-75. How fitting, that the same year Mack Halbert retired, another coach finally won his second title with the only team he'd ever coached. Still, Frank Hill smiled at the press conference afterwards, holding up two fingers of one hand, three on the other. "I still have one more to go to tie Mack. Two more to beat him. I don't care how many games I win, I can't be considered the greatest coach of all time if I don't have more titles than he does." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jestor Posted April 8, 2011 Author Share Posted April 8, 2011 NCAA Tournament - #1 seeds Loyola-Illinois Rice Richmond Baylor TCU and Loyola-Maryland were outraged at the #1 seeding, particularly the Greyhounds, condemned to a #3 seed. Montana drew a #4 seed, Furman a #7 seed. Andrew Bouldin indeed worked miracles his first season back in his home state, while David Beach disappointed in his first year at Montana, at least in the run-up to the tournament. 10 Consecutive NCAA Bids Georgetown (1 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8, 1 Final 4, 2 National Runner-Up) Lafayette (3 Sweet 16) Loyola-Illinois (1 Sweet 16, 2 Final 4, 1 Runner-Up, 1 NCAA Championship) Loyola-Maryland (6 Sweet 16, 1 Elite 8) Montana (1 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8, 1 Runner-Up, 3 NCAA Championships) Rice (2 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8, 1 Final 4, 1 Runner-Up, 1 NCAA Championship) USC (2 Sweet 16, 4 Elite 8) No one dropped out. First Round Upsets (>1 seed diff, as always) West #11 Lehigh over #6 Washington Midwest #11 West Virginia over #6 BYU South #13 Georgia Tech over #4 Duquesne #12 Oregon State over #5 South Carolina East #13 Georgia over #4 Davidson #10 Miami over #7 Youngstown State Bad day to be a #4 seed D team playing a #13 team G, but overall, the upsets were relatively minor in that first round, pleasing the selection committee. Second Round Upsets Midwest #7 UCLA over #2 Wake Forest South #6 Illinois over #3 Loyola-Maryland East #13 Georgia over #5 Nevada Despite the annual disappointment by the Greyhounds and the continuation of the Brian Kinard curse, it was largely a chalk tournament that first weekend. Sweet 16 West #1 Loyola-Illinois vs #4 Montana #2 TCU vs #3 George Washington Midwest #1 Rice vs #4 USC #7 UCLA vs #3 William & Mary South #1 Richmond vs #12 Oregon State #2 Kent State vs #6 Illinois East #1 Baylor vs #13 Georgia #2 Niagara vs #3 Georgetown Several of the nation's marquee franchises were still in play as the Sweet 16 dawned. There were also some surprising newcomers, so it looked to have a good mix for everyone. Loyola-Illinois and Montana was the biggest attraction, obviously. It became an even more hyped game when none other than Newton Richardson, Mack Halbert and Thomas Branson all attended. Halbert looked a little weak, as expected, and he spent most of the game sitting beside Richardson, the two men's wives on either side of them. Branson, meanwhile, arrived with a group of friends. The game itself disappointed, despite sophomore Cole Gibson's 20 points. The more experienced Ramblers routed the Grizzlies 82-67 behind their dominating front court as Loyola-Illinois enjoyed a +20 rebounding advantage. Senior center William Heiser was the star of the game with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Halbert defended David Beach after the game, pointing out, "I had my fair share of early exits, too. Besides, this is a very young team we have right now, a lot of freshmen and sophomores, learning under a new coach. The Ramblers are a great, senior-heavy team, and I don't think Gus Seely gets near as much recognition as he deserves." George Washington beat TCU 66-55 behind tough defense. The first day of the Sweet 16's most thrilling matchup belonged to Oregon State/Richmond, with the Spiders riding six players in double-digit scoring, led by true freshman Brian Sosa's 10 points and 10 rebounds to overcome the Beavers 85-83, despite Oregon State sophomore Tim McCraw's 20 points and freshman Lloyd Luck's 18 points. Kent State squashed Illinois 76-56, thanks to Randall Rhodes's 21 points that were anything but a senior moment. Rice embarrassed USC 101-68 in one of the highest scoring tournament games ever. Senior Jose Webster, no stranger to tournament success[/b] put up 31 points and 12 rebounds, while sophomore Kristopher Maurer scored 20. Balanced scoring gave William & Mary the 76-67 win over UCLA, despite French freshman phenom Stephane Malfait's 22 points for the Bruins. The biggest upset of the tournament to that date was #13 Georgia stunning #1 Baylor 76-65. Senior 6th man Carey Lavin's 16 bench points made the difference for the Bulldogs. And finally, senior Danial Becerra was shut down in his last bid for a title with the Hoyas. Niagara won 87-72 via senior Daren Martin's 31 points and senior Gerald Peters' 20 points. Elite 8 #1 Loyola-Illinois vs #3 George Washington #1 Rice vs #3 William & Mary #1 Richmond vs #2 Kent State #13 Georgia vs #2 Niagara With the sole exception of Georgia, this Elite 8 was the best job the selection committee had ever done. Loyola-Illinois and Rice were powerhouses, but Richmond, with the Spiders' fourth straight season in the second weekend, was no slouch. The Purple Eagles of Niagara were also a rising power, with an Elite 8 and a Final Four in the last two years. This was new territory for Georgia, George Washington and Kent State, who'd never before even been to the Sweet 16, and William & Mary, one mustn't forget, won the 1954 championship. Rice and William & Mary was the marquee matchup, but other games came first. Freshman Ronald Zimmerman had his coming out party in the Colonials' biggest game in school history, scoring 19 points to lead George Washington to a 73-71 shocker over Loyola-Illinois. Richmond steamrolled Kent State 97-61 courtesy of senior Bernard Avalos's 23 points and senior Dean Cauley's 15 bench points. Rice went with defense to beat William & Mary 67-49, although Jose Webster did grab 10 points and 10 boards. Niagara ended Georgia's Cinderella run, booting the Bulldogs 75-57 on Daren Martin's 25 points. Final Four #3 George Washington vs #1 Richmond #1 Rice vs #2 Niagara The Owls dreamed of being the first school since Montana to capture two titles, while Niagara and Richmond hoped to continue their rise to national prominence. As for the Colonials? They were just thrilled with the ride. Once again George Washington involved itself in a two point heartpounder, senior Hugo Smith scoring 25 and sophomore reserve Daniel Hynes 17 points. But Smith was a horrific 7 of 28 and that, combined with Richmond senior Bernard Avalos shooting much more accurately for his 23 points, led to the Spiders' 73-71 win. Far less enticing was Rice's 67-61 victory over Niagara. Daren Martin put on a heroic 28 points, but although the Purple Eagles shut down Jose Webster, the Owls showed enough balance to garner the win. National Championship #1 Rice vs #1 Richmond On one side, a senior star without a national title in Jose Webster, and the NCAA's most wins by a coach in Frank Hill, he of the 1-2 record in national title games. On the other side, a fellow senior star sans title in Bernard Avalos and another 41 year old head coach in Porter Gutierrez, who, in his sixth season as the Spiders' coach, had taken them to heights never before dreamed of and caused Boston College fans to lament the day he left. One senior would win and maybe, just maybe, one school would finally win its second title for the first time since Montana. Jose Webster would not suffer the fate of Henry Wolff. In one of the most impressive individual championship showings ever, he rampaged for 32 points and 13 rebounds, and Rice blew the doors off Richmond, 94-75. How fitting, that the same year Mack Halbert retired, another coach finally won his second title with the only team he'd ever coached. Still, Frank Hill smiled at the press conference afterwards, holding up two fingers of one hand, three on the other. "I still have one more to go to tie Mack. Two more to beat him. I don't care how many games I win, I can't be considered the greatest coach of all time if I don't have more titles than he does." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jestor Posted April 8, 2011 Author Share Posted April 8, 2011 1957 OVERALL AWARDS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Player of the Year: SR PG Bernard Avalos Richmond 15.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 8.8 APG 2.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG Freshman of the Year: FR SG Joseph Kersey Marquette 13.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.7 APG 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG Coach of the Year: Kieth Slayton George Washington 29 - 8 (8 - 4) All-league 1st Team: C SR Jose Webster Rice 16.9 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 2.2 APG, 0.6 SPG, 1.7 BPG PF SR Gilbert Whitlow Marquette 18.5 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.3 BPG SF JR John Bartley Southern California 19.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG SG SO Cole Gibson Montana 17.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG PG SR Bernard Avalos Richmond 15.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 8.8 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG All-league 2nd Team: C SR Jessie Rutan Denver 17.4 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.4 BPG PF SR Stewart Rincon Davidson 13.4 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 4.5 BPG SF SR Gerald Peters Niagara 15.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.1 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG SG SR Harris Brummett Kent State 25.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.1 BPG PG SR Merrill Claxton Colorado State 17.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.8 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.0 BPG All-league 3rd Team: C SR Rolland Moran Loyola-Maryland 10.2 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 2.3 BPG PF JR Jerald Coughlin Denver 18.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.5 SPG, 2.7 BPG SF SO James Hagans Richmond 17.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG SG SR Daren Martin Niagara 22.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.1 BPG PG SR Salvador Diez UCLA 19.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG All-freshman Team: C FR Dusty Mesa Georgia Tech 6.7 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.3 BPG PF FR Fredrick Owsley Tennessee 12.1 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG SF FR Houston Long Texas Christian 12.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG SG FR Joseph Kersey Marquette 13.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG PG FR Philip Neal Miami 11.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.1 BPG Well-deserved National Coach of the Year award. Jose Webster finished #3 all-time in career rebounds, #5 in offensive rebounds. For the Southwest, he finished #7 in points scored (behind 2 fellow Rice alum), #1 in both rebounding rebounding categories and #7 in blocks (where another Rice player still holds the career record). 1957 Recruiting Rankings # Team Conference Best Player Rtg 5* 4* 3* 2* 1* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Citadel Southern SG Michael Saddler ***** 1 1 2 1 0 2. DePaul Great Lakes PG Douglas Root ***** 2 1 1 0 0 3. Valparaiso Great Lakes SG James Krol **** 0 6 0 0 0 4. Furman Southern Stars SG Ted Love ***** 1 3 0 0 0 5. Duquesne Whig PG Jeffrey Pellerin **** 0 5 0 0 0 6. Niagara Great Lakes SG Tony Howes ***** 1 3 0 0 0 7. Southern California PCC SG Joaquin Herrera ***** 2 0 0 0 0 8. Southern Methodist SWC C Michael Taylor ***** 1 2 1 0 0 9. Wake Forest Southern Stars PF Shayne Hanley ***** 3 0 0 0 0 10. Texas SWC SG Richard Kelley ***** 2 0 2 0 0 11. Loyola-IL Great Lakes PF Billy Zamudio ***** 2 1 0 0 0 12. Richmond Southern Stars C Brian Lehman ***** 1 2 0 0 0 13. Texas Christian SWC C Kirk Mahaffey ***** 1 0 2 0 0 14. Lafayette Whig SF Joshua Hollinger ***** 2 0 0 0 0 15. San Francisco PCC SG Jeromy Plotkin ***** 1 2 0 0 0 16. Georgetown Whig SF Xander Ives ***** 1 2 0 0 0 17. Arizona PCC PF Stanley Collins ***** 1 1 1 0 1 18. Texas A&M SWC PG Fredrick Caton **** 0 2 2 0 0 19. Oregon State PCC PF Tony Herod ***** 1 1 1 0 0 20. William & Mary Whig PG Gayle Little **** 0 2 1 0 0 21. Colgate North Star SG Aubrey Honeycutt **** 0 2 1 2 2 22. Davidson Southern Stars PG Ronald Clark **** 0 2 1 0 0 23. UCLA PCC PG Doug Lowman **** 0 2 2 0 0 24. Loyola-Maryland Independent PF Mark Dotson **** 0 3 1 0 0 25. Virginia Tech Southern PG Justin Malik **** 0 1 3 1 0 Few expected to see a Southern team with the #1 recruiting class, even though The Citadel was a rising power, with seven straight NCAA appearances, including an Elite 8 and two Sweet 16s. On the other hand, they'd been knocked out of the first round the last three seasons. Conference Movement New Schools Air Force Delaware North Texas North Texas was an obvious candidate for the Sun West, but with that no-bid league and the lowly SEC already the nation's biggest conferences at 12 teams, that presented a problem. The Texas schools in the Sun West discussed among themselves the possibility of breaking away to form their own league and bringing North Texas into the mix. This meant Houston, Texas Tech, and UTEP, which, along with UNT, gave four possible members. That wasn't enough, considering the NCAA's rules of seven members. New Mexico and New Mexico State were invited to join, and they accepted. Northern Arizona got an invitation and the Lumberjacks, too, signed on. That solved the problem, and so the Desert Conference was born. This left openings in the Sun West and the problem of where to slot Air Force was solved, as the Academy fit the conference's shifting direction. Delaware joined the Empire, as it was argued that with Rutgers in New Jersey violating the New York membership rule, it was fine to adopt the Blue Hens there. As you might expect, the Desert Conference did not receive auto-bid status, for its profile was weaker than the Bluegrass's. Conference Changes Since 1948 Steel Conference (1948-1954) Whig Conference (1955- Bluegrass Conference (1956- Pacific Northwest League (1956- Desert Conference (1958- Houston Sun West (1951-1957) Desert (1958- New Mexico Sun West (1951-1957) Desert (1958- New Mexico State Sun West (1951-1957) Desert (1958- Northern Arizona Sun West (1951-1957) Desert (1958- Texas Tech Sun West (1951-1957) Desert (1958- UTEP Sun West (1951-1957) Desert (1958- Funny that 6 of the 7 expansion schools in 1951 all joined the Sun West and all went to the Desert. You may remember that the 1951 offseason was when San Francisco left the Sun West to join the Pacific Coast, taking what had been a 3 prestige conference down to a 1 prestige one and ultimately ruined what once was a good league. Arizona State was the 7th school, but they were in the Sun West only until 1953, whereupon Pacific Coast and NCAA mechanisms allowed the Sun Devils access to the PCC. No other shakeups were even discussed and few cared about the realignment of the bottom-feeder conferences. Coach Movement An impressive 19 coaches got fired before the start of the 1958 season and there were a handful of retirements, kicking off a considerable coaching carousel. Robert Moss - Louisville to Missouri Moss took the Cardinals to two NCAA appearances, but being stuck in the no-bid Bluegrass didn't sit well with him, so he migrates to Mizzou, which, after seven straight NCAA appearances, has now failed to make the tournament the last three seasons and are in need of a rebuild. Of course, some local newspaper writers think this is the best hire ever. Johnny Martinez - Georgia Tech to Illinois This is very cool. Martinez coached the Fighting Illini from 1948-1953 and after a four year stint with the Yellow Jackets, he's back in Urbana-Champaign. Three NCAA trips the last four years with Georgia Tech and the Illini didn't do to badly in his absence either, with three straight NCAA appearances, including their first Sweet 16 appearance last year. Benny O'Bannon - Georgia to Indiana The Big 10 is raiding the SEC of its best coaches this year. The Bulldogs made the Elite 8 last year under O'Bannon's leadership, one of three straight NCAA appearances in four seasons. The Hoosiers have a handful of NCAA appearances, but missed the last two years. Made the Sweet 16 back in 1950. Interesting note: Charles Buchanan, who coached at Michigan State for two years (1952-1953) got hired by Minnesota after four years as an assistant at Loyola-Illinois. What is it this year with the Big Ten all going to the same wells? Mark Loughlin - Murray State to Louisville Yes, you read that right. For the first time in NCAA history, one school stole a conference foe's head coach. What makes this sting even more for Racers fans is that Loughlin led them to their first NCAA appearance in just their fourth year of D-I play. But the far more established and prestigious Cardinals program was too much for the coach to resist. Ugly times predicted at the annual Bluegrass convention. New Mexico and North Texas both took Montana assistants to be their new head coaches in an interesting start to the Desert Conference. Delaware took the third Montana assistant, meaning two of the three Grizzlies' assistants went to expansion gigs. Tony Emerson - Illinois to Akron Emerson had the Fighting Ilini's best three year stretch in school history, with two second round appearances and a first-ever Sweet 16 appearance last year. He faces a tough project with the Zips who have never made the postseason or had a winning record. Harlan Olds - Canisius to Kent State Poor Canisius. The only coach they've ever had, with six NCAA appearances, including the last four straight years, hies it to the Golden Flashes. Then again, Olds never took his old team out of the first round. He'll have to do more than that at Kent State, which made its first Elite 8 appearance last year. Tom Smith - West Virginia to Denver Five NCAA appearances in his years as a head coach at Columbia and WVU, including two with the Mountaineers. All five appearances were second round exits, save for 1952 with the Lions, where they made the Sweet 16. Fitting, since the Pioneers have been to the second round the last three seasons and are starting to get noticed on the national scene. Charles Cruz - Citadel to Arizona State Shocking walk away from the #1 recruiting class in the country, but he's in one of the best leagues now. Cruz has only failed to make the NCAA tournament once, in his first season, and has never had a losing record in coaching at Holy Cross and Citadel. Three Sweet 16s and an Elite 8. Fantastic hire for the Sun Devils, who have just two NCAA appearances, both first round exits in 1953 and 1954. Ronald Edwards - Washington to Stanford Built the Huskies program up into three straight NCAA appearances. Has never made the second weekend at Washington or Navy, though. Then again, considering the Cardinal have missed the tournament three straight years, just getting back to the Big Dance would be good. Morgan Eiland - Missouri to Washington Very odd hire. Eiland has shown a complete inability to sustain a program in stops at Drexel and Mizzou. Edwards' restoration work in Seattle might go undone very quickly. Philip Woodley - Kent State to Citadel Way to cash in on the Elite 8 performance by Woodley, who has only been okay outside of that at Kent State and Manhattan. He walks in with the #1 recruiting class and should be poised to continue elevating Citadel's prominence.. if he has the talent. Kristopher Lieberman - Drake to West Virginia Never had a losing season at Drake and took them to three NCAA bids in four years. Welcome news for West Virginia, which is trying to keep the momentum going it's established the last few years. Fredrick Batson - Stanford to Arkansas* Odd hire by the Razorbacks, taking on the coach who ran the Cardinal's program into the ground. Had early success at Stanford with three NCAA bids and a Sweet 16 and did take Lafayette to the Big Dance each of his three seasons there. Still feels questionable, especially after he got canned. But then again, the Hogs haven't been to the tournament or had a winning record since 1950, so maybe it'll work out. Owen Grier - Iowa State to VMI Let's see, a 126-175 overall record and just one NCAA bid in his years of coaching at La Salle and Iowa State and he gets a job? Somebody must really love him, but considering the Keydets haven't been dancing since 1951, maybe it's worth it? Robert Snyder - Lehigh to Virginia Did really solid work building Lehigh and was a very good coach for Dartmouth, with four NCAA bids between the two schools. No second weekend showings, but the Cavs have never made it there either and were last seen in the tournament in 1953. Reid Roberts - Youngstown State to Canisisus Sure, Roberts had a 21 win season with the Penguins last year, the first in school history, but he hasn't shown much outside of that and the general feeling is their run of four straight NCAA appearances is about to end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jestor Posted April 8, 2011 Author Share Posted April 8, 2011 # Team FPV Record Points Prv -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Montana (72) 0-0 1800 6 2. Rice 0-0 1728 1 3. Loyola-IL 0-0 1656 2 4. Wake Forest 0-0 1581 14 5. Marquette 0-0 1515 16 6. Richmond 0-0 1422 3 7. Southern California 0-0 1351 11 8. Miami 0-0 1304 NR 9. San Francisco 0-0 1243 NR 10. Georgetown 0-0 1134 12 11. Furman 0-0 1101 NR 12. Dayton 0-0 1005 NR 13. DePaul 0-0 907 NR 14. Lafayette 0-0 873 NR 15. Duquesne 0-0 764 18 16. Niagara 0-0 721 9 17. William & Mary 0-0 639 10 18. Texas Christian 0-0 546 4 19. Southern Methodist 0-0 428 NR 20. South Carolina 0-0 407 NR 21. UCLA 0-0 403 17 22. Texas 0-0 318 NR 23. California 0-0 228 NR 24. Baylor 0-0 129 5 25. Oregon State 0-0 73 NR Others Receiving Votes: Davidson 0-0 71 Valparaiso 0-0 24 Stanford 0-0 12 Duke 0-0 7 Loyola-Maryland 0-0 4 Arkansas 0-0 2 Saint Mary's 0-0 2 Texas A&M 0-0 2 A lot of usual suspects in that preseason Top 25. At the start of January the top 24 were reasonable, with sub-.500 Duke at 25 an aberration. Quite a few undefeated teams remained, including Montana and Rice, who jockeyed back and forth over the #1 place in the country. By February, only Rice remained unbeaten at 21-0 and had seized the #1 place in the country. All Top 25 teams were reasonable for once and some began to hope the dark days might be over. Rice, Loyola-Illinois, Montana, San Francisco , and Richmond made up the Top 5. #23 Duquesne at 13-16 was the only glaring error in the Top 25 at the start of March. Rice had lost a game and was #2 now, behind Loyola-Illinois. Teams Pulling The Double Iona (Atlantic Six) St. John's (Empire) Loyola-Illinois (Great Lakes) Kent State (MAC) Wichita State (MVC) Wyoming (Mountain States) Navy (North Star) Washington (PNL) Citadel (Southern) Wake Forest (Southern Stars) Rice (SWC) Georgetown (Whig) The presence of so many teams completing the double boded well for those teams seeking at-large bids. #1 Seeds Rice Loyola-Illinois San Francisco Georgetown Huge pressure for the Dons and the Hoyas, who'd always fallen just short of championship dreams. Montana felt a little stiffed with their 2 seed, but the Grizzlies did poorly in the PCC tournament. 11 Consecutive NCAA Bids Georgetown (2 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8, 1 Final 4, 2 National Runner-Up) Lafayette (3 Sweet 16) Loyola-Illinois (1 Sweet 16, 2 Final 4, 1 Elite 8, 1 Runner-Up, 1 NCAA Championship) Loyola-Maryland (6 Sweet 16, 1 Elite 8) Montana (2 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8, 1 Runner-Up, 3 NCAA Championships) Rice (2 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8, 1 Final 4, 1 Runner-Up, 2 NCAA Championships) USC (3 Sweet 16, 4 Elite 8) Again, no one dropped out. First Round Upsets Midwest #13 Northern Arizona over #4 SMU South #12 Colorado State over #5 Baylor #14 LSU over #3 William & Mary East #12 Dartmouth over #5 Dayton #14 Nevada over #3 Citadel #11 Marshall over #6 Virginia How about that for the Desert Conference? It goes and not only gets a team in, but pulls off a major upset. William & Mary again gets blocked, the Brian Kinard curse still in effect. Second Round Upsets South #7 Wyoming over #2 Marquette #14 LSU over #6 UCLA East #7 Loyola-Maryland over #2 DePaul LSU continued its Cinderella run, while Loyola-Maryland celebrated its return to the Sweet 16. The Greyhounds wanted desperately to have a Final Four or a title to show they were right in staying independent. Sweet 16 West #1 Rice vs. #4 Washington #2 Montana vs #3 Wake Forest Midwest #1 Loyola-Illinois vs #5 George Washington #2 USC vs #3 Richmond South #1 San Francisco vs #4 Furman #7 Wyoming vs #14 LSU East #1 Georgetown vs #4 TCU #7 Loyola-Maryland vs #11 Marshall Many of the programs in the Sweet 16 represented either established blue bloods or up and coming programs. Marshall had made three Sweet 16s in the early years of the NCAAs and appeared to be back, but this was LSU's first ever Sweet 16 and they stood out as the real new kids. Loyola-Illinois blew past George Washington 96-70 on junior SG Scottie Gammon's 36 points and senior PG Brian Benevides's 15 points and 11 assists, while USC edged Richmond 79-73, thanks mainly to senior forward John Bartley's 22 points. Georgetown's defense shut down TCU 65-50, riding senior SG David Spitz's 25 points and double-doubles of 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 points, 10 rebounds from sophomore SF Hugh Davis and junior PF Kendall Garrett. Meanwhile, Loyola-Maryland made the Elite 8 for the first time since 1949, beating 78-66 with senior PF Michael Brewer's 15 points and 10 rebounds. Washington shocked defending champion Rice 81-70 and sophomore swingman Narciso Blanco became a national household name with 24 points. Montana, meanwhile, just barely edged Wake Forest 72-70 thanks to French sophomore 6th man Gustave Ricourt's 18 points. Furman spoiled the Dons' Final Four dreams in a 74-69 victory keyed by two players with 18 points a piece. LSU upset Wyoming 68-58 with stonewalling defense, much to the disbelief of everyone watching. Elite 8 West #4 Washington vs #2 Montana Midwest #1 Loyola-Illinois vs #2 USC South #4 Furman vs #14 LSU East #1 Georgetown vs #7 Loyola-Maryland Scads of storylines for this Elite 8, such as every matchup features a team who's been to at least the title game against a team that's never made it to the Final Four. Washington/Montana offered the further intrigue of the PNL vs. the PCC. There was also the matter of three schools with national championships still in play, and of course, in Georgetown/Loyola-Maryland, you had the team who consistently fell just short of a championship and the team who consistently fell short of the Final Four. Even the least-hyped game, Furman/LSU, offered a bona fide Cinderella. Loyola-Illinois slammed the door on USC, 78-68. Brian Benevides was the game's higher scorer with 16 points and 7 assists and the Trojans' fifth trip to the Elite 8 once more ended in failure. And then, in the most anticipated game of the first day, Loyola-Maryland finally broke through, beating Georgetown 76-64. Jubiliation all around as Michael Brewer scored 19 and sophomore 6th man Ernest Kerr turned in 14 bench points. At long last, the independent Greyhounds knew Final Four sweetness. Montana pushed aside Washington 70-61 with defense and balanced scoring, and although no Grizzlies posted sexy numbers, the message was clear - the PCC still ruled. Furman blew out LSU 70-47 on junior PG Colton Dieprieto's 21 points and junior C Dorian Rimmer's 19 rebounds. The selection committee breathed a sigh of relief after that one. Final Four #2 Montana vs #4 Furman #1 Loyola-Illinois vs #7 Loyola-Maryland Talk about your must see TV! David Beach, who won the 1955 national title with Furman, now faced off against his former school on his quest to become the first coach in NCAA history to win a championship at two different schools. Meanwhile, it was the battle of the Loyolas in the other half. The Ramblers were heavy favorites, but many were the fans who hoped this might finally be the Greyhounds' year. Junior PG Ron Kelley scored 21 as the Grizzlies crushed Furman 82-57. The Paladins just had no answer for Montana all game long and Beach, who'd taken heat for his underachieving first season, fist-pumped with joy once the game was beyond doubt. Reports say Mack Halbert smiled too. And then, in an exciting game, Loyola-Maryland stopped Loyola-Illinois's rally to pull off the 65-62 upset!!!! Senior SG James Rubacalva led the Greyhounds with 17 points as a nation celebrated the incredible result. National Championship #2 Montana vs #7 Loyola-Maryland Once the Grizzlies won, the network execs won. Either it would be Loyola-Illinois, one of Montana's biggest rivals for greatest program in the country, or it would be Loyola-Maryland, the nation's lone independent having the kind of season it just missed so many years. And of course, there was the David Beach saga. Action was heavy on the Grizzlies to become the first school to win four titles, but a few bet that this would be the first time in NCAA history an independent team won a national championship. All the hype turned to smoke quickly. 74-45 rout for the Grizzlies keyed by 22 points from senior swingman Jay Sandler and 10 points, 10 rebounds from sophomore C Charles Eby. David Beach became the first coach in history to win titles at two different schools. Montana extended its record of national championships to four. And Mack Halbert felt triply blessed, for he was in reasonable health, he'd chosen the right successor, and, perhaps most importantly to some, Beach won with Halbert recruits. Meanwhile, the Loyola-Maryland faithful had mixed feelings. Yes, they'd finally made the Final Four and the title game, but the Greyhounds looked foolish on national television. Yet, they swore to retain their independence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jestor Posted April 8, 2011 Author Share Posted April 8, 2011 11 Years Overview National Championships Montana: 4 (1948, 1950, 1956, 1958) Rice: 2 (1949, 1957) Furman: 1 (1955) Georgia Tech: 1 (1953) Loyola-Illinois: 1 (1951) Texas: 1 (1952) William & Mary: 1 (1954) Final Four Appearances Loyola-Illinois: 5 (1948, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1958) Rice: 5 (1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1957) ---------------------------------------------- Montana: 4 (1948, 1950, 1956, 1958) ---------------------------------------------- Wake Forest: 3 (1954, 1955, 1956) Georgetown: 3 (1949, 1951, 1955) ---------------------------------------------- Furman: 2 (1955, 1958) Niagara: 2 (1956, 1957) Marquette: 2 (1949, 1956) Virginia Tech: 2 (1952, 1953) South Carolina: 2 (1948, 1952) --------------------------------------------- Loyola-Maryland (1958) George Washington (1957) Richmond (1957) Kansas (1955) William & Mary (1954) Georgia Tech (1953) Nevada (1952) Texas (1952) Oregon State (1951) Syracuse (1950) Cincinnati (1950) Miami (1950) North Carolina (1949) UCLA (1948) Interesting Stats: -Wake Forest is the only school with 3 straight Final Four appearances -Montana has won the championship every year they've made it to the Final Four -14 of the 24 schools to make it to the Final Four have made it only once -Rice and Loyola-Illinois have been in almost half the Final Fours in NCAA history (5/11) Teams with 70+ Prestige Montana: 100 Rice: 99 Loyola-Illinois: 91 USC: 91 Wake Forest: 91 Furman: 90 -------------------- Richmond: 86 TCU: 86 Marquette:85 Niagara: 84 Georgetown: 82 SMU: 81 ------------------- San Francisco: 78 DePaul: 77 UCLA: 77 Loyola-Maryland: 76 Texas: 76 Dayton: 74 California: 73 Miami: 73 Baylor: 72 Oregon State: 72 William & Mary: 72 Davidson, Nevada, Valparaiso, and Wyoming just miss the cut at 69. Coach Wins Records # NAME SEASON RECORD ------------------------------------------- 1. Frank Hill 1959 319 2. Gus Seely 1959 280 3. David Beach 1959 267 4. Scott Knudsen 1959 264 5. Gerald Heater 1959 260 6. Andrew Bouldin 1959 255 7. Mack Halbert 1956 251 8. Brian Kinard 1959 251 9. Porter Gutierrez 1959 245 10. Duane Edwards 1959 245 11. Michael Levine 1959 239 12. Jeremiah Coffee 1959 237 13. Efren Bazemore 1959 236 14. Brian Suiter 1959 229 15. Charles Cruz 1959 229 16. Charles Henson 1959 228 17. Kent Garza 1959 226 18. Chris Nelson 1959 220 19. Brian Soler 1959 219 20. Johnny Martinez 1959 218 21. Kieth Slayton 1959 216 22. Dana Benford 1959 216 23. Britt Allen 1959 215 24. Sammy Taylor 1959 212 25. Tony Gonzalez 1959 211 26. Philip Woodley 1959 208 27. Andrew Brinkman 1959 206 28. Alonzo Benjamin 1959 205 29. Charles Luna 1959 205 30. Julius Durfee 1955 201 30 coaches with 200+ wins, with legendary Mack Halbert of Montana fame and Julius Durfee with 3 Final Fours, 2 at Wake Forest, 1 at South Carolina, the only retirees. Coach Winning % Records # NAME SEASON RECORD ---------------------------------------------- 1. Frank Hill 1959 0.816 2. Mack Halbert 1956 0.797 3. Gus Seely 1959 0.745 4. Julius Durfee 1955 0.736 5. David Beach 1959 0.726 6. Scott Knudsen 1959 0.708 7. Gerald Heater 1959 0.705 8. Brian Kinard 1959 0.688 9. Andrew Bouldin 1959 0.687 10. Gregory Bernard 1959 0.680 11. Porter Gutierrez 1959 0.671 12. Duane Edwards 1959 0.666 13. Michael Levine 1959 0.657 14. Jeremiah Coffee 1959 0.655 15. Efren Bazemore 1959 0.652 16. Charles Henson 1959 0.642 17. James Simpson 1954 0.641 18. Kent Garza 1959 0.640 19. Demarcus Hoover 1959 0.637 20. Charles Cruz 1959 0.633 21. Brian Suiter 1959 0.622 22. Sterling Cano 1959 0.617 23. Johnny Martinez 1959 0.614 24. Chris Nelson 1959 0.611 25. Sammy Taylor 1959 0.611 26. Britt Allen 1959 0.611 27. Dana Benford 1959 0.608 28. Tony Gonzalez 1959 0.603 29. Bruce Loos 1954 0.601 30. Brian Soler 1959 0.600 Time will tell if Frank Hill's obscene 80%+ record will hold up. Mack Halbert just missed the mark when he retired. The two best coaches you haven't heard much of so far - Scott Knudsen, who keeps just missing the Final Four as USC's coach and Gerald Heater, who had two solid seasons and a bad one at Duquesne before moving to Georgetown in 1952. Coach NCAA Championships Records # NAME SEASON RECORD --------------------------------------- 1. Mack Halbert 1956 3 2. David Beach 1959 2 3. Frank Hill 1959 2 4. Bruce Loos 1954 1 5. Gus Seely 1959 1 6. Brian Kinard 1959 1 7. Brian Soler 1959 1 Brian Soler won the title in 1953 with Georgia Tech, and, as you may remember, took the job at Wyoming the very next year, where he's built the Cowboys back into one of the country's better programs. Bruce Loos spent three years at VMI, before going to Texas and winning the Longhorns the 1952 fluke title, although he did take them to the Elite 8 in his final year of coaching. Interesting statistic: Julius Durfee still leads in number of All-Americans with 8, even though he's been retired since 1955. Conferences 5 prestige Great Lakes PCC Southern Stars SWC 4 prestige Independents Mountain States Whig 3 prestige Big Ten PNL Southern 2 prestige Atlantic Six Big 8 Ivy MAC North Star Yankee 1 prestige Bluegrass Desert Empire MVC OVC SEC Sun West The Big Ten's rise to a respectable conference was the biggest news here. Although there was also continued consternation in New England as the North Star dropped yet another level, and so conversations began between the presidents of the North Star, the Atlantic Six, and the Yankee, the latter two conferences of which were quite pleased at their own ascension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jestor Posted April 8, 2011 Author Share Posted April 8, 2011 1959 Conference Movement New Schools East Tennessee State Middle Tennessee State There was no problem over where to put the two new schools. The Bluegrass Conference happily accepted them to bolster the Kentucky/Tennessee regionality. At the last minute, the New England conferences invited the Empire to the discussion. Each league joining the Northeast/New England basketball dialogue came with a different agenda. Atlantic Six More than willing to dissolve the conference. There were actually seven member schools and no one felt any particular attachment to the league, particularly if it meant a stronger New England league. Empire Simply there to listen, but quite flexible. After all, they'd long since sacrificed the idea of a New York-only league, as was its original intent. Too, they saw what happened to the Steel League and how only a few missed it. North Star The one attendee` adamant about staying intact. In fact, the North Star came to the meetings with the idea that they would simply poach the best of the other conferences, regardless of academic reputation, and make their case to the NCAA as a 3 prestige conference. As the commissioner wrote in his diary, "We were very mindful of what happened in 1954, when we lost Georgetown, Lafayette, and William & Mary to the Whig. That wasn't going to happen again. We also did not want, under any circumstances, to become the Sun West of the East. The historical lessons were there and damned if we were not going to learn from them." Yankee Like the Empire, the Yankee kept an open mind, with no commitments one way or the other. The first thing the four leagues did was look at the other 3 prestige conferences in the country to see if it was even possible to construct an argument. They found that it'd be a tough stretch, but it might be possible, especially if the NCAA bought the need for the New England region to have a viable conference. St. Joseph's of the Atlantic Six, with its multiple NCAA appearances and its 1952 Elite 8 showing, Colgate of the North Star with its recent string of tournament successes, and Syracuse of the North Star with its 1950 Final Four appearance, were the three strongest teams. Other 40+ Prestige schools in the four conferences: La Salle (Yankee) Army (North Star) Navy (North Star) With four of the six most viable schools, the North Star clearly had the upper hand and argued for absorbing St. Joseph's and La Salle. There was little doubt in anyone's mind that this would result in the conference's return to 3 prestige status. Those changes would leave the Atlantic Six with a grandfathered legal six teams and the Yankee, too, would stay intact with seven members. Thus, the agreement was struck. St. Joseph's Atlantic Six (1948-1958) North Star (1959- La Salle Independent (1948-1951) Yankee League (1952-1958) North Star (1959- The NCAA also lowered the Atlantic Six and Yankee League back down to 1 prestige, but nobody minded all that much. But then a problem arose, as the NCAA also reversed its earlier decision about grandfathered conferences and required all conferences to have 7 teams or more. This stunning decision affected the following conferences: Atlantic Six Missouri Valley and... The Southern Stars. Some speculate that the timing of this decision came about as a result of some heavy bribes from the North Star to directly attack Southern Stars arrogance and the 1948 conflict. The Atlantic Six promptly voted to dissolve. Iona and St. Bonaventure quickly found new homes in the Empire as New York state schools. Holy Cross and Providence moved to the Yankee League. Bucknell and Villanova explored opportunities to revive some of the old Steel and Penn State of the Yankee League was certainly willing. But that was just three schools of a needed seven. Then Drexel, Pittsburgh, and St. Francis (PA), and Temple all indicated interest, and an All-Pennsylvania league again came into being. They could not use the old Steel name, so they voted on the Keystone League instead. The end result of this was that the Yankee League stayed at 7 and the Ohio Valley, which lost Drexel, Pittsburgh, and St. Francis (PA) of its seven members, went on the chopping block. And the axe came down as Toledo, Xavier, and Youngstown State all accepted invitations to the Ohio-Michigan-centric MAC, which in turn led Butler to rescue the Missouri Valley by relocating there. Only Marshall remained in the Ohio Valley and the Thundering Herd opted to go independent. As for the Southern Stars, the only viable private university with acceptable academic credentials in the South was Tulane, and so the Green Waves shockingly went from a 1 prestige conference all the way to one of the nation's top leagues. In other SEC news, Tennessee tired of being a doormat and so they applied for, and joined, the Bluegrass in another surprising move. The caveat to this was that the Volunteers were joining strictly as a basketball member. The thinking was that Tennessee would flourish in a less-congested conference and might help the Bluegrass attain auto-bid status down the line. Conference Changes Since 1948 Steel Conference (1948-1954) Whig Conference (1955- Bluegrass Conference (1956- Pacific Northwest League (1956- Desert Conference (1958- Atlantic Six (1948-1958) Ohio Valley Conference (1948-1958) Keystone League (1959- Bucknell Independent (1948) Atlantic Six (1949-1958) Keystone (1959- Holy Cross Atlantic Six (1948-1958) Yankee (1959- Iona/u] Atlantic Six (1948-1958) Empire (1959- Providence Atlantic Six (1949-1958) Yankee (1959- St. Bonaventure Atlantic Six (1948-1958) Empire (1959- Drexel Steel (1948-1954) Ohio Valley (1955-1958) Keystone (1959- Penn State Steel (1948-1954) Yankee (1955-1958) Keystone (1959- Pittsburgh Steel (1948-1954) Ohio Valley (1955-1958) Keystone (1959- St. Francis (PA) Ohio Valley (1956-1958) Keystone (1959- Temple Steel (1948-1954) Yankee (1955-1958) Keystone (1959- Villanova Steel (1948-1954) Atlantic Six (1955-1958) Keystone (1959- Toledo MAC (1948-1955) Ohio Valley (1956-1958) MAC (1959- Xavier Ohio Valley (1948-1958) MAC (1959- Youngstown State Ohio Valley (1948-1958) MAC (1959- Marshall Ohio Valley (1948-1958) Independent (1959- Tennessee SEC (1948-1958) Bluegrass (1959- Tulane SEC (1948-1958) Southern Stars (1959- 19 schools changed conferences, over 10% of the nation's 173 schools in a single offseason. 2 conferences were killed off and a new one was born. It was the busiest, most hectic changeup in NCAA history to date. The Keystone League, by the way, received an auto-bid, although it was designated a 1 prestige conference. It's worth noting that Bucknell for Duquesne and the addition of St. Francis (PA) were the only changes from the Steel League to the Keystone League. As a previous entry observed, the five Pennsylvania schools vowed to be together again in a conference after the Steel dissolved and this proved that opportunity. Furthermore, no longer was the SEC the nation's largest conference with 12 teams. That designation fell to the Bluegrass's 11 schools, ironically without an automatic bid. Five conferences had 10 teams - The Big Ten, MAC, North Star, PCC, and SEC. 11 of the nation's 21 conferences still had the minimum seven members, however, and just 18 conferences had automatic bids, with the Bluegrass, Desert, and Sun West conferences left out. Formerly, it had been 19 of 22. Thus, as had been the case ever since the NCAA started, there was plenty of opportunity for deserving teams to secure at-large bids, including those bidless conferences. This also provided the NCAA a measuring stick by which to decide whether those leagues would eventually be worthy of a guaranteed place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jestor Posted April 8, 2011 Author Share Posted April 8, 2011 Coach Movement Just 10 coaches got pink-slipped before the 1959 season, a little over half of the year before. Rchard Metts - Holy Cross to Northwestern Not a great hire. Although Metts led the Crusaders to a 1955 NCAA appearance, Holy Cross trended downwards each of his four years there. Then again, the Wildcats have only one winning season to their credit, when they made the Big Dance in 1953. Marco Moscowitz - Dartmouth to Marshall In five seasons at Dartmouth, Marco led the Big Green to three NCAA appearances, including two second round showings. The Thundering Herd are consistently in the NCAAs and last year made the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1951. Can he keep Marshall stampeding? Harlon Powell - Princeton to Dartmouth For the second time in as many years, a school steals another coach from a conference rival. Powell took the Tigers to one NCAA appearance in his four years there and generally speaking, improved Princeton from when he arrived. A good hire to get someone who knows the intricacies of Ivy League recruiting. Waldo Sperling - Bucknell to Boston College Sperling did nothing noteworthy at Bucknell and the Eagles haven't been to the tournament since 1951 and have just one winning season, 1956, since then. A bad hire from the looks of it. Duane Ramos - Mississippi State to Notre Dame Two NCAA appearances in four years with the Bulldogs makes this a much better hire than fellow North Star school BC did. The Fighting Irish haven't won so much as 10 games in any season since 1955, their only NCAA appearance. Thomas Roemer - Oregon to Arizona Arizona is Roemer's 4th school, but he showed in stints at Colorado, Colgate, and Oregon a tendency to have initial success and then program decline. The Wildcats made the Sweet 16 in 1956, a fluke in a long stretch of futility after 1953, the last of their streak of 5 Big Dance appearances in 6 seasons that they began NCAA play with. Very questionable decision. Eric Depew - Marshall to St. Mary's Fantastic hire by the Gaels, as 44 year old Depew built the Thundering Herd into one of the country's up and coming programs in his 8 seasons at Marshall. Another school that hasn't won even 10 games since their last NCAA appearance. The difference between Saint Mary's and Notre Dame - The Gaels have 7 NCAA bids to their credit and a 1951 Sweet 16 to boot. Jeffrey Grass - Western Michigan to Oregon Grass is a Washington native and graduated from Washington, so he's thrilled to be back in the Pacific Northwest after spending his entire coaching career in the Midwest. Four years with the Broncos translated to two Big Dance outings. The Ducks have become mediocre since joining the PNL and perhaps the Grass will make Green Golden again. 1958 Recruiting Rankings # Team Conference Best Player Rtg 5* 4* 3* 2* 1* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Loyola-IL Great Lakes PF Burt Seeley ***** 2 3 0 0 0 2. Rice SWC C Joseph Mason ***** 2 4 0 0 0 3. Southern California PCC SF Foster Lafferty ***** 3 1 0 0 0 4. Niagara Great Lakes PG Markus Gunther ***** 2 2 0 0 0 5. Furman Southern Stars PG Domingo Jacques ***** 2 2 0 0 0 6. Richmond Southern Stars SG Frank Cruz ***** 3 1 0 0 0 7. UCLA PCC SG Walker Austin ***** 1 2 0 0 0 8. Miami Southern Stars SF Phillip Gannon **** 0 4 0 2 0 9. Wake Forest Southern Stars SG Charles Woodall ***** 1 2 1 0 0 10. Brigham Young Mountain States PF James Eiland **** 0 3 1 1 2 11. Dayton Great Lakes SF Jeffrey Parker **** 0 3 2 0 0 12. Wyoming Mountain States C Cristopher Brown **** 0 3 1 0 0 13. Valparaiso Great Lakes PG John Cormier **** 0 3 2 1 0 14. Texas Christian SWC SG Carlton Frechette **** 0 4 0 0 0 15. DePaul Great Lakes SG Lance Fries ***** 1 1 0 0 0 16. Loyola-Maryland Independent PF Carson Carter ***** 1 1 0 0 0 17. Oregon State PCC PF Don Miller ***** 1 1 0 1 0 18. Lafayette Whig PG Josue Kerley **** 0 2 2 0 0 19. Baylor SWC SF Jimmie Singer **** 0 2 2 0 0 20. Southern Methodist SWC SG James Reynolds ***** 1 1 1 0 0 21. William & Mary Whig SG Thomas Danielson **** 0 3 1 0 0 22. Denver Mountain States C Joe Garland **** 0 3 0 0 0 23. California PCC SF Anibal Benz ***** 1 0 1 1 0 24. Marquette Great Lakes C Harlan Burnette ***** 1 1 0 0 0 25. Montana PCC SF Tony Vogt ***** 1 1 0 0 0 The Grizzlies' fall to 25 alarmed a good number of people in Bozeman, particularly with national rivals Loyola-Illinois and Rice taking the top two spots. Could Montana's run of greatness finally be starting to end? # Team FPV Record Points Prv ----------------------------------------------------------- 1. Montana (72) 0-0 1800 3 2. Rice 0-0 1728 2 3. DePaul 0-0 1656 10 4. Furman 0-0 1557 19 5. Richmond 0-0 1485 8 6. Duquesne 0-0 1454 21 7. Wake Forest 0-0 1391 11 8. Niagara 0-0 1237 NR 9. San Francisco 0-0 1212 4 10. Loyola-IL 0-0 1130 1 11. Southern California 0-0 1080 6 12. Georgetown 0-0 1036 5 13. UCLA 0-0 1008 NR 14. Dayton 0-0 874 17 15. William & Mary 0-0 756 12 16. Marquette 0-0 739 7 17. Texas 0-0 600 NR 18. Southern Methodist 0-0 598 15 19. Citadel 0-0 475 9 20. Oregon State 0-0 421 NR 21. Texas Christian 0-0 411 13 22. California 0-0 219 22 23. Miami 0-0 188 NR 24. Baylor 0-0 147 20 25. Loyola-Maryland 0-0 57 NR The Greyhounds felt disrespected to be ranked only 25th in the preseason polls. Montana, still riding high on Mack Halbert's last classes, had the #1 spot. A handful of unbeaten teams still remained at the start of January, including #1 Montana, #2 Wake Forest, #4 SMU, #6 TCU, and #8 Texas A&M. The polls all made sense as well. As of February 1st, only 20-0 Montana lay claim to an unbeaten season and were a clear-cut #1, followed by Wake Forest, Marquette, Georgetown, and Nevada. March 1st had the Grizzlies still unbeaten at 28-0. Could the Grizzlies become the first unbeaten team in NCAA history going into the tournament? Sadly, the Top 25 was finally marred by silly selections for 24 and 25, ruining what was almost a perfect polling season. Teams Pulling the Double Illinois (Big Ten) Loyola-Illinois (Great Lakes) Detroit (MAC) Montana (PCC) Wake Forest (Southern Stars) Rice (SWC) Georgetown (Whig) Canisius (Yankee) *Note - The Keystone League opted not to have a conference tournament their first season, and of course, the Ivy never had a conference tournament. As a result, Bucknell earned the Keystone League's automatic bid. #1 Seeds Montana Rice Wake Forest Georgetown The Montana Grizzlies entered the NCAA Tournament a perfect 32-0. No other team had ever accomplished that feat and so the Grizzlies were heavy, heavy favorites to win it all. 12 Consecutive NCAA Bids Georgetown (2 Sweet 16, 3 Elite 8, 1 Final 4, 2 National Runner-Up) Lafayette (3 Sweet 16) Loyola-Illinois (1 Sweet 16, 3 Final 4, 1 Elite 8, 1 Runner-Up, 1 NCAA Championship) Loyola-Maryland (6 Sweet 16, 1 Elite 8, 1 Runner-Up) Montana (2 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8, 1 Runner-Up, 4 NCAA Championships) Rice (3 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8, 1 Final 4, 1 Runner-Up, 2 NCAA Championships) USC (3 Sweet 16, 5 Elite 8) Although no one dropped out, Lafayette just barely made the tournament as a 15 seed. First Round Upsets West #10 Kent State over #7 Navy #14 Arizona State over #3 William & Mary Midwest #10 UCLA over #7 Detroit Comparatively few upsets in the opening round, the biggest shocker being William & Mary dumped for the umpteenth time, continuing the all-too familiar curse for Tribe fans. Second Round Upsets Midwest #6 Idaho over #3 South Carolina South #9 West Virginia over #1 Wake Forest East #7 Niagara over #2 Nevada The Mountaineers taking down the Demon Deacons really stood out, but overall it was a very quiet tournament for Cinderellas. Sweet 16 West #1 Montana vs #5 Duquesne #2 SMU vs #6 Miami Midwest #1 Rice vs #5 Dayton #2 Loyola-Illinois vs #6 Idaho South #9 West Virginia vs #5 Oregon State #2 Marquette vs #3 TCU East #1 Georgetown vs #5 Furman #7 Niagara vs #3 Richmond All in all, the matchups in the Sweet 16 weren't that exciting. The biggest one was Georgetown vs Furman in a battle of powers, with many feeling the Paladins underseeded. Marquette and TCU promised to be an interesting draw of second-tier teams, but outside of those two games, there just wasn't much of a draw. Montana destroyed Duquesne 85-56 with senior PG Ron Kelley's 18 points and junior C Charles Eby's 12 points and 11 rebounds. SMU bested Miami 68-54 with defense and team balance. West Virginia knocked out Oregon State 88-84 to continue its surprise run, led by junior Wilbur Fults, senior Charles Branum and senior George Cordona all scoring 20 points in a beautiful perimeter pummeling. TCU do-everything junior Houston Long hauled in 18 points and 11 rebounds, but the big story in the Horned Frogs' 78-72 win over Marquette was true freshman Darrick Pickett scoring 22. Was there a new phenom to pay attention to on the national scene? Rice dismantled Dayton 82-48 with senior Bryan Murray's 21 points, senior C Felipe Mora's 11 points and 16 rebounds, and reserve junior Dannie Gomez's 13 points. Only one Flyer scored so much as 10 points. The biggest upset of the tournament came when Idaho shocked Loyola-Illinois 75-72 in the most glorious victory in program history. Senior Terrence Broadwater scored 25 to be the difference-maker. In the marquee matchup of the round, Georgetown beat Furman 73-65 with all five starters netting 10+ points. The most entertaining game was Niagara's 105-99 shootout over Richmond, keyed by their own all five starters in 10+ points, including junior Richard Parker's 27 points, and a 17 point bench burst by true freshman Markus Gunther. Elite 8 West #1 Montana vs #2 SMU Midwest #1 Rice vs #6 Idaho South #9 West Virginia vs #3 TCU East #1 Georgetown vs #7 Niagara Montana and Rice, the nation's royalty. Georgetown, with just 82 prestige despite a recent status as one of college basketball's super powers. Niagara, largely unheralded despite a 1956 and 1957 back to back Final Fours and a 1955 Elite 8. TCU, in the Elite 8 for the second time. Idaho, the second straight PNL team to make the Elite 8 in as many as years, and never having even been in the second weekend before, a status shared by fellow newcomer West Virginia. It was as intriguing an Elite 8 as the Sweet 16 looked dull. Montana continued to maul any and all opposition, gashing SMU 76-55. Senior PG Ron Kelley was again the man of the night, scoring 25 points. TCU fended off West Virginia 68-60 on junior C Daniel North's 24 points and 13 rebounds. The Owls came this close to becoming the second prince of the basketball realm to being robbed by the Vandals, and they barely withstood Terrence Broadwater's 30 points to escape with a heartpounding 85-83 win. Brian Murray's 23 points and senior Kristopher Maurer's 28 points saved the day. Senior big Kendall Garrett's 30 points and 12 rebounds almost singlehandedly scored the win for the Hoyas, Georgetown suffocating Niagara 78-55 in a snoozer. Final Four #1 Montana vs #3 TCU #1 Rice vs #1 Georgetown The Grizzlies, still hoping to become the first undefeated champion in NCAA history. The Horned Frogs, literally praying for an upset of the ages. The Owls, trying to regain their confidence after nearly losing to the Vandals. The Hoyas, hungry to exorcise the hex that denied their championship dreams. A thrilling set of Final Four teams and television and radio executives were in the position, much like last year, to have a ratings bonanza so long as Montana won. Win the Grizzlies did, but TCU drew kudos for being the first team in the tournament to lose by less than 10 points. Senior Cole Gibson, part of that #1 five 5*s class, scored 21 and Willy Theis, a junior, popped off 23 points. Georgetown shut down Rice and junior SG Landon Sharpe did virtually all the necessary scoring in a 70-64 win that wasn't as close as it looked. National Championship #1 Montana vs #1 Georgetown On one side, the team many called the greatest in NCAA history at a school known for its legendary players and teams. A coach in David Beach hoping to tie his predecessor in total national championships. A school dreaming of first-ever unbeaten season distinction and the first one to win back-to-back titles. On the other side, a program 0 for 2 in national title game appearances. A coach in Gerald Heater who'd suffered one of those losses and who didn't draw the acclaim that other coaching greats did. A school that would forgive all the pain and agony of the past if they could win here and have the sweetness of ruining perfection in the bargain. And then the Hoyas' nerves showed. Georgetown shot just 30.6% and scored only 37 points, an NCAA championship record. Meanwhile PG Ron Kelley led a balanced Grizzlies attack with 19 points, and Montana claimed its 5th national championship. Montana Grizzlies - the first school to win consecutive national titles and the first unbeaten team in NCAA history, all in one go!!! At last, Mack Halbert was tied for the most national championships by David Beach with 3. Halbert's influence in the Beach hiring had never looked more brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jestor Posted April 10, 2011 Author Share Posted April 10, 2011 The 1955 Montana recruiting class, the greatest ever in NCAA history to that point, took home three national titles in their four years, in 1956, 1958, and 1959. It was a feat few doubted would ever be matched. Here then, were the Phenomenal Five: #31 PF Ismael Neuman - Montana - Senior -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Height: 6-10 Weight: 260 High School: Garfield-Palouse High School Hometown: Palouse, WA Attributes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current: 60 40 34 0 10 41 43 80 82 31 8 80 25 77 40 87 1958: 55 39 33 0 10 39 39 73 75 30 7 73 25 74 39 79 1957: 50 38 32 0 10 37 35 66 68 29 6 66 24 71 38 71 1956: 45 37 31 0 9 35 31 59 61 28 5 59 23 68 37 62 1955: 37 35 29 0 7 33 25 49 51 26 5 49 20 60 37 38 Potential: B C C F F C C A A C F A Health: Good Scholarship: Yes Status: Active Roster Academics: 76 Stat Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1956 38 0 4.4 0.5 0.3 1.2 0.2 0.2 1.00 0.0 0.3 0.3 1957 27 0 7.0 1.3 0.7 2.2 0.4 0.3 1.33 0.1 0.6 0.6 1958 34 0 5.7 1.1 0.5 1.7 0.2 0.3 0.60 0.1 0.7 0.3 1959 37 0 6.5 1.8 0.3 1.6 0.2 0.4 0.56 0.1 0.5 0.2 Career 136 0 5.8 1.2 0.4 1.6 0.3 0.3 0.56 0.1 0.5 0.3 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1956 0.2 0.4 .400 0.2 0.2 1.000 0.0 0.0 .000 1.20 1.55 1957 0.5 1.2 .424 0.3 0.5 .615 0.0 0.0 .000 1.09 1.93 1958 0.5 0.9 .548 0.1 0.3 .400 0.0 0.0 .000 1.23 2.97 1959 0.7 1.2 .591 0.4 0.6 .619 0.0 0.0 .000 1.48 3.92 Career 0.5 0.9 .512 0.2 0.4 .620 0.0 0.0 .000 1.28 2.63 Stat Totals: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1956 38 0 168 18 13 44 8 8 1 13 12 1957 27 0 188 36 18 59 12 9 3 16 16 1958 34 0 193 38 16 58 6 10 5 23 10 1959 37 0 240 65 10 60 9 16 4 20 8 Career 136 0 789 157 57 221 35 43 13 72 46 Shooting Totals -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1956 6 15 6 6 0 0 59 1957 14 33 8 13 0 0 52 1958 17 31 4 10 0 0 101 1959 26 44 13 21 0 0 145 Career 63 123 31 50 0 0 357 Career Highs: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season 7 1 5 2 1 5 3 3 4 3 4 0 0 Career 7 5 6 2 1 5 3 3 6 3 4 0 0 Awards & Acheivements: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Award -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1955 High School: Rated ***** and #24 overall by the FBCB scouting service. 1955 High School: All-State (Washington) 1955 High School: Mr. Basketball (Washington) 1956 NCAA Champion 1958 NCAA Champion 1959 NCAA Champion #51 SG Cole Gibson - Montana - Senior -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Height: 6-4 Weight: 195 High School: Alvirne High School Hometown: Hudson, NH Attributes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current: 78 94 54 100 67 76 34 50 28 91 49 24 70 52 56 93 1958: 78 92 49 100 66 72 31 43 24 91 45 22 70 49 54 86 1957: 71 89 44 92 59 65 29 39 20 79 39 20 69 47 54 82 1956: 63 79 39 82 51 57 26 34 17 65 32 19 68 45 53 78 1955: 59 73 35 76 45 51 24 30 15 55 28 17 67 41 53 70 Potential: B A C A B B D C D A C D Health: Good Scholarship: Yes Status: Active Roster Academics: 76 Stat Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1956 38 38 25.9 13.2 1.2 3.7 3.8 1.6 2.47 0.8 0.2 2.1 1957 33 33 30.6 17.4 1.5 5.0 4.8 2.4 2.05 1.3 0.1 3.1 1958 35 35 28.3 13.5 1.1 3.9 5.3 1.4 3.74 1.5 0.1 3.4 1959 28 28 29.3 13.6 1.1 4.1 5.0 1.6 3.02 1.4 0.1 2.8 Career 134 134 28.4 14.4 1.2 4.2 4.7 1.7 3.02 1.2 0.1 2.8 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1956 4.8 9.9 .481 1.5 2.2 .675 2.2 4.9 .449 1.33 14.61 1957 6.0 11.1 .545 2.3 3.4 .679 3.0 6.3 .478 1.57 14.70 1958 4.9 10.4 .473 1.4 2.2 .632 2.3 5.3 .430 1.30 19.11 1959 5.0 9.3 .542 1.8 2.6 .671 1.8 4.3 .421 1.47 21.79 Career 5.2 10.2 .508 1.7 2.6 .666 2.3 5.2 .448 1.41 17.31 Stat Totals: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1956 38 38 986 501 47 139 146 59 29 6 80 1957 33 33 1010 573 49 166 160 78 44 4 103 1958 35 35 990 472 38 138 187 50 51 2 118 1959 28 28 820 382 32 116 139 46 38 4 79 Career 134 134 3806 1928 166 559 632 233 162 16 380 Shooting Totals -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1956 181 376 56 83 83 185 555 1957 199 365 76 112 99 207 485 1958 172 364 48 76 80 186 669 1959 141 260 49 73 51 121 610 Career 693 1365 229 344 313 699 2319 Career Highs: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season 25 3 8 11 4 1 4 10 16 6 10 4 7 Career 43 6 12 12 5 1 6 14 21 7 11 10 14 Awards & Acheivements: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Award -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All Player of the Game: 29 1955 High School: Rated ***** and #2 overall by the FBCB scouting service. 1955 High School: All-State (New Hampshire) 1955 High School: Mr. Basketball (New Hampshire) 1955 High School: All-American 1956 NCAA Champion 1956 National Freshman of the Year 1956 Freshman All-American 1956 1st Team All-Conference (Pacific Coast Conference) 1956 Freshman All-Conference (Pacific Coast Conference) 1956 Conference Freshman of the Year (Pacific Coast Conference) 1957 1st Team All-American 1957 1st Team All-Conference (Pacific Coast Conference) 1957 Conference Player of the Year (Pacific Coast Conference) 1958 NCAA Champion 1958 2nd Team All-American 1958 1st Team All-Conference (Pacific Coast Conference) 1959 NCAA Champion 1959 3rd Team All-American 1959 1st Team All-Conference (Pacific Coast Conference) #0 SG Ivan Renteria - Montana - Senior -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Height: 5-11 Weight: 188 High School: Johansen High School Hometown: Modesto, CA Attributes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current: 20 76 59 71 41 33 23 47 48 70 7 25 83 38 93 54 1958: 18 72 56 67 38 32 22 44 46 66 7 24 82 37 93 47 1957: 17 68 53 63 36 31 21 42 44 63 7 23 80 36 93 40 1956: 16 64 50 59 34 30 20 40 42 59 7 22 79 35 91 33 1955: 14 58 44 53 30 28 18 36 40 52 5 20 77 33 89 19 Potential: D A B B C D D C C A F D Health: Good Scholarship: Yes Status: Active Roster Academics: 92 Stat Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1957 1 0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.00 0.0 0.0 0.0 1958 33 1 6.0 1.5 0.2 0.8 0.5 0.4 1.38 0.3 0.0 0.5 1959 33 0 8.6 2.1 0.3 1.2 0.6 0.5 1.17 0.2 0.0 0.6 Career 67 1 7.2 1.8 0.2 1.0 0.6 0.5 1.17 0.2 0.0 0.5 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1957 0.0 1.0 .000 0.0 0.0 .000 0.0 1.0 .000 0.00 0.00 1958 0.6 1.5 .388 0.1 0.2 .571 0.2 0.8 .259 1.00 1.27 1959 0.6 1.5 .420 0.4 0.6 .700 0.4 0.9 .467 1.40 3.33 Career 0.6 1.5 .400 0.3 0.4 .667 0.3 0.9 .362 1.19 2.27 Stat Totals: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1957 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1958 33 1 199 49 6 27 18 13 10 1 17 1959 33 0 285 70 9 38 21 18 5 0 19 Career 67 1 485 119 15 65 39 31 15 1 36 Shooting Totals -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1957 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1958 19 49 4 7 7 27 42 1959 21 50 14 20 14 30 110 Career 40 100 18 27 21 58 152 Career Highs: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season 11 3 4 4 1 0 2 4 5 2 4 2 3 Career 13 3 4 4 2 1 3 4 5 3 5 2 3 Awards & Acheivements: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Award -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All Player of the Game: 1 1955 High School: Rated ***** and #16 overall by the FBCB scouting service. 1956 NCAA Champion 1958 NCAA Champion 1959 NCAA Champion #21 PF Brian Priest - Montana - Senior -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Height: 6-7 Weight: 208 High School: Eastridge High School Hometown: Rochester, NY Attributes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current: 97 33 30 46 34 24 33 86 97 32 48 83 32 63 40 100 1958: 95 29 29 45 30 20 31 77 91 30 45 82 32 61 39 100 1957: 93 27 28 44 27 17 29 68 76 28 42 67 31 59 39 92 1956: 84 25 26 42 25 15 26 59 64 27 40 55 30 57 38 83 1955: 76 23 24 40 23 13 24 51 54 25 38 45 29 53 36 64 Potential: A C D C C D D B A C C B Health: Good Scholarship: Yes Status: Active Roster Academics: 54 Stat Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1956 38 0 17.8 6.7 1.1 3.9 0.8 0.8 1.00 0.6 0.6 2.1 1957 33 33 31.8 13.5 1.7 7.7 1.8 1.9 0.97 0.7 2.4 2.6 1958 29 29 33.2 15.2 2.1 8.4 2.0 2.1 0.95 0.6 2.6 2.0 1959 34 33 32.3 13.9 1.6 7.9 1.7 1.9 0.92 0.7 2.8 1.8 Career 134 95 28.3 12.0 1.6 6.8 1.5 1.6 0.92 0.6 2.0 2.1 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1956 2.5 4.8 .525 1.7 2.8 .613 0.0 0.0 .000 1.41 8.74 1957 5.2 10.2 .506 3.2 5.2 .616 0.0 0.0 .000 1.33 16.39 1958 5.6 10.8 .522 3.9 6.8 .579 0.0 0.0 .000 1.41 21.28 1959 5.3 10.3 .516 3.2 5.3 .609 0.0 0.1 .000 1.34 23.74 Career 4.5 8.8 .516 2.9 4.9 .602 0.0 0.0 .000 1.37 17.14 Stat Totals: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1956 38 0 678 255 41 149 30 30 23 24 79 1957 33 33 1049 446 55 253 60 62 23 78 85 1958 29 29 964 440 61 245 58 61 16 76 57 1959 34 33 1099 471 56 270 58 63 24 95 62 Career 134 95 3790 1612 213 917 206 216 86 273 283 Shooting Totals -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1956 95 181 65 106 0 0 332 1957 170 336 106 172 0 0 541 1958 163 312 114 197 0 0 617 1959 181 351 109 179 0 2 807 Career 609 1180 394 654 0 2 2297 Career Highs: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season 24 5 15 4 4 8 5 10 17 8 12 0 1 Career 30 5 15 5 4 8 8 13 19 10 14 0 1 Awards & Acheivements: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Award -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All Player of the Game: 25 1955 High School: Rated ***** and #1 overall by the FBCB scouting service. 1955 High School: All-State (New York) 1956 NCAA Champion 1956 Freshman All-Conference (Pacific Coast Conference) 1957 1st Team All-Conference (Pacific Coast Conference) 1958 NCAA Champion 1958 2nd Team All-American 1958 1st Team All-Conference (Pacific Coast Conference) 1958 Conference Player of the Year (Pacific Coast Conference) 1959 NCAA Champion 1959 1st Team All-Conference (Pacific Coast Conference) #13 PG Ron Kelley - Montana - Senior -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Height: 6-0 Weight: 184 High School: Bennett High School Hometown: Kingsport, TN Attributes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current: 50 100 69 66 78 69 38 16 34 100 37 43 94 38 63 100 1958: 49 91 69 64 72 67 36 15 30 100 34 36 92 36 63 83 1957: 46 82 67 57 62 57 34 14 28 88 31 31 91 34 62 71 1956: 44 74 61 51 54 49 33 13 26 79 28 28 90 32 61 59 1955: 42 68 55 45 48 43 31 13 24 72 26 26 88 28 58 27 Potential: C A B B B B C F D A D C Health: Good Scholarship: Yes Status: Active Roster Academics: 51 Stat Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1956 38 8 16.9 6.6 1.0 2.0 1.9 0.9 2.11 0.7 0.1 1.8 1957 33 33 31.0 13.9 1.5 2.9 4.3 2.2 2.00 1.2 0.2 2.8 1958 37 37 31.3 14.6 1.2 2.8 4.3 1.2 3.46 1.2 0.2 3.0 1959 38 38 32.1 13.1 1.3 2.8 5.3 1.4 3.65 1.2 0.2 2.8 Career 146 116 27.7 11.9 1.2 2.6 3.9 1.4 3.65 1.1 0.2 2.6 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1956 2.4 5.6 .430 0.8 1.0 .795 0.9 2.5 .372 1.17 10.00 1957 4.9 10.2 .476 1.7 2.3 .747 2.5 5.9 .415 1.36 13.64 1958 5.3 10.0 .531 1.9 2.5 .774 2.0 5.3 .371 1.45 19.22 1959 4.5 8.2 .551 2.0 2.4 .844 2.0 4.2 .475 1.59 24.03 Career 4.3 8.5 .504 1.6 2.0 .791 1.8 4.4 .410 1.41 16.81 Stat Totals: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1956 38 8 643 250 39 75 74 35 28 4 67 1957 33 33 1024 459 49 97 142 71 39 7 93 1958 37 37 1158 539 43 104 159 46 45 8 110 1959 38 38 1220 496 48 107 201 55 46 7 106 Career 146 116 4045 1744 179 383 576 207 158 26 376 Shooting Totals -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1956 92 214 31 39 35 94 380 1957 161 338 56 75 81 195 450 1958 197 371 72 93 73 197 711 1959 172 312 76 90 76 160 913 Career 622 1235 235 297 265 646 2454 Career Highs: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season 29 5 6 11 4 2 5 9 15 9 12 6 11 Career 37 6 9 11 5 2 6 15 19 9 12 6 12 Awards & Acheivements: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Award -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All Player of the Game: 22 1955 High School: Rated ***** and #3 overall by the FBCB scouting service. 1955 High School: All-State (Tennessee) 1955 High School: Mr. Basketball (Tennessee) 1955 High School: All-American 1956 NCAA Champion 1956 Freshman All-Conference (Pacific Coast Conference) 1958 NCAA Champion 1958 1st Team All-Conference (Pacific Coast Conference) 1959 NCAA Champion 1959 2nd Team All-Conference (Pacific Coast Conference) Cole Gibson and Ron Kelley exemplified this team by their selfless sharing, taking 11th and T-21st all-time in career assists and Brian Priest was 17th all-time in career blocks. Cole Gibson, Ron Kelley, and Brian Priest became the 8th, 16th, and 24th all-time in PCC scoring, a delicious symmetry in sequence. Priest also ranked 14th in career PCC rebounds and 2nd in blocks. Gibson's PCC marks included 4th in assists and 3rd in career steals, while Kelley took 7th in both assists and steals. Montana Marks Cole Gibson Points - 2nd Rebounds - 11th O. Rebounds - 13th Assists - 2nd Steals - 1st Blocks - 20th Ron Kelley Points - 3rd Rebounds - 15th O. Rebounds - 11th Assists - 3rd Steals - 4th Blocks - 16th Brian Priest Points - 5th Rebounds - 3rd O. Rebounds - 7th Assists - 10th Steals - T - 10th Blocks - 1st It was quite the powerful triumvirate, far different from the Newton Richardson dual title teams. Richardson, even as 1960 approached, still owned the school record in career points and assists. The question looming as 1960 approached - Could the Grizzlies threepeat in Charles Eby's senior year? And what would happen to Montana after that, with David Beach bringing in a lackluster 77th and 24th overall class his first two seasons in Bozeman? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jestor Posted April 10, 2011 Author Share Posted April 10, 2011 I neglected to include the 1958 national awards previously, so here they are along with the 1959 awards. 1958 OVERALL AWARDS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Player of the Year: SR C Jerald Coughlin Denver 19.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 1.5 APG 0.5 SPG, 3.5 BPG Freshman of the Year: FR PF Alan Martin Denver 10.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.4 APG 0.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG Coach of the Year: Kent Garza San Francisco 28 - 5 (16 - 2) All-league 1st Team: C SR Jerald Coughlin Denver 19.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.5 SPG, 3.5 BPG PF SR Kevin Eby Washington 15.5 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.6 BPG SF JR Michael Blankenship Nevada 15.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG SG JR Kristopher Maurer Rice 21.1 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 4.9 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG PG SR Granville Lederman North Carolina 17.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.1 BPG All-league 2nd Team: C JR Joshua Jessen Southern Methodist 8.4 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.6 SPG, 4.1 BPG PF JR Brian Priest Montana 15.2 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, 2.6 BPG SF SO Houston Long Texas Christian 20.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG SG JR Cole Gibson Montana 13.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG PG SR Brian Benavides Loyola-IL 15.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG All-league 3rd Team: C SR Thomas Bourgeois Colgate 13.2 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.4 SPG, 2.1 BPG PF SR Matthew Dixson Marquette 16.2 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.5 BPG SF SR Lon Walker Miami 18.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG SG SR Bert Hopkins Navy 19.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG PG JR Gervasio Marin Southern Methodist 16.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG All-freshman Team: C FR Tony Herod Oregon State 9.6 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG PF FR Alan Martin Denver 10.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG SF FR Zachery Christopherson Marshall 11.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG SG FR Jean Gladden Utah 13.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.4 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.1 BPG PG FR Douglas Root DePaul 11.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG 1959 OVERALL AWARDS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Player of the Year: SR PF Kendall Garrett Georgetown 19.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.9 APG 0.8 SPG, 2.5 BPG Freshman of the Year: FR PF Matthew Bell Niagara 10.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.3 APG 0.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG Coach of the Year: David Beach Montana 38 - 0 (18 - 0) All-league 1st Team: C SR Evan Montiel Citadel 15.5 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG PF SR Kendall Garrett Georgetown 19.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.8 SPG, 2.5 BPG SF JR Chase Moose George Washington 18.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 4.8 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG SG SR Theodore Hackett Colgate 17.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 4.3 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG PG SR Richard Lin Wake Forest 17.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.8 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG All-league 2nd Team: C SO Alan Martin Denver 17.0 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.3 SPG, 1.1 BPG PF SR Joshua Jessen Southern Methodist 8.5 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.6 SPG, 4.7 BPG SF SR Brian Murray Rice 18.5 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG SG JR Joseph Kersey Marquette 18.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG PG SR George Cardona West Virginia 17.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 6.5 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG All-league 3rd Team: C SR Robert Head William & Mary 14.2 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.4 SPG, 3.1 BPG PF JR Brian Sosa Richmond 16.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.5 SPG, 2.2 BPG SF JR Houston Long Texas Christian 18.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.4 BPG SG SR Cole Gibson Montana 13.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.1 BPG PG SR Gervasio Marin Southern Methodist 16.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG All-freshman Team: C FR Burt Seeley Loyola-IL 7.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.3 SPG, 1.9 BPG PF FR Matthew Bell Niagara 10.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG SF FR Gerald Clinkscales Navy 11.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.0 BPG SG FR Jason Fulks Texas Tech 12.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG PG FR Gavin Peters Maryland 8.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG 1960 Conference Movement New Schools Centenary The most logical place for Centenary was the SEC, but the Southeastern had finally upgraded to a 2 prestige conference and so they were loathe to add the Gentlemen. Furthermore, the newest program didn't even field a football team. The next most fitting place was the Southern Stars, but schools across the country despised the idea of a first year member breaking into one of the power conferences. Loyola-Maryland and Marshall, too, didn't want Centenary going independent for fear of hurting the Greyhounds' and Thundering Herd's status. The Bluegrass almost voted the Gents in, but by the narrowest of margins, Centenary's application was rejected, and so they began Division I life independent. Outside of that dispute, no conversations occurred about movement. 1959 Recruiting Rankings # Team Conference Best Player Rtg 5* 4* 3* 2* 1* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Richmond Southern Stars SF Daniel Whitcomb ***** 2 3 0 0 0 2. Loyola-Maryland Independent SG Dominick Foy ***** 3 2 0 0 0 3. Montana PCC PG Craig Lawson ***** 2 3 0 0 0 4. Loyola-IL Great Lakes PF Larry Hernandez ***** 3 1 0 0 0 5. Rice SWC SF Emile Bailey ***** 2 1 1 0 0 6. George Washington Whig PG Anderson Pearce **** 0 5 0 0 0 7. San Francisco PCC SG Hew Patterson ***** 1 3 0 0 0 8. Southern Methodist SWC SF Leandro Lorenzo ***** 1 3 0 0 0 9. Nevada Mountain States SF Jonathan Ramos ***** 1 2 1 0 0 10. Wake Forest Southern Stars SG Elijah Williams ***** 2 1 0 0 0 11. Duquesne Whig PF Matthew Morehouse **** 0 4 0 0 0 12. Georgetown Whig PF Arthur Mertz ***** 1 2 1 0 0 13. Oregon State PCC PF Trevor Paniagua ***** 1 2 0 0 0 14. Saint Mary's PCC PG Carlos Worthen **** 0 3 3 1 0 15. Davidson Southern Stars PG Frederick Saad ***** 1 2 1 0 0 16. DePaul Great Lakes SF Monroe Marsh **** 0 3 2 0 0 17. Furman Southern Stars SG Emanuel Eckhardt ***** 1 2 0 0 0 18. Wyoming Mountain States PG Jackie Whalen **** 0 3 2 0 0 19. Baylor SWC PG Dean Hardcastle **** 0 3 1 0 0 20. Texas SWC C Ronald Norman ***** 1 1 1 0 0 21. Akron Great Lakes PG David Patterson **** 0 1 3 0 0 22. Arkansas SWC SG Stefan Wald **** 0 2 2 0 0 23. Southern California PCC PG Gregory Ragsdale **** 0 2 1 0 0 24. California PCC SG John Stedman **** 0 2 1 0 0 25. Lafayette Whig SG Nelson Murphy ***** 1 1 0 0 0 David Beach at last landed a top class, bringing in the #3 cohort in the country. While still not on the level of Mack Halbert's successes, it alleviated some fears of the Grizzlies' decline. Coach Movement 12 coaches were fired prior to 1960 and a record 7 coaches retired, the most notable of whom was Kent Garza, the 1958 National Coach of the Year with San Francisco who'd won 246 games in stops with Bradley, Denver, and San Francisco. He also made it two Sweet 16s, in 1950 with Bradley and 1958 with San Francisco. Garza was only one of two retired coaches in the Top 20 in career wins at that point, and everyone knows the other one. In fact, just four retired coaches had over 200 wins at that point. Halbert, Garza, Andrew Brinkman, who also retired after 1959 and coached a few seasons at Detroit before taking the job at Duquesne, where in 8 seasons he led the Dukes to 3 Sweet 16s and the 1954 Ellite 8, and Julius Durfee. Abram Lindberg - Arizona to Valparaiso* Lindberg may have had three Sweet 16s to his credit, but two were in the first two years of the NCAA with Purdue and the latter was considered a fluke appearance in his first season with the Wildcats. Already with stops at Purdue, Gonzaga, and Arizona on his resume, Lindberg represented the kind of uninspired journeyman hire that underwhelmed fanbases (154-184 overall record and a noted history of program declines). It was particularly puzzling a choice, considering Valpo had a fairly distinguished NCAA tournament resume with just one non-appearance (1956) after making it to the Big Dance for the first time in 1950. Even more stunning considering Lindberg moved from the bid-less Sun West all the way to the powerhouse Great Lakes, especially since he got fired from a 1 prestige conference school right before he got this 5 prestige conference job. Ronnie Pearl - Wichita State to Centenary Great hire for the Gentlemen in their first season of existence. Pearl took the Shockers to two NCAA appearances in his five seasons and had only one losing season. He also had success building Mississippi State's program and took the Bulldogs to the second round in his last season there. Brian Kelly - Western Kentucky to Detroit Kelly led the Hilltoppers to the tournament for the first time since 1952 and cashed in by taking the Titans gig. Detroit hasn't had any consistent success, only making back-to-back tournaments in 1951 and 1952, their lone Sweet 16 appearance in '51. But they made the tournament last year and Kelly will be expected to produce right away. James Hunter - Maryland to BYU Three NCAA trips in seven years isn't exactly stellar, especially when two of them were a result of getting hot in the conference tournament at just the right time. General feeling is that the oft-dancing, but never second weekend Cougars blew this hire. Hector Gober - Auburn to Army Very strange pick by the Black Knights. Gober has just one winning season and NCAA appearance to his credit, two years ago. Army's streak of staying home since 1954 looks likely to continue. Lewis Hoke - Detroit to Colgate Hoke played it smart, taking his 25 win season with the Titans and turning it to the Colgate job. Although that was his only NCAA appearance with Detroit, he had considerable success with Rutgers in his first job. The Raiders, with 6 NCAA tournaments in the last 7 years, including the 1956 Sweet 16, better hope they're getting the Scarlet Knights' version. Kieth Slayton - George Washington to San Francisco What do you get a school who hasn't been to the Elite 8 since 1950 and never been to the Final Four despite being one of the better programs in the country? A guy who made the Final Four in Slayton (1957 with the Colonials). Just 38 years old, he already has 236 wins to his credit while coaching at Auburn and George Washington. He's also usually in the tournament. Good hire by the Dons. Carlo Bloch - San Jose State to Gonzaga Still largely living off his 1948 Sweet 16 showing with UConn. Hard to believe that a guy who has just 2 NCAA appearances to his credit in 12 years as a head coach lands a job, but the third stealing of a conference rival in as many years was just too tempting, I guess. 'Zaga has made the tournament twice since entering the NCAA in 1953, including a first round exit last year. Orville Williams - Iona to San Jose State Mediocre hire, although he did send the Gaels to the tournament twice in his six seasons. Both were first round exits. That matches the Spartans' best showing in their lone tournament appearance, in 1955. Gonzaga is clearly the better job of these two 1953 entrants. Jamar Angell - Temple to Santa Clara Worst.hire.ever. In seven seasons, Angell never took the Owls to the tournament and only had a winning record twice. Then again, the Broncos have been terrible since making the tournament three of four seasons from 1951-1955, so this awful pickup was the best they could do. In fact, they're on a four season streak of 20 losses a year. German Slagle - Saint Louis to Maryland The Billikens were awful when Slagle took them over in 1953, so getting two NCAA bids and making the program respectable are actually quite good accomplishments. As for the Terrapins they've made the tournament every other year for the last five years, but are first round knockouts in all five bids of the school's history. Maybe Slagle can be that guy. Chris Rivera - BYU to Duke Just one losing season with the Cougars, his first, where they won 10 games. The rebuild was swift, with three straight bids, albeit first round exits, after that, before a .500 mark last year. Just one losing season at Kent State, his original job, too. For a Blue Devils team that hasn't been to the tournament since 1949 [and has just one even so much as .500 record since then[/b], it's a solid get. Sammy Taylor - Colgate to Duquesne Coaching nomad did great at Cornell, terrible at VMI, and pretty good at Colgate, where he never had a losing season with the Raiders and four bids in five years, including a Sweet 16 outing. The Dukes are a quality program and Taylor has big shoes to fill in replacing Andrew Brinkman. Herman Wilkinson - Gonzaga to George Washington Flamed out as the head coach at Bowling Green, where he took over after being an assistant there. His Gonzaga record is much better, especially given the state of the program when he arrived, with the school's first two ever NCAA bids, including the second round in 1956, his first year in Spokane. Still, for a Colonials side that very recently made the Final Four and the Sweet 16 the year after that before losing in the first round last season, it's hard to get too thrilled. Graig Stallings - LSU to Virginia This is how good the hire is. When Stallings became the LSU coach in 1956, they won just 4 games that first year. Next season? 16 wins. Year after that? The miracle Elite 8 run. While last season was a first round exit, Stallings proved his program building chops. Welcome news for Cavaliers fans, who've made the Big Dance only once since a three of four string from 1950-1953. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jestor Posted April 10, 2011 Author Share Posted April 10, 2011 Top 25 # Team FPV Record Points Prv ----------------------------------------------------------- 1. Montana (72) 0-0 1800 1 2. Niagara 0-0 1728 NR 3. Furman 0-0 1652 NR 4. DePaul 0-0 1559 NR 5. Southern California 0-0 1527 12 6. Rice 0-0 1420 3 7. Richmond 0-0 1361 8 8. Duquesne 0-0 1289 20 9. Loyola-IL 0-0 1254 5 10. Texas Christian 0-0 1121 11 11. Oregon State 0-0 1102 NR 12. Marquette 0-0 1027 6 13. UCLA 0-0 919 NR 14. San Francisco 0-0 842 NR 15. Wake Forest 0-0 832 2 16. Lafayette 0-0 704 NR 17. Dayton 0-0 651 19 18. Georgetown 0-0 564 4 19. Texas 0-0 536 18 20. George Washington 0-0 392 NR 21. Texas A&M 0-0 294 NR 22. Southern Methodist 0-0 292 7 23. William & Mary 0-0 285 10 24. Miami 0-0 118 NR 25. Valparaiso 0-0 38 NR Others Receiving Votes: Baylor 0-0 31 California 0-0 31 Davidson 0-0 14 Loyola-Maryland 0-0 9 Stanford 0-0 4 Nevada 0-0 3 Saint Mary's 0-0 1 Giant bullseye on Grizzlies' backs heading in to 1960, as they're fresh off the undefeated 38-0 season and with the nation's longest unbeaten streak that's well over 40 games when you add in their championship two years ago and the conference tournament they won. Well over 50 at the start of January, with the Grizzlies 13-0. There was also 14-0 Rice, 13-0 TCU, and 12-0 Oregon State among the unbeaten ranks. The streak finally came to an end on January 28th, 1961, when, in an epic battle with fellow undefeated and then #2 Oregon State, the Beavers beat the Grizzlies 80-72 in Bozeman. Senior SF Lloyd Luck scored 30 points for Oregon State in one of the most thrilling regular season matchups in NCAA history. 19 + 38 + 6 (needed to win the tournament). As it turns out, the Grizzlies didn't win the 1958 PCC conference tournament (California did), so the math is both accurate and easy. A 63 game winning streak over parts of three seasons, from 1958-1961. OOC Note: To put this in perspective, the real-life streak for men's collegiate basketball is UCLA's at 88 games, set from 1971-1974. Then there's UConn at 90 games, but that's women's basketball. In terms of men's basketball, this Montana streak would be #2 all-time, as the second longest winning streak was 60 games, set by San Francisco from 1954-1956. Interesting that the Grizzlies' streak comes a few years after the Dons' real-life achievements, and that all three schools are in the West. Oregon State, incidentally, stood at 20-0 on February 1st, the last unbeaten team. Talk in Corvallis said they might even challenge the Grizzlies for the nation's only unbeaten title, but talk has always been cheap, and unbeaten through January had been done before numerous times. As a matter of fact, the Beavers lost three times in March. On the reverse side, however, they swept the Grizzlies in the season series. All this led to Furman taking the top spot as of March 1st, followed by Montana, TCU, Oregon State, and traditional power Rice in the Top 5. Alas, the polls were one team away from being perfect, with 13-15 Baylor at 25 the annual March headscratcher. Teams Pulling the Double Bradley (Missouri Valley) Montana (PCC - beating Oregon State 80-67 in the final, no less) Georgia Tech (SEC) TCU (SWC) Canisius (Yankee) Note: The Keystone League again opted not to have a conference tournament, and since the league rose to 2 prestige after its first year of play, the conference voted to join the Ivy League in giving the regular season champion its auto bid each year. Bucknell won for the second straight year. #1 Seeds Montana TCU Furman Wake Forest Two Southern Stars schools with #1 seeds. The North Star certainly agonized over this circumstance, while the Southern Stars were thankful that adding Tulane had not, after all, affected their standing as one of the nation's powerhouse leagues. Oregon State was outraged to receive a #2 seed and rightfully so. They'd been one of the best teams in the country and the Beavers were the only team to beat Montana leading up to the tournament. 13 Consecutive NCAA Bids Georgetown (2 Sweet 16, 3 Elite 8, 1 Final 4, 3 National Runner-Up) Lafayette (3 Sweet 16) Loyola-Illinois (2 Sweet 16, 3 Final 4, 1 Elite 8, 1 Runner-Up, 1 NCAA Championship) Loyola-Maryland (6 Sweet 16, 1 Elite 8, 1 Runner-Up) Montana (2 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8, 1 Runner-Up, 5 NCAA Championships) Rice (3 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8, 2 Final 4, 1 Runner-Up, 2 NCAA Championships) USC (3 Sweet 16, 5 Elite 8) Once again, no one dropped out. First Round Upsets West #10 UCLA over #7 Marshall Midwest #10 San Jose State over #7 Valparaiso South #10 Minnesota over #7 Dayton East #11 Miami over #6 Loyola-Maryland Bad year to be a 7 seed. Loyola-Maryland slumped back into their streaks of underachievement, that 1958 title game appearance all seeming so much a mirage now. Second Round Upsets West #10 UCLA over #2 Richmond Midwest #6 SMU over #3 Depaul East #8 Citadel over #1 Wake Forest Remember back when Citadel shocked everyone by pulling the #1 recruiting class in 1957, the first non-power conference or elite school to accomplish that feat? Well, that class, now juniors, pulled off the 79-69 upset of 1 seed Wake Forest, for the school's first Sweet 16 appearance since 1954. Demon Deacons fans continued to boo Brian Kinard, who hadn't made the Final Four since his first season, the last of Wake Forest's string of three straight Final Four appearances, a streak which, incidentally, was in danger of being tied by Montana. That shocker stole the thunder from perennial overachiever UCLA's upset of Richmond. Sweet 16 West #1 Montana vs. #4 Texas A&M #10 UCLA vs #3 Marquette Midwest #1 TCU vs #5 USC #2 Oregon State vs #6 SMU South #1 Furman vs #4 Loyola-Illinois #2 Rice vs #3 Georgetown East #8 Citadel vs #5 Duquesne #2 Niagara vs #3 Lafayette Everyone drooled over the South region. Four of the nation's best schools in Furman, Loyola-Illinois, Rice, and Georgetown. It looked to be fantastic basketball. UCLA's run intrigued, and TCU/USC looked a great matchup too. Then in Duquesne/Citadel, you had the upset Citadel against a coach replacing a legend. Lafayette, the least noteworthy of the teams to always make the tournament, was in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1956, the last of their three straight Sweet 16 appearances from 1954-1956. USC trounced TCU 80-50, riding junior PF Chas Radke's 19 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals. Oregon State further made its case for having been a #1 seed, topping SMU 90-73 on six players with 11+ points, headed up by junior big man Tony Herod's 21 points and 13 rebounds. Much closer was Citadel's 62-59 stunner of Duquesne, led by senior Ahmad Moreno's second straight 22 point game. He was definitely the breakout star of the tournament. Lafayette finally made the Elite 8, beating Niagara 96-87 via junior Joshua Hollinger's 22 points and junior Gerald Ross's 20 points. The second day began with Texas A&M's monstrous 85-60 upset of Montana. The Grizzlies couldn't hit anything that afternoon and Aggies junior SF Tommy Stevens led all scorers with 24 points. To put into context just how huge this upset was, Texas A&M had never made it to the second weekend before and they knocked off the nation's best program. Marquette staved off UCLA's upset urgings, 96-90, with senior Joseph Kersey's 26 points and junior Loyd Jameson's clutch 12 bench points. Furman took down Loyola-Illinois 63-53 with defense and offensive balance. And in the marquee night matchup, Georgetown sent Rice packing, 79-72. Senior Landon Sharpe scored 23, fellow senior Hugh Davis 20. Elite 8 West #4 Texas A&M vs #3 Marquette Midwest #5 USC vs #2 Oregon State South #1 Furman vs #3 Georgetown East #8 Citadel vs #3 Lafayette One of Lafayette/Citadel was going to the Final Four for the first time. Texas A&M and USC had a chance to become first time members as well. Everyone else had been there before, including the Beavers, who went in 1951. Furman/Georgetown pitted a pair of powerhouses and USC/Oregon State looked exciting, too. Marquette actually made the 1956 championship and the 1949 Final Four, but didn't get near the credit they deserved for being a great team. USC at last made the Final Four in their sixth trip to the Elite 8, suffocating the Beavers by a 75-44 blowout. Junior Joaquin Herrara scored 24 and sophomore Carlton Bettencourt banged in 19 points and 12 rebounds. Fellow soph Dominick Brown added 13 bench points. Lafayette likewise made the Final Four for the first time, blowing out Citadel 88-66 by [b[Joshua Hollinger[/b]'s 11 points and 11 rebounds and true freshman Nelson Murphy's 10 bench points as the most noteworthy performances. Marquette went on a scoring tear, overrunning Texas A&M 103-89. Joseph Kersey netted 27 points, Loyd Jameson an incredible 21 bench points in one of the best ever NCAA outings by a reserve. Furman once more frustrated Georgetown, overcoming Hugh Davis's 28 points to win 74-69. Junior Carlos Wade doubled for 11 points and 13 rebounds and senior Arthur Hughes scored 15 bench points. Final Four #3 Marquette vs #1 Furman #5 USC vs #3 Lafayette The experienced squads played each other and the newbies went at it. The Warriors had their awesome scoring tandem in Joseph Kersey and Loyd Jameson and Lafayette featured Joshua Hollinger, but overall, the Final Four looked fairly weak in star power or program catchet compared to other years, but perhaps that was just because Montana, Rice, and Georgetown were all at home, the first time since 1952 one of those three schools wasn't in the Final Four. That 1952 Final Four, incidentally, was composed of Nevada, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia Tech, resulting in the Longhorns' fluke title. Fluke because although Texas made nine straight tournaments from 1951-1959 before going 13-19 this season, the Longhorns made it only to the second weekend twice - the '52 championship and a '55 Elite 8. Furman's defense displayed itself again, downing star-dotted Marquette 73-62. Arthur Hughes continued to be the senior second team sparkplug with 15 bench points. USC thrashed Lafayette 94-66 via senior Bryant Pfaff's 20 points, senior DeAndre Foote's 11 points and 12 rebounds and Dominick Brown's 12 bench points. National Championship #1 Furman vs. #5 USC The Trojans boasted a deep, balanced offense capable of scoring a ton. They were also hungry for their first national title. The Paladins, 1955 national champions, and an elite team, won with defense, defense, and more defense. On one bench, a journeyman coach in Brian Suiter. On the other, a career-long top man in Scott Knudsen, long ignored in the conversation of the country's top coaches, despite numerous deep tournament runs and being one of 6 coaches with 300+ career wins. Sentiment overwhelmingly favored the Trojans, the gamblers the Paladins. A thrilling championship game ensued and with a quarter-second left in the game, the score tied at 79-79, Furman junior shooting guard Ted Love hit a jumper for the Paladins' second national championship! Thereafter, Love's basket became known as the Shot Heard Round The Country. Even today, historians talk about it as the greatest buzzer-beater ever. Love finished with 25 points and the standout performance of the game. Furman joined Montana and Rice as the only schools with more than one championship. Scott Knudsen and Trojan nation wept. This was no Loyola-Maryland in 1958. This was one of the premiere programs, finally getting here after falling short so many times in the Elite 8... and then to lose in such heartbreaking fashion hurt beyond description. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jestor Posted April 12, 2011 Author Share Posted April 12, 2011 1960 OVERALL AWARDS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Player of the Year: SR C Charles Eby Montana 21.2 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 2.0 APG 1.0 SPG, 2.1 BPG Freshman of the Year: FR PG Jackie Whalen Wyoming 11.5 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 4.2 APG 0.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG Coach of the Year: Marco Moskowitz Marshall 21 - 10 (0 - 0) All-league 1st Team: C SR Charles Eby Montana 21.2 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 2.1 BPG PF SR Brian Sosa Richmond 16.9 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.5 SPG, 2.8 BPG SF SR Houston Long Texas Christian 20.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.2 APG, 2.3 SPG, 0.8 BPG SG SR Richard Parker Niagara 18.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.8 BPG PG SR Philip Neal Miami 14.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG All-league 2nd Team: C SR Ronny Wesley Marquette 16.7 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.7 SPG, 2.1 BPG PF JR Eddy Clawson Canisius 16.6 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG SF SR Joseph Kersey Marquette 16.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.4 BPG SG SR Ronald Zimmermann George Washington 17.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.0 BPG PG SR Jonathan Loftin Brigham Young 9.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 7.0 APG, 2.4 SPG, 0.1 BPG All-league 3rd Team: C JR Alan Martin Denver 17.3 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.2 SPG, 1.4 BPG PF JR Billy Zamudio Loyola-IL 17.7 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.1 BPG SF JR Daniel Whitcomb Richmond 10.9 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.6 BPG SG JR Jay Coronado Rice 18.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG PG SR James Shaw Navy 11.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG All-freshman Team: C FR Mark Reid Louisiana State 5.7 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.3 SPG, 1.1 BPG PF FR Chauncey Polley Navy 14.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG SF FR Floyd Falk Utah 17.6 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG SG FR Linwood Murguia Florida State 17.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG PG FR Jackie Whalen Wyoming 11.5 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 4.2 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG At some schools, a Sweet 16 in the senior season would be a wonderful experience. At Montana, Charles Eby can't help but feel disappointed he failed in the quest to lead the Grizzlies to a third straight title. Still, it's hard to argue with a career that saw him #3 all-time in the entire country in offensive rebounds, #16 in total rebounds. #1 in career offensive boards in the PCC and Montana, #2 in both in rebounds behind James Asberry. He also has the second 40+ point game in Montana history, the first and the school record 43 points belonging to Cole Gibson. Rather fitting, considering Eby ranks #3 in Grizzlies career points scored behind Gibson and Newton Richardson, the latter of whom might never see his record broken. Since we just concluded 1960, here's the original 1948 teams who have never been to the NCAA tournament: [u]Big 8[/u] Nebraska [u]Bluegrass[/u] Eastern Kentucky [u]Empire[/u] St. Francis (NY) [u]Great Lakes[/u] Akron [u]Ivy[/u] Pennsylvania Yale [u]MAC[/u] Toledo [u]North Star[/u] Boston University [u]Sun West[/u] Idaho State [u]Yankee[/u] Rhode Island Just 10 teams out of the original 147 never to make it in 13 seasons. That's quite an impressive feat and speaks to the parity in the NCAA at this point in time, even given the Montana, Rice, Furman, Loyola-Illinois dominance of the start-1960. 1960 Recruiting Rankings # Team Conference Best Player Rtg 5* 4* 3* 2* 1* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Texas Christian SWC C Owen Prescott ***** 1 4 1 0 0 2. Rice SWC SF Major Kelly ***** 3 1 1 0 0 3. Niagara Great Lakes PG Harvey Mack ***** 2 3 0 0 0 4. Wake Forest Southern Stars SF Chris Miguel ***** 2 1 0 0 0 5. San Francisco PCC SF John Chisholm ***** 1 2 2 0 0 6. Marquette Great Lakes PF Joseph Boyd ***** 1 3 2 0 0 7. Georgetown Whig C Chung Chaffin ***** 2 2 0 0 0 8. Southern California PCC C Thomas Spears ***** 2 2 0 0 0 9. Dayton Great Lakes SG Richard Powers ***** 1 3 1 0 0 10. Texas SWC SG Garrett Searle ***** 1 2 1 0 0 11. Nevada Mountain States SF Sanford Gearhart ***** 1 0 3 1 0 12. Miami Southern Stars PG Larry Patterson ***** 1 2 1 0 0 13. Davidson Southern Stars SG Eddie Jorgensen **** 0 3 1 0 0 14. Lafayette Whig SG Henry Harding **** 0 2 2 1 0 15. DePaul Great Lakes SF Barney Allard ***** 1 1 0 0 0 16. Denver Mountain States C Russ Jones **** 0 3 0 1 0 17. Texas A&M SWC SF Meinrad Schiedermeier ***** 1 1 1 0 0 18. George Washington Whig PG Steffen Beckman ***** 1 1 0 0 0 19. Baylor SWC C Angelo Sosa **** 0 2 2 0 0 20. Oregon State PCC SF August Schonhammer **** 0 2 2 0 0 21. Colgate North Star PG Thomas Davis **** 0 1 2 0 0 22. Montana PCC SG Eddie Kowalewski ***** 1 1 1 0 0 23. Brigham Young Mountain States PG Michael Bennett **** 0 2 0 0 0 24. Southern Methodist SWC PF Seve Santos **** 0 2 0 0 0 25. UCLA PCC C Andrew Seibel **** 0 2 2 0 0 1961 Conference Movement 1961 marked the first time since 1955 that no new schools would be joining the NCAA's top level. There was also no initial discussion of schools changing conferences or rumors of shakeups. This, combined with the quiet of the season before outside of the Centenary squabble, suggested that the 1960s might prove as peaceful a decade as the 1950s had been tumultuous. The NCAA took this time to review the non-auto bid statuses of the Bluegrass and Sun West conferences. The Desert, having only been in existence for three years, didn't meet what the NCAA established as a five-year minimum for conferences who either were not granted an auto-bid on creation, or who had managed to lose it, in the case of the Sun West. Bluegrass Since the league's inception in 1956, Louisville made the tournament three times, all first round exits. Memphis made the tournament for the first time in 1960, and even advanced to the second round, an impressive feat for a school in only its fifth season of play. Murray State also had one appearance, a 1957 first round exit that was the first one in Racers history. Tennessee had a 1957 tournament appearance, but that was a result of a fluke SEC tournament championship. Vanderbilt was a third school with a 1957 appearance and first round exit. Western Kentucky made it in 1959, albeit a first round exit. 7 in-conference tournament appearances in 5 years from 5 schools, with a second round showing out of one of them. The NCAA decided to review the Sun West first, but the general feeling was that the Bluegrass had done enough to earn an auto-bid, particularly since they'd been generous in accepting new members. Sun West Portland with a 1960 1st round exit, the first in school history was the only NCAA appearance of any of the schools since 1948, save for Montana State's 1949 first round exit. The choice was clear. The NCAA granted the Bluegrass official autobid status and denied the Sun West. The Bluegrass then instituted a six team conference tournament, with second round reseeding. In this manner, they struck a balance between the Keystone/Ivy position of sending the regular season champion, and most of the rest of the country, which sent almost all, if not indeed all, of the schools to the conference tournament. With six teams, it ensured that only the upper half of the conference would be able to play for the automatic berth. As a side note, the Desert Conference, by virtue of Northern Arizona's 1958 second round appearance and 1960 first round exit, had a better case for an an auto-bid than the Sun West. A Brief Review of the Sun West's History Sun West ------------------ Arizona Idaho State Montana State Nevada St. Mary’s (CA) San Francisco Santa Clara Those were the members in 1948. The first big blow came in 1951, when San Francisco got an invite from the PCC, Nevada fled to the Mountain States, and St. Mary's went independent after the Sun West was forced by the NCAA to take on all seven new member schools and be downgraded to a 1 prestige conference. Yet, the conference might even have survived that disaster. What really killed the Sun West was 1954, when Arizona, Arizona State, and Santa Clara all moved on, with Arizona and ASU joining the PCC in order to prevent a North/South split that would have greatly weakened the Pacific Coast in the same way that losing Georgetown and William & Mary to the newly formed Whig damaged the North Star the year before. For Santa Clara's part, they wanted nothing to do with what the conference had become. In a what might have been, San Francisco is one of the top programs in the country and Nevada's quite prestigious as well. Even Arizona and Santa Clara would have been respectable foundation members. Instead, Idaho State and Montana State remain the lone original members, and they have just one NCAA appearance between them. The Sun West relived all the old pain when they received the rejection letter from the NCAA and the conference sought to find some way, anyway, they could change their makeup enough to appeal before the 1961 season. The problem was, the Mountain States and Desert, the most logical places to start, were at the minimum seven teams, and so was the PNL. Furthermore, Saint Mary's, which was an original Sun West member and the most likely to leave the PCC, as the Gaels had become a bottom-feeder, had gone independent in 1951, abandoning the league when the Sun West needed it most. This search by the Sun West led to the jumpstart of other talks in conferences around the country. The SWC looked at the possibility of expanding its footprint by raiding the Mountain States, and invited both Denver and Wyoming to join, feeling that they were the two schools closest enough in geography and highest enough in success to merit expansion invitation. Alarms went off in the Mountain States as they fought to retain both schools, who were just behind Nevada in terms of most prestigious. Wyoming, with a rival in Colorado State, looked to be the easiest to convince to stay. Denver, however, had no compelling reason to continue, especially not with a bid from one of the country's top conferences, and so the Pioneers accepted the Southwest Conference's invitation. Fortunately for the Mountain States' survival, the numerous and frantic appeals from other members and conference leaders convinced the Cowboys to stay. The first thoughts for Denver's replacement were Colorado or Northern Arizona, but then the conference realized it could reach out to the PNL, which, despite having been formed as a reaction against the PCC, and having two recent Elite 8 members in Idaho and Washington, failed to sustain the sense of pride or unity, especially with its elder conference continuing to be the major powers of college basketball. So it was that the Mountain States offered invites to Idaho and Washington. The Vandals immediately accepted, which put the PNL in danger of dissolving. With an extremely diluted anti-PCC fervor failing to keep the conference strong, the Pacific Northwest League closed down after just five seasons, a shorter run than even the Steel. Remember also that the PNL was in some ways doomed from the start, as they'd believed they would be a 4 prestige conference, citing the Whig example, but were instead conferred a 3 prestige ranking and never rose beyond that in their five seasons. This particularly rankled in Idaho, which had left the posh PCC to join the PNL, a move that sharply divided the state. Washington, still traumatized over having had to boot Washington State out of the PCC, asked the Mountain States if they would accept the Cougars as well to preserve the rivalry. Having just used the same argument to retain Wyoming, the Mountain States had little choice but to accept. Oregon begged the PCC to be let back in, and the PCC, eager to vote out the underachieving Saint Mary's, agreed. The Gaels then received their eviction notice and were once again cast adrift. The Sun West saw the opportunity they'd been looking for, and invited PNL refugees San Jose State to join, arguing that their entry would guarantee an NCAA berth. San Jose State had hated independent life and so they accepted. More problematic was what to do about Saint Mary's and Santa Clara. Both were original Sun West members who'd fled the conference when things went south and the league wasn't sure it wanted to invite back that kind of disloyalty. Northern Arizona, which joined the Desert League, was another matter entirely. That had simply been a matter of splitting up a bloated, bidless conference. The NCAA agreed that if the Sun West could convince Northern Arizona to join, they would receive an automatic bid. The Lumberjacks were very interested after hearing of San Jose State's joining, but didn't want to see the Desert dissolve. In response, the commissioners of the Sun West and the Desert met and hammered out what became the first ever trade of schools. The Sun West would receive Northern Arizona, and in exchange the Desert would get Air Force. One might find it puzzling why the Desert would agree to such a deal, but the commissioner of the NCAA's newest conference was a World War I veteran and thrilled to get a service academy in the Desert's ranks. Gonzaga, Saint Mary's and Santa Clara found themselves stranded, and even though they didn't have an auto-bid, the Desert refused to invite any of the schools. Gonzaga was considered too far out of the desired geographical range, which had a Texas/New Mexico/Colorado orientation after the trade, and even though Saint Mary's and Santa Clara would have been a reasonable expansion, the Desert Conference very much respected the history of the Sun West from which it'd sprung, and refused to disrespect that past by allowing the former renegades in. And so the three schools once again became independent. None were happy about this turn of events, but Gonzaga, despite three NCAA appearances in the PNL's five seasons, did not yet have the clout necessary to draw attention from the Mountain States, much less the PCC. Denver Mountain States (1948-1960) SWC (1961- Idaho Pacific Coast (1948-1955) Pacific Northwest (1956-1960) Mountain States (1961- Gonzaga Independent (1953-1955) Pacific Northwest League (1956-1960) Independent (1961- Oregon Pacific Coast (1948-1955) Pacific Northwest (1956-1960) Pacific Coast (1961- Saint Mary's Sun West (1948-1950) Independent (1951-1955) Pacific Coast (1956-1960) Independent (1961- San Jose State Independent (1953-1955) Pacific Northwest League (1956-1960) Sun West (1961- Santa Clara Sun West (1948-1953) Independent (1954-1955) Pacific Northwest (1956-1960) Independent (1961- Washington Pacific Coast (1948-1955) Pacific Northwest (1956-1960) Mountain States(1961- Washington State Pacific Coast (1948-1950) Independent (1951-1955) Pacific Northwest (1956-1960) Mountain States (1961- Northern Arizona Sun West (1951-1957) Desert (1958-1960) Sun West (1961- Air Force Sun West (1958-1960) Desert (1961- Conference Changes Since 1948 Steel Conference (1948-1954) Whig Conference (1955- Bluegrass Conference (1956- Pacific Northwest League (1956-1960) Desert Conference (1958- Oregon was so grateful to be allowed back into the PCC that the Ducks' administration vowed fealty to the conference for life. They, along with Denver and the Sun West, were the biggest ultimate benefactors of the SWC's wanting to penetrate more states than just Texas and Arkansas. Loyola-Maryland now found the independent scene to be quite crowded, with no less than six members, almost big enough to form its own far-flung conference. Although the Greyhounds weren't pleased with this unexpected expansion, at least the new unaffiliated had some pedigree, although Gonzaga was still too young to be a force and Santa Clara and St. Mary's had both been danceless since 1955. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jestor Posted April 12, 2011 Author Share Posted April 12, 2011 Coach Movement 22 coaches got the axe before 1961. Brian Young - Columbia to Illinois Took the Lions to four NCAA appearances in six seasons and never finished worse than .500 in Ivy League play. The Fighting Illini have been to six straight tournaments and only missed three since NCAA inception. Made the 1957 Sweet 16. Taylor Jarmon - Northern Arizona to Minnesota The Lumberjacks' only head coach in school history moves on after eight seasons. His exploits have been indirectly chronicled earlier, so no need to go over them again. The Golden Gophers are a semi-regular tournament visitor, but have never gotten to the second weekend. Rolland Rayburn - Arkansas to Akron* Let's see, you're the only powerhouse conference team in the country to never make the tournament and you hire a guy who just got fired from a fellow powerhouse conference team for abysmal performance. The only silver lining is this hire is that Rayburn's 63 and closer to retirement than not. Derek Bos - Seton Hall to Columbia Although Bos never made the tournament with the Pirates, he did improve them significantly over the course of seven seasons. Hopefully good news for the Lions, who are tournament regulars, but haven't been to the Sweet 16 since 1952. Leon Bennett - Virginia Tech to Colorado State* Despite Bennett's being fired by the Hokies, this isn't a bad hire. Six straight NCAA appearances between Virginia Tech and UConn, although with only one advancement beyond the first round, and that was with the Huskies. But for a Rams team who hasn't had a winning record in Mountain States play since 1955 and has only made the Big Dance once in the last five years, just getting that type of NCAA consistency would be good. Charles Buchanan - Minnesota to Utah Two NCAA appearances in his three seasons coaching the Golden Gophers. Great improvement over his disastrous two year stint with Michigan State. The Utes have just three NCAA appearances in school history, all of them first round exits. Benny O'Bannon - Indiana to Utah State Both Utah public schools raid the Big Ten for their coaches. O'Bannon didn't do anything as amazing as his 1957 Elite 8 run with Georgia, but he did gradually improve the Hoosiers each of his three seasons there, culminating in a 20 win season and NCAA appearance last year. The Aggies are like the Utes - just three appearances, all first round exits. Talk about similarities between the schools. John Mott - Penn State to St. Joseph's Freakish hire. Mott won 24 and 19 games his first two years with the Nittany Lions, 7 and 8 his his last two years in his four seasons. Then again, the Hawks have been whipping boys since moving to the North Star, so at least it's a treading water hire. Carl McKibben - Texas to California* Good year for fired coaches. McKibben got ousted because he couldn't take the Longhorns to the Sweet 16 despite six straight NCAA appearances. Then again, he got fired by Oregon State, too, despite a 1951 Final Four appearance, so McKibben has a knack for having success, getting fired, and landing in a decent spot. The Golden Bears have missed the NCAAs the last two seasons and have only made it out of the first weekend once - 1956 Elite 8. David Rider - Miami (OH) to South Carolina Collective yawn hire. One NCAA appearance as head coach of the Redhawks. Not exactly earth-shattering considering he was a journeyman assistant after getting fired by Tulane. Funny thing is, one of his Miami assistants got hired as head coach by fellow Southern Conference school North Carolina State. Seven straight seasons the Game****s have made the tournament, including the second round the last three years. Just two years in the second weekend or beyond, but considering both were Final Fours (1948, 1952), that's not a bad thing. Doyle Foley - Bradley to Virginia Tech Hmm. The Hokies fire a guy for not getting them to the second weekend and then hire a coach who, despite five trips in eight years with the Braves, never got out of the first round. Virginia Tech's only missed the tournament twice and have an NCAA runner up, a Final Four, and a Sweet 16 all bunched up in a 1952-1955 run before the Barrett years. Easy to see why they fired him now. Problem is, Foley doesn't look any better. Ronald Mayne - Akron to Tulane* Our fourth coach to get fired and re-hired. Mayne was so terrible at Akron he got fired after two years. Did have 3 NCAA appearances coaching Idaho. Then again, Tulane is the one job in the Southern Stars nobody wants. Tony Gonzalez - South Carolina to Arkansas Between Virginia, Wisconsin, and South Carolina, Gonzalez has made it to nine straight NCAA tournaments, including a 1954 Sweet 16 with the Badgers. He just wins wherever he goes, and has six conference championships to his credit, in the now defunct Atlantic Six, the Big Ten, and the Southern. It couldn't be much of a better hire for the Razorbacks, who, after making the tournament three straight years in the NCAA's first seasons, have only been to the Big Dance once since 1950 and never made the second weekend ever. Hopefully he can turn around the SWC's worst program. Abe Esquivel - Utah to Texas So let me get this straight. The Longhorns fire McKibben and then hire a guy who not only has just three NCAA appearances in his nine years with the Utes, but all three of them were first round exits. Texas is banking on the 1950 version of Abe at Michigan State to show up, where the Spartans made the Elite 8. Johnny Martinez - Illinois to VMI Martinez's return to the Fighting Illini lasts just three seasons, with three straight first round exits. Lucky pickup for the Keydets, who won just one conference game last year and haven't been dancing since 1951. And to think this was one of the programs some people thought was up and coming back then. Top 25 # Team FPV Record Points Prv ---------------------------------------------------------- 1. Loyola-IL (72) 0-0 1800 18 2. Furman 0-0 1728 2 3. Southern California 0-0 1630 22 4. Oregon State 0-0 1603 4 5. DePaul 0-0 1504 9 6. Richmond 0-0 1455 8 7. Niagara 0-0 1331 6 8. Lafayette 0-0 1309 12 9. Wake Forest 0-0 1241 5 10. San Francisco 0-0 1120 21 11. Rice 0-0 1049 7 12. Duquesne 0-0 1010 10 13. Texas 0-0 983 NR 14. Texas Christian 0-0 833 3 15. Valparaiso 0-0 808 NR 16. Montana 0-0 742 1 17. California 0-0 622 NR 18. Denver 0-0 551 16 19. Southern Methodist 0-0 531 NR 20. Miami 0-0 357 NR 21. Arizona 0-0 345 NR 22. South Carolina 0-0 229 24 23. Marquette 0-0 162 14 24. William & Mary 0-0 159 NR 25. UCLA 0-0 136 NR 16. The lowest ranking the Grizzlies have had in years. Loyola-Illinois looks to be back on top as a national power. Come January 1st, Loyola-Illinois, Richmond, and San Francisco are the last remaining unbeaten Top 25 teams. Biggest shocker so far? Arkansas going 10-2 and sitting at #21. This is a sign of just how wide open the title seems this year. February 1st, Richmond is the only team in the Top 25 with just one loss. Everyone else has at least two and nobody looks like the clear-cut #1 team. It should make for an interesting tournament. The Razorbacks, by the way, are 15-5 and 19th. They're currently leading the SWC with a 4-1 conference record. Everyone's over the moon about the Tony Gonzalez hire. Rice is a shocking 1-4 in conference play and Frank Hill is battling through his roughest season ever or at least since 1950, when the Owls went 18-14 (7-5). March 1st signified the split feeling of that season. DePaul had the #1 ranking for the first time ever, but with a mere 6 voting point lead on Loyola-Illinois. Both had three losses. For the first time in NCAA history, the entire Top 25 ranking and votes were clean as of March 1st. Top 25 # Team FPV Record Points Prv ----------------------------------------------------------- 1. DePaul (39) 27-3 1767 3 2. Loyola-IL (33) 26-3 1761 1 3. Richmond 26-3 1656 2 4. Furman 26-4 1584 4 5. Wake Forest 23-7 1512 6 6. Niagara 23-6 1440 7 7. San Francisco 21-6 1368 5 8. Georgetown 25-6 1296 13 9. Baylor 20-7 1222 8 10. California 20-7 1154 15 11. South Carolina 24-6 1055 14 12. Montana 20-7 1033 12 13. Miami 23-7 923 9 14. Oregon State 20-7 839 11 15. Syracuse 24-5 812 10 16. Loyola-Maryland 23-6 738 17 17. Duquesne 24-8 568 19 18. Southern California 19-9 565 21 19. Denver 18-9 561 23 20. Arkansas 19-8 466 18 21. Texas 19-8 357 20 22. Purdue 22-6 291 22 23. Southern Methodist 19-8 216 16 24. UCLA 18-9 135 NR 25. Utah 19-9 41 NR Others Receiving Votes: Valparaiso 18-11 40 Teams Pulling The Double DePaul - Great Lakes Detroit - MAC Creighton - Missouri Valley Washington - Mountain States Syracuse - North Star Furman - Southern Stars Georgetown - Whig Canisius - Yankee #1 Seeds Loyola-Illinois DePaul Furman Baylor 14 Consecutive NCAA Bids Georgetown (2 Sweet 16, 4 Elite 8, 1 Final 4, 3 National Runner-Up) Lafayette (3 Sweet 16, 1 Final 4) Loyola-Illinois (3 Sweet 16, 3 Final 4, 1 Elite 8, 1 Runner-Up, 1 NCAA Championship) Loyola-Maryland (6 Sweet 16, 1 Elite 8, 1 Runner-Up) Montana (3 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8, 1 Runner-Up, 5 NCAA Championships) Rice (4 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8, 2 Final 4, 1 Runner-Up, 2 NCAA Championships) USC (3 Sweet 16, 5 Elite 8, 1 Runner-Up) Once more, the final seven made it. Rice and Lafayette had a first round date, with the Owls a 7 seed, the Leopards a 10 seed. It was the lowest ranking for Rice in years, but the consensus feeling was that this would be a year when anything at all was possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jestor Posted July 5, 2011 Author Share Posted July 5, 2011 Just realized I got behind in the x-posting, so here's a slew of updates. It should be noted that the Bluegrass initial conference tournament did not go off as planned, due to a strange sequence of scheduling snafus, so regular season champion Vanderbilt got the automatic bid. Western Kentucky, who also finished 14-6 in conference play, won an at-large bid. First Round Upsets Midwest #12 TCU over #5 South Carolina South #13 Minnesota over #4 California #12 Detroit over #5 Duquesne #10 Utah over #7 SMU #14 Marshall over #3 Arkansas East #13 Western Kentucky over #4 Loyola-Maryland #10 Lafayette over #7 Rice The general feeling proved right, as the 1961 had more first round upsets than in years. Of particular surprise was the Leopards' win over the Owls, the first time since 1950 and only the second time ever Rice was a first round exit. On the other hand, many considered Arkansas overseeded and TCU underseeded, and Loyola-Maryland was known for its flameouts. Second Round Upsets West #7 Arizona over #2 Richmond Midwest #8 Georgia Tech over #1 DePaul #12 TCU over #4 Purdue East #6 Miami over #3 Montana Some started calling for David Beach's firing after the Grizzlies failed to reach the second weekend for the first time since 1955. The Montana mystique, some observers felt, was already a relic of the 1950s, irrelevant in the current decade. The Horned Frogs, meanwhile, continued to make the selection committee look silly, and the Blue Demons were simply stunned by the Yellow Jackets. Sweet 16 West #1 Loyola-Illinois vs #4 Denver #7 Arizona vs #3 San Francisco Midwest #8 Georgia Tech vs #12 TCU #2 Wake Forest vs #3 Oregon State South #1 Furman vs #13 Minnesota #2 Georgetown vs #6 UCLA East #1 Baylor vs #5 Syracuse #2 Niagara vs #6 Miami The Pioneers' first year in the SWC, they make the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. Minnesota was another Sweet 16 newbie. All the rest had been here before, but Syracuse for the first time since 1950, when the Orangemen made the Final Four. Arizona's last time was 1956, also the last time they made the tournament. But the biggest one in the eyes of most people was Georgia Tech, in the second weekend for the first time since the 1953 national title. Syracuse's interval was longer, but for a fanbase who still missed the Brian Soler days, Jack Sparks's first two seasons as head coach had the sense of the old days maybe coming back. Funny thing was, Soler only coached the Yellow Jackets for four years before moving on to Wyoming, the fact that he delivered a national title and was also a Georgia Tech alum made him a cult figure in Atlanta. Miami deserves mention here as well. Remember, the Hurricanes stunned the nation with a Final Four appearance in their second year of existence and proved that no fluke by making the Elite 8 two years later. They've only missed the postseason twice in their program history after entering the league in 1949. Loyola-Illinois made Denver's first Sweet 16 trip a short one, pummeling the Pioneers 86-64. Senior swingman Chris Mullis scored 24, senior big Billy Zamudio doubled for 18 points and 14 rebounds, and junior big Burt Seeley pulled down 13 points and 12 rebounds. Arizona stunned San Francisco 85-54 on defense and Australian junior C Claude Taylor's 18 points and 15 rebounds, while Furman put away pesky Minnesota 70-60 on 22 points from senior hero Ted Love and 25 points from junior SF Alfonzo Sullivan. Georgetown edged UCLA 69-65 in the first day's most exciting game, carried by junior guard Randy Mason's 21 points and sophomore center Arthur Mertz's 18 points and 14 rebounds. TCU continued its inspired run of form, knocking off Georgia Tech 78-72 with balanced offense, and Oregon State continued the Brian Kinard curse by just barely beating Wake Forest 71-69 in a thrilling contest. Junior big Don Miller came up with a monstrous 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Beavers. Baylor topped Syracuse 80-57 with a shared scoring load best signified by sophomore big Darren Maya's 16 bench points and largely unsung Niagara stopped Miami 68-59 with junior Matthew Bell's 10 points and 13 rebounds and junior reserve Emanual Hearn's 12 bench points. Elite 8 West #1 Loyola-Illinois vs #7 Arizona Midwest #12 TCU vs #3 Oregon State South #1 Furman vs #2 Georgetown East #1 Baylor vs #2 Niagara The Bears proved the selection committee as smart as the TCU pick made them look dumb in making it to the Elite 8 for the first time since 1950. Furman/Georgetown was the marquee matchup of the round, of course, but everyone also wondered how far Cinderella TCU, who in the committee's defense went 4-10 in SWC play, would go. And of course there was Arizona, here for the first time, against one of the nation's basketball royalty. Loyola-Illinois embarrassed the Wildcats, routing Arizona 87-51. Burt Seeley hauled in 15 points and 11 rebounds, but the big hero was sophomore Franklyn Gaspar, scoring 19 points in just 14 minutes. Then the Hoyas pulled off a major upset, playing terrific defense and offensive balance in stunning the defending champion Paladins 65-53. Furman, who looked to have a real chance of being the first repeat champions and first school with three titles since Montana, couldn't believe it and neither could anyone else. The old axiom about getting hot at the right time was TCU's motto, as the Horned Frogs pulled off another upset, downing Oregon State 80-74. Senior Kirk Mahaffey netted 18 points and 10 rebounds, but junior Justin Augustin's 13 points and 10 rebounds off the bench was just as impressive and critical. Darren Maya's 11 bench points and junior Howard Cox's 12 bench points epitomized the balanced offense that led the Baylor Bears to a 71-62 win over Niagara for the first Final Four appearance in school history. Maya was quickly becoming tabbed as a player to watch over the next few years. Final Four #1 Loyola-Illinois vs #2 Georgetown #1 Baylor vs #12 TCU To put how incredible TCU's run was in perspective, the last time a double-digit seed made the Final Four was Kansas, who'd set the record by making it as a 15 seed in 1955. One All Southwest, All Texas Final Four matchup, with the 12 seed ironically the most experienced. And the matchup everyone called the real championship game in Loyola-Illinois and Georgetown. The Ramblers were hungry to join Montana, Rice, and Furman in the schools with two titles, and the Hoyas wanted just as much to finally win their first title. But Loyola-Illinois looked unbeatable that year, smashing the Hoyas 82-45 with Burt Seeley's 14 points and 15 rebounds and junior point guard Michael Turner's 25 points. On the other side, the Horned Frogs sent the Bears packing, 83-68 on Kirk Mahaffey's 27 points and 13 and 10 bench points from junior Carlon Frechette and Justin Augustin. National Championship #1 Loyola-Illinois vs #12 TCU Last time a double-digit seed made the title game? 1954, when William & Mary pulled off one of the greatest tournament upsets in history, beating a Daniel Roby and Jose Webster-led Rice team in a 10 vs 1 seed matchup. Brian Kinard, the architect of that championship, would spend one more year at William & Mary before his infamous defection to hated archrival Wake Forest following Julius Durfee's retirement. It was the Ramblers' first national title game appearance since 1953, when they'd lost to Brian Soler's Georgia Tech team on Thomas Branson's missed free throw. That long absence and Montana and Rice's upstaging of Loyola-Illinois sometimes caused Gus Seeley to get lost in the top coaches conversation. Then there was Jeremiah Coffee, who'd led two teams to the Final Four in Marquette and TCU, and who was already the Horned Frogs' most successful coach ever, having led them to the second weekend 6 of his 7 years there, including this, the school's first ever national title game appearance. Oddsmakers overhelmingly favored Loyola-Illinos, as the Ramblers simply looked too dominant for the Cinderella Frogs to pull the princely upset. And indeed, the Ramblers ran the Horned Frogs out of the building, 83-62. Senior Billy Zamudio made Finals MVP with 27 points and 15 rebounds, with top reserve Franklyn Gaspar adding 13 points. Montana. Rice. Furman. And now Loyola-Illinois. Four schools from four different power conferences, each with two or more titles. Gus Seely became the fourth head coach to win two or more titles, joining Mack Halbert, David Beach, and Frank Hill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jestor Posted July 5, 2011 Author Share Posted July 5, 2011 1961 OVERALL AWARDS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Player of the Year: SR C Alan Martin Denver 16.5 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 2.4 APG 0.2 SPG, 2.7 BPG Freshman of the Year: FR SF John Chisholm San Francisco 19.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.8 APG 0.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG Coach of the Year: Andrew Bouldin Baylor 28 - 9 (9 - 5) All-league 1st Team: C SR Alan Martin Denver 16.5 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.2 SPG, 2.7 BPG PF SR Billy Zamudio Loyola-IL 17.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG SF SR Joshua Hollinger Lafayette 21.8 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG SG SR Jay Coronado Rice 22.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.8 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG PG SR Douglas Root DePaul 15.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 4.6 APG, 2.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG All-league 2nd Team: C SR Michael Taylor Southern Methodist 17.6 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.9 BPG PF SR Angelo Singley DePaul 14.1 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.0 BPG SF JR Walker Austin UCLA 22.5 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG SG SR Tommy Stevens Texas A&M 20.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG PG SR Joe Hagler Miami 16.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.0 APG, 2.3 SPG, 0.0 BPG All-league 3rd Team: C JR Matthew Bell Niagara 13.1 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.3 SPG, 1.1 BPG PF SR Brooks Jackson Mississippi 15.0 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.7 BPG SF SR Benjamin McShane Detroit 20.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG SG SR Joaquin Herrera Southern California 22.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.9 BPG PG SR Daniel Whitcomb Richmond 14.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 4.1 APG, 2.2 SPG, 0.5 BPG All-freshman Team: C FR Dylan Lucero Wichita State 11.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG PF FR William Deason Auburn 9.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG SF FR John Chisholm San Francisco 19.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG SG FR Gerald Flack Utah 13.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG PG FR Michael Batchelder Brown 14.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG 1961 Recruiting Rankings # Team Conference Best Player Rtg 5* 4* 3* 2* 1* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. California PCC PG Bryon McKeehan ***** 2 1 2 0 0 2. Furman Southern Stars C Steven Spitzer ***** 1 3 0 0 0 3. Citadel Southern SF Brent Salazar ***** 1 3 2 0 0 4. Southern Methodist SWC PG Kory Schneider ***** 2 2 0 0 0 5. Wake Forest Southern Stars PF Jake Silveira **** 0 4 0 0 0 6. Richmond Southern Stars SG Neil Wimmer ***** 1 2 1 0 0 7. William & Mary Whig PG Tony Peavy ***** 1 2 1 0 0 8. Oregon State PCC PG Gregory Erickson ***** 1 2 2 0 0 9. Niagara Great Lakes SF Nicky Frias ***** 2 1 0 0 0 10. DePaul Great Lakes C Steven Weber **** 0 4 0 0 0 11. Valparaiso Great Lakes SG John Meekins ***** 2 0 3 0 0 12. Duquesne Whig PG Otto Jackson **** 0 2 4 0 0 13. Lafayette Whig SF Claude Self **** 0 4 0 0 0 14. Georgetown Whig SF Dexter Barnett ***** 1 2 0 0 0 15. Montana PCC C Keenan Yang ***** 1 2 0 0 0 16. Texas SWC PG Glenn Kisner **** 0 2 2 0 0 17. Loyola-IL Great Lakes PG Daniel Mullins ***** 1 1 1 0 0 18. Marquette Great Lakes PG Andrew Widner ***** 1 1 0 0 0 19. Texas Christian SWC SG Richard Neumann ***** 1 1 1 0 0 20. UCLA PCC PF Bryan Sabetto-Davis **** 0 3 0 0 0 21. Texas A&M SWC PG Herschel Villar **** 0 2 2 0 0 22. Arizona State PCC SF Michael Bailey **** 0 1 3 0 0 23. Akron Great Lakes C James Carlock **** 0 3 0 0 0 24. Virginia Tech Southern PG Roscoe Leland **** 0 2 1 2 0 25. Davidson Southern Stars PG Jonathan Halford **** 0 2 2 0 0 Despite Citadel's #1 ranked class's failure to produce more than a single Sweet 16, the new #3 class raised hopes yet again for the team's breakthrough. 1962 Conference Movement New Schools Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire Vermont It seemed fitting that after years of western expansion that the NCAA finally chose to look east. The New England region, while pleased to have four new entrants into the field, also wrung hands over yet more low-level college hoops in the area. The most obvious placement for the newcomers was the Yankee League, which accepted them without comment. While expansion proceeded smoothly, there were rumblings in the Southern Conference that they wanted to be close to the Southern Stars' level. The SEC also considered disbanding and being strictly a football conference, as its hoops ineptitude, save for Georgia Tech, was hurting its gridiron brand. The Southern decide to invite Georgia Tech and Marshall to join the conference, and make the case to the NCAA that the league deserved a 4 prestige ranking based on those new members. The Yellow Jackets and the Thundering Herd both accepted, even though some protested the breaking of the Georgia/Georgia Tech in-conference rivalry and the NCAA began deliberations over where the SoCon merited an upgrade to the fourth prestige level. Kentucky, sensing that the SEC was about to fall, made the pre-emptive move to join the Bluegrass as a basketball only member, much as Tennessee did a few years before. The addition of both flagship campuses bolstered the marketability of the Bluegrass as a basketball conference, although, given the poor state of the Wildcats and Volunteers in the sport, it did not raise the league's prestige profile. The defections left the SEC with 8 members, which was not enough to dissolve the league, even with its ever-shrinking footprint, and so it hung on for another year as the third or fourth class basketball league in the South, depending on one wanted to classify the SWC. Georgia Tech SEC (1948-1961) Southern (1962- Marshall Ohio Valley (1948-1958) Independent (1959-1961) Southern (1962- Kentucky SEC (1948-1961) Bluegrass (1962- The end result of this was that the Bluegrass became the country's largest conference with 12 teams, but because it was regionally based, the NCAA didn't mind. Eventually, the NCAA ruled in favor of the Southern, elevating it to 4 prestige. The aggressive pursuit of Georgia Tech and Marshall, and the resulting victory, essentially saved the Southern, which had been starting to fray at the seams from its inability to get over the 3 prestige hump. As for the SEC, it really only lacked opportunity to splinter. There was talk of potentially raiding the North Carolina schools from the Southern if it was possible and making a new conference out of North Carolina, N.C. State, Florida, Florida State, Auburn, Alabama, Mississippi, and Mississippi State, and leaving Georgia and LSU, ironically the two most prestigious schools left in the SEC, to fend for their own. The thinking was that this would create a conference made up of in-state rivals, and thus be called the Archrivals Conference. The only problem was, the Southern's upgrade to a 4 prestige eliminated all such talk from the North Carolina universities. What likely would have happened, had it gone through, is the Southern would have picked up Georgia and LSU, who in fact were slight improvements over the two NC schools at the time. Talk also began around the country of instituting a secondary tournament, but the NCAA decided against it, as it would allow too many schools into postseason play just yet, even if it was just 16 teams. The NCAA said they would look at the matter again once its membership reached 200 teams. It was at 178 as of the 1962 season. 1962 Head Coach Movement The most important news to come out of 1962 wasn't a firing or retirement. It was the entrance of 35 year old Newton Richardson into the college coaching ranks after his retirement from professional basketball. Already known for his recruiting charm and ability to coach offense, some speculated he could land a head coaching gig right away. And, of course, there were those who wanted him at Montana. 13 coaches were pinkslipped prior to 1962 and a significant retirement occurred. Niagara Purple Eagles head coach Efran Bazemore was as unsung as his program. After a few years at Army, he'd gone on to coach Niagara from 1952 until his retirement and had a three year stretch from 1955-1957 of Elite 8, Final Four, Final Four. He never failed to take his Purple Eagles dancing and made two more Elite 8s and a Sweet 16 in the three years before he hung it up. His final record was 316-153, putting him tied for 9th with Brian Suiter for career wins when he retired and 12th in career winning % at 67.4. He also tied with Gus Seely, Frank Hill, and fellow unheralded Britt Allen, lifelong SMU head coach, for most career All-Americans at 10. Ellis Moline - Portland to Missouri The only coach in Pilots history led them to the NCAA tournament each of the last two seasons and his success in building up Portland's program was very attractive to the Tigers, who haven't been to the Big Dance since 1954, the last time they won their 7th straight Big 8 tournament title. Just one winning season since then, too. Gregory Bernard - Loyola-Maryland to Niagara An increasingly restless fanbase who demanded more led Bernard to take over for Bazemore. Too, there was the fact that the Purple Eagles never made it to the title game, a scenario which Bernard was familiar with when he became the head coach at Loyola-Maryland. Greyhounds fans wept at the news of the only coach to lead them to the Final Four and beyond leaving. They also feared who his successor would be. Wes Larrabee - Syracuse to Loyola-Maryland The replacement hire was met with considerably uncertainty. Larrabee had only four years experience as a head coach, although he did lead the Orangemen to three straight NCAA appearances, including the Sweet 16 last season. Also, at 50 years old, he didn't seem like a long-term solution. Alfonzo Reinert - North Carolina to Idaho A guy who only made the NCAAs once in nine years as a head coach at North Carolina and Penn State, and even that was a first round exit. Not a hire that went over well with Vandals fans, who still lived off the 1959 Elite 8 appearance and ignored the fact they missed the last two seasons. Robert Moss - Missouri to Syracuse Did lead Louisville to two NCAA bids when he coached the Cardinals, but his reputation has been that of a very ordinary coach with mid-tier credentials. Not what the Syracuse faithful want to hear, especially since they just lost a popular coach in Larrabee. Sterling Cano - Davidson to Arizona State* Made the tournament three of five years at Davidson, four of five years at Santa Clara, the last time the Broncos were good. Got fired after essentially one terrible year. Sun Devils would be delighted with that consistency, as they've made the tournament three times since joining the league in 1951, with no real consistency. Charles Cruz - Arizona State to Oregon* Nice. The Ducks take the Sun Devils' castoff, who only had one postseason berth in Tempe, although that appearance was ASU's first ever second round showing. Cruz was terrific at Holy Cross and Citadel, his first two jobs, but some think the game may have passed him by at 56. Joseph Abbott - Boston University to Marshall On the surface, it looks like a terrible hire, with no postseason bids for the Terriers. But BU has never made the tournament and he took them from a 3 win, 1 in conference team in 1955 to a consistent 13 win, 9 in conference squad by the time he left. That's some good work at one of the nation's worst programs. He also had Cornell in the tournament three of four years, including a Sweet 16. At 39, he could be here a long time, and turn the Thundering into a national power, rather than just a consistently good team. Bill Miller - Idaho to North Carolina* Freakish coach swap the two schools just pulled. Sure, the Vandals missed the tournament the last two years, but he also took them to the Elite 8. The Tar Heels hope he can make them consistent dancers again, although it's time to say if he has the ability to pull that off. Marco Moscowitz - Marshall to Davidson Spent just three years with the Thundering Herd and racked up three NCAA appearances to his credit, albeit no second weekend trips. He didn't do that at Dartmouth either, but neither has Davidson been there. At the very least, the 59 year old will be good enough to keep the team consistently in the postseason. Tony Emerson - Akron to Duke* Only got three years with the Zips and didn't really have the opportunity to do any building before getting canned. Mediocre at Alabama, terrific at Illinois, inconclusive at Akron. Duke, whose only appearance is a second round finish in 1949, just wants to go dancing. Newton Richardson begins his coaching career at Clemson as the recruiting coordinator. Most predicted it wouldn't be long before he got a head coaching job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jestor Posted July 5, 2011 Author Share Posted July 5, 2011 Clemson Notes 3 NCAA appearances - 1949 (2nd round), 1952 and 1960 (1st round) Last four recruiting classes: 1958 - #104 (2nd to last - 2 2*, 3 1*) 1959 - #171 (Last - No Commits) 1960 - #35 (First - 3 3*, 1 2*, 1 1*) 1961 - #139 (2nd to last - 2 2*, 1 1*) The Tigers have had traditionally poor recruiting classes, their best one in 1954, ranked #28, when they got the only 4* recruit in school history, PF Nathanael Martinez. Martinez was sadly a huge disappointment and ended up a very overrated player. A lot of opportunity for Newton Richardson to make his bones. In terms of pure talent, he's already the best recruiting coordinator the Tigers have ever had and it's not even close. # Team FPV Record Points Prv ---------------------------------------------------------- 1. Loyola-IL (72) 0-0 1800 2 2. Montana 0-0 1713 11 3. Niagara 0-0 1670 5 4. Furman 0-0 1582 3 5. San Francisco 0-0 1508 8 6. Rice 0-0 1446 NR 7. Richmond 0-0 1357 4 8. Southern California 0-0 1304 20 9. Texas Christian 0-0 1217 NR 10. Wake Forest 0-0 1163 6 11. DePaul 0-0 1073 1 12. Miami 0-0 985 13 13. Oregon State 0-0 950 12 14. Denver 0-0 822 14 15. California 0-0 809 21 16. UCLA 0-0 741 NR 17. Georgetown 0-0 656 9 18. Lafayette 0-0 555 NR 19. Southern Methodist 0-0 449 NR 20. George Washington 0-0 417 NR 21. Marquette 0-0 366 NR 22. Loyola-Maryland 0-0 349 16 23. Wyoming 0-0 222 NR 24. Texas 0-0 172 23 25. Nevada 0-0 68 NR Montana at #2 in the preseason Top 25 surprised a lot of people, but there the Grizzlies were, even though much of the David Beach bloom was starting to cool off. A ton of unbeaten teams still remained as of January 1st, the most ever in fact. Loyola-Illinois, Niagara, Furman, San Francisco, Rice, and, the biggest surprise, Stanford, made for 6 unbeaten teams in the Top 25. By February 1st, only 20-0 Furman was still unbeaten, and a great debate raged in the polls over whether the Paladins or the defending champion Loyola-Illinois Ramblers were the better team. #25 California at 7-11 made for a foolish choice, but otherwise the Top 25 had become a model of mostly consistent legitimacy the last several seasons. The Paladins lost three times in February and the pollsters continued to stubbornly stick Cal, now 9-17 at #25. Most suspected a payoff by the Golden Bears. The top 5 as of March 1st: Loyola-Illinois, Furman, San Francisco, Montana, Georgetown. Teams Pulling The Double Iowa State - Big 8 Loyola-Illinois - Great Lakes LSU - SEC South Carolina - Southern Furman - Southern Stars San Jose State - Sun West Note - A reseeding error led to the Bluegrass Conference Tournament not being completed, so once again the regular season champion went. The league then voted to not have reseeding after that, because it clearly didn't work. #1 Seeds San Francisco Loyola-Illinois Furman Montana The heaviest money was on the Ramblers to repeat, but no one was 100% sure. It seemed like another year where upsets could litter the board. 15 Consecutive NCAA Bids Georgetown (2 Sweet 16, 4 Elite 8, 2 Final 4, 3 National Runner-Up) Lafayette (3 Sweet 16, 1 Final 4) Loyola-Illinois (3 Sweet 16, 3 Final 4, 1 Elite 8, 1 Runner-Up, 2 NCAA Championships) Loyola-Maryland (6 Sweet 16, 1 Elite 8, 1 Runner-Up) Montana (3 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8, 1 Runner-Up, 5 NCAA Championships) Rice (4 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8, 2 Final 4, 1 Runner-Up, 2 NCAA Championships) USC (3 Sweet 16, 5 Elite 8, 1 Runner-Up) Once again, all of the seven made their 15th straight tournament. First Round Upsets West #12 Wyoming over #5 Oregon State #11 SMU over #6 Navy Midwest #10 Dayton over #7 Miami South #15 Seton Hall over #2 Lafayette The Pirates' upset of the Leopards was the biggest first round shocker since 1955, where #15 Kansas and #15 Harvard over USC and Citadel respectively. The Jayhawks ran all the way to the Final Four before being beaten by eventual champion Furman. Second Round Upsets West #11 SMU over #3 Marquette Midwest #10 Dayton over #2 Rice South #15 Seton Hall over #7 Arkansas East #7 Stanford over #2 Georgetown Seton Hall's Cinderella run didn't even draw the most play after the second round. Instead, everyone talked about how it was the second straight year Rice failed to make the Sweet 16 and how this was the first time since 1954 Georgetown didn't make it to the second weekend. An interesting tournament, indeed. Sweet 16 West #1 San Francisco vs #4 George Washington #2 TCU vs #11 SMU Midwest #1 Loyola-Illinois vs #4 UCLA #10 Dayton vs #3 Wake Forest South #1 Furman vs #4 Washington #15 Seton Hall vs #3 DePaul East #1 Montana vs #4 Richmond #7 Stanford vs #3 Niagara The Dons continued chasing their Final Four dreams, while the Colonials hoped to get back there. TCU, fresh off their own Cinderella run to the title game the year before, faced a doppelgangler spoiler hopeful in SMU that had the sweeter story of being an SWC matchup. Loyola-Illinois wanted to defend its title, while UCLA was in its third straight Sweet 16. Dayton sought its first ever Elite 8 showing, while Wake Forest prayed for the end of the Brian Kinard curse. For the second half matchups, the most interesting things were Montana back in the Sweet 16, and DePaul and Seton Hall facing off in a matchup of Sweet 16 newbies. In fact, this was the first time the Pirates made the tournament since 1949, which made Seton Hall's run all the sweeter. Loyola-Illinois beat UCLA in a white-knuckle 64-61 defensive match, with true freshman Daniel Mullins scoring 30 points, almost half the winning team's total. Ramblers fans were ecstatic with the phenom, quick to call him the next Thomas Branson. Junior Elijah Williams scored 20 and true frosh Howard Seabrook scored 14 as Wake Forest advanced, beating Dayton 72-54. It marked the first time since 1956, Kinard's first year at Wake, that the Demon Deacons made it out of the Sweet 16. All five Montana Grizzlies starters scored 11 or more and they blasted the Richmond Spiders 94-58. Juco transfer Charles Dore led the attack with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Niagara/Stanford was close the whole way through, but in the end, senior PG Markus Gunther's 20 points carried the Purple Eagles to a 91-89 edging of the Cardinal. San Francisco handled George Washington easily, 77-53. Freshman Hank Tipton's 11 bench points perfectly represented the Dons' balance. TCU tipped SMU 53-44 in a game in which just two players on each team scored 10+ points, and in the Horned Frogs' case, both were reserves. Sophomore Raymond Canty scored 14, senior Darrick Pickett, who some thought in his freshman year would be a breakout star, 13. Furman wrecked Washington 61-39 with one of the best defensive efforts of the tournament and DePaul stopped Seton Hall's streak 68-51. The Blue Demons were led by sophomore Barney Allard's 20 points and 12 rebounds. Elite 8 West #1 San Francisco vs #2 TCU Midwest #1 Loyola-Illinois vs #3 Wake Forest South #1 Furman vs #3 DePaul East #1 Montana vs #3 Niagara All four #1 seeds advanced to the Elite 8 and with no one lower than a #3 seed remaining, it looked a good job by the selection committee. Everyone but San Francisco and DePaul had been to the Final Four before and so the Dons and Blue Demons became intriguing to those who wanted to see newcomers rather than old guards. Most intriguing matchups of the round - Brian Kinard and Wake Forest taking on the defending champion Ramblers, and a newly resurgent Montana taking on the Purple Eagles in Gregory Bernard's first season. Loyola-Illinois/Wake Forest lived up to the pre-game hype and the Ramblers prevailed 84-81. Most importantly, freshman Daniel Mullins added on to his already legendary legacy with 39 points. Demon Deacons fans gnashed their teeth and continued hating Kinard. Montana eased past Niagara 81-75 with balanced scoring, best signified by reserve juniors Ray Crouch and Andrew Jones with 12 and 11 bench points. The Horned Frogs crushed the Dons 102-71 on freshman Richard Neumann's 24 points, sophomore Jason Redman's 20 points, senior Carlton Frechette's 14 bench points and Darrick Pickett's 11 bench points. The final game was closer, but Furman still beat Depaul handily, 85-73, led by junior Emanuel Eckhardt's 20 points. Final Four #1 Furman vs #2 TCU #1 Loyola-Illinois vs #1 Montana An absolutely sensational set of teams. Furman and TCU, representing the rising powers and facing off, while the old blue bloods of Loyola-Illinois and Montana fought for the other title game spot. All eyes were on Daniel Mullins to see what he would do. TCU and Furman fought a hard, intense, back-and-forth game that went to OT and resulted in a Horned Frogs 76-75 win after Owen Prescott came up with a monster block of Steven Spitzer's buzzer-beater jump shot to preserve the one point victory. Reserve Carlton Frechette led the Horned Frogs with 16 points. Montana held Daniel Mullins to 14 points, but senior backup guard Emery Merritt matched those 14 points in an ugly 53-39 win for the Ramblers. 24.5% shooting for the Grizzlies, 31.5% for the Ramblers in one of the most pathetic shooting games in NCAA tournament history. National Championship #2 TCU vs #1 Loyola-Illinois TCU back in the title game for the second straight year. For Loyola-Illinois, Gus Seely sought to become the first coach since Mack Halbert to win three banners at the same school and tie Halbert and David Beach for most overall championships. The Horned Frogs, one of the deepest teams in the tournament, seeking its first championship. The Ramblers, with the sexy star in freshman Daniel Mullins. Oddsmakers favored Loyola-Illinois and heavily so. Daniel Mullins didn't disappoint, scoring 24 points, but Jason Redman matched that point total for the Horned Frogs, and, combined with Carlton Frechette's 17 bench points and sophomore Owen Prescott's 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks, it was enough for TCU to win the school's first title, 81-75. It was a satisfying end that saw the rise of some new young stars in Mullins, Redman, and Prescott, to say nothing of Richard Neumann. As a smiling Jeremiah Coffee said afterwards, "We're hoping to reach Montana's level." The victory was all the sweeter for Coffee, who, as you may remember, was fired by Marquette after the 1955 season for a .500 record, and landed with the Horned Frogs. The notes from that change: Jeremiah Coffee - Marquette to TCU* Both Texas schools get the benefit of a hasty AD firing a quality coach after one sub-optimal season. Coffee was a fantastic coach for the Warriors and TCU, whose only tournament miss has been 1952 and who have made multiple Sweet 16s, are pleased to land him. That other coach referenced was Carl McKibben, who went to Texas and has since moved on from Austin. Pleased to land him indeed, after those back-to-back title game appearances and that glorious championship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jestor Posted July 5, 2011 Author Share Posted July 5, 2011 1962 OVERALL AWARDS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Player of the Year: SR C Harlan Burnette Marquette 19.7 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.8 APG 0.5 SPG, 3.5 BPG Freshman of the Year: FR C Steven Spitzer Furman 7.5 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 1.4 APG 0.8 SPG, 1.0 BPG Coach of the Year: Kieth Slayton San Francisco 32 - 5 (14 - 4) All-league 1st Team: C SR Harlan Burnette Marquette 19.7 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.5 SPG, 3.5 BPG PF SR Burt Seeley Loyola-IL 14.9 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.6 SPG, 3.3 BPG SF SR Alfonzo Sullivan Furman 15.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.1 APG, 2.0 SPG, 2.9 BPG SG SR Walker Austin UCLA 22.5 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.4 APG, 2.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG PG SR Dominick Brown Southern California 14.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.0 BPG All-league 2nd Team: C SR Joe Garland Denver 15.3 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.6 SPG, 1.4 BPG PF SR Byron Barba Stanford 16.1 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.3 SPG, 1.6 BPG SF SR Jeffrey Parker Dayton 17.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG SG JR Elijah Williams Wake Forest 18.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG PG SR Markus Gunther Niagara 16.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.1 BPG All-league 3rd Team: C SR Matthew Bell Niagara 14.7 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.9 BPG PF SR Don Miller Oregon State 19.1 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG SF SR Weston Ramirez Davidson 18.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG SG SR Carlton Bettencourt Southern California 16.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 3.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG PG SR Scott Smith Rice 9.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG All-freshman Team: C FR Steven Spitzer Furman 7.5 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.0 BPG PF FR Andrew Howse Saint Joseph's 10.3 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG SF FR John Meekins Valparaiso 13.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG SG FR Scott Eyler Duke 14.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG PG FR Daniel Mullins Loyola-IL 17.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.0 BPG Daniel Mullins was unfairly robbed of the Freshman of the Year award in the eyes of many, but few doubted he would have a stellar collegiate career and lead the Ramblers to at least one title. 1962 Recruiting Rankings # Team Conference Best Player Rtg 5* 4* 3* 2* 1* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Loyola-IL Great Lakes C Douglas Coffey ***** 3 2 0 0 0 2. Wake Forest Southern Stars SG Eric Trainor ***** 2 2 0 0 0 3. Furman Southern Stars SG Brent Barnum ***** 2 2 0 0 0 4. Southern California PCC SF Alonzo Kim ***** 2 2 0 0 0 5. Montana PCC C Elmer Westmoreland ***** 2 0 1 0 0 6. Texas Christian SWC SF Michael Kean **** 0 2 4 0 0 7. Richmond Southern Stars C John Nickerson ***** 2 1 0 0 0 8. Baylor SWC SF Arthur Thaxton ***** 1 2 0 0 0 9. Niagara Great Lakes C Irvin Uhl ***** 1 2 0 0 0 10. San Francisco PCC C Gene Carper ***** 1 2 1 0 0 11. George Washington Whig SF Albert Cravens ***** 2 1 0 0 0 12. William & Mary Whig PG Carl Butler **** 0 3 1 0 0 13. Miami Southern Stars PG Max Myles ***** 1 1 3 0 0 14. California PCC PF Alfredo Killion ***** 1 1 1 0 0 15. Duke Southern Stars SF Charles Powell **** 0 3 1 0 0 16. Denver SWC PF Jeffery Hunter **** 0 3 1 0 0 17. Davidson Southern Stars SF Gerald Hawley **** 0 2 1 0 0 18. Loyola-Maryland Independent SG Charley Griffin **** 0 3 0 0 0 19. Nevada Mountain States PF Demetrius Maclean ***** 1 1 0 0 0 20. Colgate North Star PG John Hartwig **** 0 1 2 1 0 21. West Virginia Southern PF James Winton **** 0 2 1 0 0 22. Marquette Great Lakes PF John Battle **** 0 3 0 0 0 23. DePaul Great Lakes SG Gregory Rivera ***** 1 1 0 0 0 24. Southern Methodist SWC PG Cedrick Corbin ***** 1 1 1 0 0 25. Utah Mountain States PG Gary Labonte **** 0 1 3 0 0 As for Clemson, they had their second highest class ever, ranked #30, with four 3* players and a 2* player. In a strong recruiting year for the Southern, however, that was only good for third in the conference. 1963 Conference Movement No new member schools, and lack of opportunities for fashioning a new conference meant the SEC survived another season. 1963 Coach Movement 10 fired coaches before the season. Kristopher Liebermann - West Virginia to Michigan* Fired after five seasons despite a 1959 Elite 8 and a winning record last year, Liebermann is a solid hire for a Wolverines outfit that's been to the tournament only four times, all first round exits, and no appearances since 1958. Jerry North - Texas Tech to Princeton On the face of it, a strange move for North, but as a Cornell alum, he was thrilled to be coaching in the Ivy League. Took the Red Raiders to the tournament last season and also had Syracuse in the second round back in 1951 as part of a three year stint with the Orange. The Tigers have only been to the tournament once, a first round exit in 1957. Alfred Kight - Tennessee to Lehigh One NCAA appearance with the Volunteers, a fluke 1957 appearance. Led the Volunteers to their first winning season in school history last year. Lehigh has a couple tournament appearances and are a mid-tier team in the North Star. Justin Carder - Iowa State to Navy Carder did a fine job building the Cyclones, including two NCAA appearances and three straight winning seasons the last three years. The Midshipmen are riding a streak of five straight dances, but just one past the first round. Matthew Fair - Colorado to Maryland Three straight treading water seasons with the Buffaloes, but then the Terrapins could use a rebuild, with their last winning season in 1957. Garret Perry - Navy to Tulane Five straight NCAA appearances with Navy, and the Midshipmen were sad to lose their most successful coach in school history. The Green Waves have been horrible for years, with just three winning seasons and their last NCAA appearance in 1954. Newton Richardson was inexplicably fired by Clemson, and he was forced to take the recruiting coordinator gig at Michigan, with Liebermann's staff. The Wolverines had the #32 class in 1953, but their second best class is #50. That said, they've historically done all right for their level, and have had some of the conference's better classes the last few seasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrel Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Not much to say, just happy to see another update! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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