1952-53 Elmira Colonels (ABL)

1952-53 ELMIRA COLONELS
AMERICAN BASKETBALL LEAGUE (II)
17-11 .607, 3rd place

Semi-Finals: Lost to Wilkes-Barre, 4-3

Despite a decent 1951-52 campaign that saw the new Elmira club have a winning season, and Colonels team in 1952-53 had a drastically different make-up. Mike Novak took over the coaching duties, and only Jerry Fowler and Don Savage were returned. Elmira signed Bill Spivey but in October of 1952, the ABL ruled that players under indictment for point-shaving and game-fixing would not be eligible to play in the league. Elmira and Jersey City dropped out of the league, thus leaving the ABL with six teams and forcing ABL President John O'Brien to cancel the season. Prepared to play the season as an exhibition team, Elmira played a series of exhibition games before relenting and rejoining the ABL without Spivey, thus ensuring another season for the dying league. The 1952-53 Elmira team finished in third place, losing to Wilkes-Barre in the semi-finals.

Head Coaches: 

• Mike Novak (April 23, 1915 - August 15, 1978) 17-11 Also played. See below
• Ed Earle (April 28, 1927 - March 26, 2009) 0-1 Also played. See below

Earle coached the team on February 27, 1953, when Novak was unavailable to.

PLAYERS:

• Jim Baechtold (December 9, 1927 - August 29, 2011)

Biography

• Jim Brasco (February 3, 1931 - March 21, 2014)

Biography 

• Joe "Bells" Colone (January 23, 1924 - July 1, 2009)

Biography

• Ray Corley (January 14, 1928 - February 5, 2007)

Biography

• Blaine Denning (September 19, 1930 - January 25, 2016)

Biography

• Ed Earle (April 28, 1927 - March 26, 2009)

Biography 

• Jerry Fowler (June 20, 1927 - June 15, 2008)

Biography

• John Gozdenovich (March 8, 1924 - July 7, 1997)

Biography 

• Jack Gushue (December 20, 1924 - July 26, 2012)

Biography 

• Joel Kaufman (March 8, 1927 - June 22, 1972)

Biography 

• Tony Kazokas (October 9, 1930 - April 7, 2021)

Biography 

• Bobby Kelly (September 12, 1926 - December 23, 2014)

Biography 

• Leo Makovitch (May 2, 1923 - December 29, 1991)

Biography

• Larry Matthews (January 12, 1934 - October 18, 2005 )

Biography

• Gary May (March 10, 1933 - September 7, 1996)

Biography 

• Mike Novak (April 23, 1915 - August 15, 1978)

Biography

• Hank Rosenstein (June 16, 1920 - February 27, 2010)

Biography

• Buck Ross

Biography 

• Don Savage (April 9, 1928 - January 27, 2010)

Biography

• Frank Sebest (September 24, 1923 - November 28, 2010)

Biography