1948-49 Wheeling Blues (AABL)

 1948-49 WHEELING BLUES

ALL-AMERICAN BASKETBALL LEAGUE

Finished: 21-9 .700, 1st place
Semi-Finals: Defeated McKeesport, 2-0
Finals: Defeated Cumberland, 2-1

The Wheeling Blues, the AABL entry from the West Virginia city that carried over four players from last year's entry known as the Puritans, put it together to run off with the championship. Winning their first four games and 8 of their first ten, Wheeling weer at the top of the standings from start to finish. They would win 7 of their 8 February games to put the regular season title out of reach, lead by Jim Quinlan with 10.6 PPG. They swept two games from McKeesport in the semi-finals and took down Cumberland in a hard-fought championship series.

Head Coach:

• Julie Rivlin (February 2, 1917 - September 23, 2002)

PLAYERS:

• Ken Becker (November 10, 1923 - February 11, 2014)

• Gene Britt (October 13, 1921 - November 29, 2004)

• Bobby Carroll (July 11, 1925 - January 31, 2022)

• Sam Chickerella (November 2, 1924 - March 30, 2011)

• Hank Ellis (August 18, 1921 - October 29, 2015)

• Hal Geisler (December 24, 1916 - May 12, 1975)

• Paul Herman (July 5, 1921 - July 20, 1972)

• Floats Pelaez (January 3, 1920 - January 29, 1995)

• Jim Quinlan (May 29, 1922 - July 13, 2003)

• Julie Rivlin (February 2, 1917 - September 23, 2002)

• Jim Ruch (August 15, 1920 - July 2, 1984)

• Andy Tonkovich (November 1, 1922 - September 2, 2006)

• Dick Wehr (December 9, 1926 - December 1, 2011)