Jim Tucker

James D. Tucker


Born:
December 11, 1932
Paris, KY

Died:
May 14, 2020
Jacksonville, FL


Career
Paris High School - Kentucky (High School)
1951-52 Duquesne University (College)
1952-53 Duquesne University (College)
1953-54 Duquesne University (College)
1954-55 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1955-56 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1956-57 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)

Tucker attended Duquesne and averaged 19 points as a sophomore. A very popular player for the Dukes, Tucker was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals in the third round of the 1954 NBA draft. One of the first black players in the NBA, Tucker played sparingly that first season as the Nationals won the NBA title. However, he did set an NBA record on February 20, 1955, when he scored the fastest triple-double in NBA history. In a mere seventeen minutes against the Knicks that night, Tucker scored 12 points, assisted on 12 baskets and grabbed 10 rebounds. His record stood until Nikola Jokic broke it in 2018.

A documentary about Tucker was released in 2018 called "Let 'Em Know You're There." The trailer can be seen HERE

Source:
http://www.readilyapparent.tv/lekyt


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/tuckeji01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=tuckeji01

Frank Selvy

Franklin Delano Selvy


Born:
November 9, 1932
Corbin, KY

Died:
August 13, 2024
Simpsonville, SC


Career
1948-49 Corbin High School - Kentucky (High School)
1949-50 Corbin High School - Kentucky (High School)
1950-51 Furman University - South Carolina (College) Freshmen
1951-52 Furman University - South Carolina (College)
1952-53 Furman University - South Carolina (College)
1953-54 Furman University - South Carolina (College)
1954-55 Baltimore Bullets (NBA)
1954-55 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
1955-56 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1957-58 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1957-58 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1958-59 New York Knicks (NBA)
1959-60 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1959-60 Minneapolis Lakers (NBA)
1960-61 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
1961-62 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
1962-63 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
1963-64 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
1966-67 Furman University - South Carolina (College) Head coach
1967-68 Furman University - South Carolina (College) Head coach 
1968-69 Furman University - South Carolina (College) Head coach
1969-70 Furman University - South Carolina (College) Head coach  


On February 13, 1954, Furman was celebrating their favorite senior with Frank Selvy night in a game against Newberry College. Selvy was averaging over 40 point per game, highest in the country. With 4000 fans, including many friends and family members from Kentucky, packed in to Textile Hall, Coach Lyles Ally told his team to get the ball to Selvy and let him do the work on his special night. What wound up happening is Selvy hit 41 of 66 field goal attempts and also scored 18 from the line to score a staggering 100 points, a record that still stands for a Division I team. (Newberry College was not a Division 1 opponent. The record for points in a game by a Division 1 player against a Division I opponent is 72 by Kevin Bradshaw.)

Selvy was the first overall selection in the 1954 NBA draft by the Baltimore Bullets. The Bullets franchise dissolved shortly into the 1954-55 season, and Selvy was selected by the Milwaukee Hawks in the dispersal draft. He would average 19 points per game in his rookie year and was partly into his second season with the Hawks (now in St Louis) when he entered the U.S. Army. He would spend two years in the service and returned to the Hawks in 1958. The Hawks traded him to the Lakers in mid-February of 1958, and joined the New York Knicks for the 1958-59 season. After a year with the Knicks, he was waived on the eve of the 59-60 season. He was claimed by the Nationals and spent about six weeks with Syracuse before being sold back to the Lakers. He spent the rest of his nine year career in Los Angeles before retiring in 1964 as a two-time All-Star. He returned to Furman to coach the team for four seasons.

Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/selvyfr01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=selvyfr01

Togo Palazzi

Togo Anthony Palazzi


Born:
August 8, 1932
Union City, NJ

Died:
August 12, 2022
Worcester, MA


Career
1948-49 Union City High School - New Jersey (High School)
1949-50 Union City High School - New Jersey (High School)
1950-51 College of the Holy Cross (College) Freshmen
1951-52 College of the Holy Cross (College)
1952-53 College of the Holy Cross (College)
1953-54 College of the Holy Cross (College)
1954-55 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1955-56 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1956-57 Boston Celtics (NBA)
1956-57 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1957-58 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1958-59 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1959-60 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1972-73 College of the Holy Cross (College) Freshmen - Head coach
1980-81 College of the Holy Cross (College) Women's team - Head coach
1981-82 College of the Holy Cross (College) Women's team - Head coach

Togo starred at Holy Cross, leading the team to a 1954 NIT title. He set many scoring records at Holy Cross, putting up 593 points as a junior to eclipse legendary Bob Cousy's single-season record, only to smash that with 670 points as a senior. He also set the school record when he dropped 47 on Brown University on February 14, 1953). Palazzi was drafted fifth overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1954 draft.

He was sold to the Nationals in November of 1956, and stayed with Syracuse through 1960. After six full seasons in the NBA, Palazzi returned to Holy Cross to coach.

Source:
goholycross.com

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/palazto01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=palazto01

Jackie Moore

John T. "Jackie" Moore


Born:
September 24, 1932
Philadelphia, PA

 :




Career
1947-48 Overbrook High School - Philadelphia (High School)
1948-49 Overbrook High School - Philadelphia (High School)
1949-50 Overbrook High School - Philadelphia (High School)
1951-52 La Salle University (College)
1952-53 La Salle University (College)
1953-54 La Salle University (College)
1954-55 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1954-55 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
1954-55 Sunbury Mercuries (EPBL)
1954-55 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1955-56 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1956-57 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)

Moore leaded his Overbook HS basketball team to three straight Public League championships before heading to La Salle, where he would be the first black player on the basketball team. He was declared academically ineligibile in spring of 1954 and left school that summer. He signed with the Syracuse Nationals and played one game before being cut on November 3, 1954. He signed with the Milwaukee Hawks, and played one game against the Lakers before being cut again. He found his way to Sunbury in the Eastern League where he caught the attention of the Philadelphia Warriors. Moore signed with the Warriors and played for them for three seasons before a knee injury cut his career short. He was asked to help a young player by the name of Wilt Chamberlain to learn some of the finer points of the game, and Moore gets a lot of credit for helping Wilt to become one of the greatest players the game had ever seen. Moore eventually moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he is a well-respected man of the community, volunteering his time to help with people with substance abuse problems and driving people to medical appointments.

Source:
exnba.com, March 28, 2013
Philadelphia Tribune, January 27, 2014

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mooreja01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=mooreja01

Johnny "Red" Kerr

John Graham "Red" Kerr


Born:
July 17, 1932
Chicago, IL

Died:
February 26, 2009
Chicago, IL


Career
1949-50 Tilden High School - Chicago (High School)
1951-52 University of Illinois (College)
1952-53 University of Illinois (College)
1953-54 University of Illinois (College)
1954-55 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1955-56 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1956-57 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1957-58 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1958-59 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1959-60 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1960-61 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1961-62 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1962-63 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1963-64 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)
1964-65 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)
1965-66 Baltimore Bullets (NBA)
1966-67 Chicago Bulls (NBA) Head coach
1967-68 Chicago Bulls (NBA) Head coach
1968-69 Phoenix Suns (NBA) Head coach
1969-70 Phoenix Suns (NBA) Head coach

Born to Matthew and Florence Kerr on the South Side of Chicago, Kerr was a gifted soccer player at Tilden High School until a late growth spurt put him at 6'9 and allowed him to gravitate to basketball. He received a scholarship at Illinois and helped the team to the Big Ten title and Final Four appearance in 1952. He graduated from Illinois with 1299 career points and was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals in the 1954 NBA Draft.

As a rookie, Kerr helped the Nationals to the NBA title in 1955. A three-time All-Star, Kerr would play 12 seasons in the NBA and had set the record 844 complete games played. After the 1965-66 season with the Baltimore Bullets, Kerr was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the expansion draft, but became their head coach instead of a player. His playing days behind him, he finished with over 12,000 points and 10,000 rebounds. Kerr would coach the Chicago Bulls for two seasons and then the Phoenix Suns for two. He was lured to the Virginia Squires of the ABA where he served as the team's GM, signing players like Julius Irving. He returned to the Bulls in 1973 as the team's business manager and later worked as a broadcaster.

Kerr married Betsy Nemecek in 1954 and they had five sons and one daughter. One son, John Jr., died at the age of 3. He also took in the three daughters of his sister-in-law, Drusella, when she and her husband Evan died within months of each other in late 1971 and early 1972. Drusella and Evan's daughter Laurel Jean Ellis would be murdered in 1974 while attending Grand Valley College in Michigan. Her murder would go unsolved for many years until DNA tests linked a man named Lamont Marshall who had been found to have commit other murders and violent acts in the area.

Source:
MLive, April 2010
Obituary, Chicago Tribune, February 27, 2009

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/k/kerrre01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=kerrjo01

Dick Farley

Richard Lawrence Farley


Born:
April 13, 1932
Winslow, IN

Died:
October 1, 1969
Fort Wayne, IN


Career
1945-46 Winslow High School - Indiana (High School)
1946-47 Winslow High School - Indiana (High School)
1947-48 Winslow High School - Indiana (High School)
1949-50 Winslow High School - Indiana (High School)
1950-51 Indiana University (College) Freshmen
1951-52 Indiana University (College)
1952-53 Indiana University (College)
1953-54 Indiana University (College)
1954-55 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1955-56 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1958-59 Detroit Pistons (NBA)

Farley started playing basketball when he was 12, and by the time he got to Winslow HS as a freshman, he was good enough to make the varsity team. In his junior and senior years, he would lead little Winslow HS deep into the state tournaments. He would attend Indiana University, where the Hoosiers would win a pair of Big Ten Championships with Farley. He was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals, where he averaged 6.3 ppg in two seasons before the military came-a-calling.

Farley served in the U.S. Air Force for two years before playing one last season in the NBA, with the Detroit Pistons. He moved to Fort Wayne where he was the president of Office Interiors, Inc. He would die of cancer at the young age of 37.

DIck married Marge Eckrich and they had two sons and three daughters.

Source:
Tribune (Coshocton, OH), August 24 and 31, 1969
The Herald (Jasper, IN), October 3, 1969

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/f/farledi01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=farledi01

George Dempsey

George P. Dempsey


Born:
July 19, 1929
Philadelphia, PA

Died:
October 7, 2017
Cinnaminson, NJ ??


Career
1945-46 Merchantville High School - New Jersey (High School)
1946-47 Merchantville High School - New Jersey (High School)
1948-49 The King's College - New York (College)
1949-50 The King's College - New York (College)
1950-51 The King's College - New York (College)
1954-55 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1955-56 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1956-57 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1957-58 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1958-59 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1958-59 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)

Following a stellar basketball career at King's College in New York where he scored 1316 points in his freshman and sophomore seasons, Dempsey served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. After the war, he would play 5 seasons in the NBA, primarily with the Philadelphia Warriors. After leaving the game, Dempsey worked for the Roosevelt Paper Company for 47 years.

George married Doris Lightcap in 1954 and they had four sons and one daughter.

Source:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/184586623/george-p_-dempsey

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/dempsge01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=dempsge01

Larry Costello

Lawrence Ronald Costello


Born:
July 2, 1931
Syracuse, NY

Died:
December 11, 2001
Fort Myers Beach, FL


Career
1948-49 Minoa High School - New York (High School)
1949-50 Minoa High School - New York (High School)
1950-51 Niagara University (College)
1951-52 Niagara University (College)
1952-53 Niagara University (College)
1953-54 Niagara University (College)
1954-55 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1956-57 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1957-58 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1958-59 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1959-60 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1960-61 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1961-62 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1962-63 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1963-64 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)
1964-65 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)
1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)
1967-68 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)
1968-69 Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) Head coach
1969-70 Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) Head coach
1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) Head coach
1971-72 Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) Head coach
1972-73 Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) Head coach
1973-74 Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) Head coach
1974-75 Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) Head coach
1975-76 Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) Head coach
1976-77 Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) Head coach
1978-79 Chicago Bulls (NBA) Head coach

Costello hit the ground running at Niagara, helping the freshmen team to an undefeated season in 1950-51. He would lead the varsity team in scoring as a sophomore, and his three years on varsity lead the Eagles to the NIT twice. A tough and physical player, he would play 12 seasons in the NBA with the Philadelphia Warriors and the Syracuse Nationals / Philadelphia 76ers. He retired as a player in 1968 and immediately moved to the bench, being named the head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks. He coached the Bucks to the NBA title in 1971 with players such as Lew Alcindor and Oscar Robertson. He would coach the Bucks for eight full seasons and was fired 16 games into a ninth. Costello was one of the first head coaches to employ a full-time assistant on the bench. He returned to coaching in 1978 with the Chicago Bulls but was replaced by Scotty Robertson after a 20-36 start.

Costello died of cancer in 2001.

Source:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42777375
https://www.buffalosportshallfame.com/member/larry-costello/
NY Times, December 14, 2001

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/costela01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=costela01

1954-55 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)

1954-55 SYRACUSE NATIONALS
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Eastern Division
Finished: 43-29 .597, 1st place

Eastern Division Finals - Defeated Boston, 3-1
NBA Finals - Defeated Fort Wayne, 4-3

The Nationals finally won the NBA title this year, courtesy of Dolph Schayes and Paul Seymour. The Nat;s won the Eastern division by five games and defeated the Celtics in the division finals. They went on to clip the Pistons in the NBA Finals.

• Head Coach: Al Cervi (February 12, 1917 - November 9, 2009)

PLAYERS:

• Dick Farley (April 13, 1932 - October 1, 1969)

Biography 

• Billy Gabor (May 13, 1922 - June 4, 2019)

Biography

• Billy Kenville (December 1, 1930 - June 19, 2018)

Biography 

• Red Kerr (July 17, 1932 - February 26, 2009)

Biography 

• George King (August 16, 1928 - October 5, 2006)

Biography

• Earl Lloyd (April 3, 1928 - February 26, 2015)

Biography

• Jackie Moore (b. September 24, 1932)

Biography 

• Wally Osterkorn (July 6, 1928 - January 11, 2012)

Biography

• Red Rocha (September 18, 1923 - February 13, 2010)

Biography

• Dolph Schayes (May 19, 1928 - December 10, 2015)

Biography

• Paul Seymour (January 30, 1928 - May 5, 1998)

Biography

• Connie Simmons (March 15, 1925 - April 15, 1989)

Biography

• Jim Tucker (December 11, 1932 - May 14, 2020)

Biography 

George Yardley

George Harry Yardley III


Born:
November 3, 1928
Hollywood, CA

Died:
August 13. 2004
Newport Beach, CA


Career
1945-46 Newport Harbor High School - Newport Beach, CA (High School)
1947-48 Stanford University (College)
1948-49 Stanford University (College)
1949-50 Stanford University (College)
1950-51 Stewart Chevrolet - San Francisco (Independent)
1951-52 Los Alamitos Naval Base (Military) 
1953-54 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1954-55 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1955-56 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1956-57 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1957-58 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1958-59 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1958-59 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1959-60 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1961-62 Los Angeles Jets (ABL)

NATIONAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME, 1996

Yardley graduated from Stanford in 1950 and was selected by Fort Wayne in the first round of the 1950 NBA Draft. Rather than sign with the Pistons, he wanted to maintain his amateur status in order to play in the 1952 Olympics. He played basketball with the Stewart Chevrolet out of San Francisco who won the 1951 AAU Championship. Yardley entered the U.S. Navy shortly thereafter and played for the Los Alamitos Base team. However, he broke his hand while playing there and was unable to play for the United States in the Helsinki Olympic games.

Out of the navy in 1953, Yardley finally joined the Pistons and five years later when the Pistons moved to Detroit, Yardley became the first NBA player to score 2000 points in a single season.  In the following 1958-59 season, Yardley was traded to the Syracuse Nationals where he played the next season and a half. A six-time all-star, Yardley retired following the 1959-60 season at the age of 31.

In his seven-year career, he finished in the top 16 in scoring in six seasons. He returned to California but was coaxed out of retirement in 1961 by Bill Sharman who was a player and head coach for the New York Jets in the new American Basketball League. When the team failed, he quit playing for good and started up his own engineering company, the George Yardley Company in Santa Ana, California. Yardley was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1996. He died in 2004 from complications of ALS.

George and his wife, Diana, had two daughters and one son.


Source:
NY Times, August 16, 2004

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/y/yardlge01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=yardlge01

Jim Neal

James Ellerbe Neal


Born:
May 21, 1930
Silverstreet, SC

Died:
October 3, 2011
Greer, SC


Career
1947-48 Silverstreet High School - South Carolina (High School)
1948-49 Silverstreet High School - South Carolina (High School)
1949-50 Wofford College (College)
1950-51 Wofford College (College)
1951-52 Wofford College (College)
1952-53 Wofford College (College)
1953-54 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1954-55 Baltimore Bullets (NBA)

The 6'11 Neal was a legend at small Wofford College, averaging 32.6 points per game as a senior. He left Wofford having scored over 2000 points (including a school-record 57 in one game) and 1500 rebounds. Neal was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals and played one season with the Nats before playing with the Baltimore Bullets in 1954. When the Bullets folded, Neal's NBA career came to an end. He worked for American Enka Textile as a construction manager and later worked at BASF as an engineer prior to retiring.

Neal married Maxine Clyde and they had one son, Jim (d. 2012), and one daughter, Susan (1955-2012). Following Maxine's death, he married Suella Clyde Van Doren who remained his wife until Jim's death.

Source:
Greenville News, October 5, 2011

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/n/nealji01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=nealji01

Dick Knostman

Richard William Knostman


Born:
August 9, 1931
Warnego, KS

Died:
March 16, 2022
Wickenburg, AZ


Career
1947-48 Warnego High School - Kansas (High School)
1948-49 Warnego High School - Kansas (High School)
1949-50 Kansas State College (College) Freshmen
1950-51 Kansas State College (College)
1951-52 Kansas State College (College)
1952-53 Kansas State College (College)
1953-54 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)

Knostman, a 6'6 center from Warnego, Kansas, played basketball at Kansas State where he helped the Wildcats to the 1951 Final Four as a sophomore. After a stellar career at K-State that saw him score over 1000 points, he was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals but would only play five games for them.

Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/k/knostdi01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=knostdi01

Billy Kenville

William McGill Kenville


Born:
December 1, 1930
Elmhurst, NY

Died:
June 19, 2018
Binghamton, NY


Career
1950-51 St. Bonaventure (College)
1951-52 St. Bonaventure (College)
1952-53 St. Bonaventure (College)
1953-54 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1954-55 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1955-56 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1956-57 Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
1957-58 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1958-59 Rochester Colonels (EBL)
1959-60 Detroit Pistons (NBA)
1960-61 St. James High School - Binghamton, NY (High School) Head coach - JV
1960-61 Hodges Builders - Binghamton, NY (Independent)

After starring at St. Bonaventure, Kenville was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals. He played three seasons with Syracuse, helping them to the NBA crown in 1955.

Kenville was sold by the Nats to the Pistons in October of 1956,  would play two seasons for the Pistons before retiring in 1958. His retirement was short lived, and he signed with the Rochester Colonels in the Eastern League in 1958. After a good season the the Colonels, he found himself back in the NBA with the Pistons in 1959. A leg injury that season sidelined him for a bit and after the season he would be done playing in the NBA. He would go on to coach basketball in Binghamton, New York, where he died in 2018.




Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/k/kenvibi01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=kenvibi01

Bato Govedarica

Bato Zdravko Govedarica


Born:
April 17, 1928
Chicago, IL

Died:
March 13, 2006
Hinsdale, IL


Career
1943-44 Lane Technical High School - Chicago (High School)
1944-45 Lane Technical High School - Chicago (High School)
1945-46 Lane Technical High School - Chicago (High School)
1946-47 Lane Technical High School - Chicago (High School)
1948-49 DePaul University (College)
1949-50 DePaul University (College)
1950-51 DePaul University (College)
1953-54 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)

Bato averages 31.5 points per game over his entire basketball career at Lane Tech High School, catching the attention of coach Ray Meyer at DePaul University . Bato served in the army after graduating from DePaul, spending time overseas in the Korean War. After returning, he would play basketball with the Syracuse Nationals.

Bato married Dorothy Vujovich in 1954 and they had three children.

Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/govedba01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=govedba01

Ernie Beck

Ernest Joseph Beck


Born:
December 11, 1931
Philadelphia, PA

Died:
December 12, 2024



Career
1947-48 West Catholic High School - Philadelphia (High School)
1948-49 West Catholic High School - Philadelphia (High School)
1950-51 University of Pennsylvania (College)
1951-52 University of Pennsylvania (College)
1952-53 University of Pennsylvania (College)
1953-54 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1955-56 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1956-57 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1957-58 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1958-59 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1959-60 Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)
1960-61 St Louis Hawks (NBA)
1960-61 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1961-62 Sunbury Mercuries (EPBL)
1962-63 Sunbury Mercuries (EPBL)
1963-64 Sunbury Mercuries (EPBL)  Head coach / player

Beck was one of many stars from Philadelphia in the 40's to make it to the NBA. Beck lead the city in scoring in his senior year at West Catholic before enrolling at Penn. He scored a school-record 1827 points at Penn, with 67e coming in his final year (still the school record for a single season.) He was a territorial draft pick by the Philadelphia Warriors and played 15 games in the NBA in 1953 before having to leave to serve in the U.S. Navy. After two years, he returned to the Warriors and rarely missed a game over the next five seasons.  He helped the Warriors to the NBA title in 1955-56.
Just prior to the 1960-61 season, Beck was traded with Woody Sauldsberry to the St. Louis Hawks for Ed Conlin. He appears in 7 games with the Hawks before being sold to Syracuse, and was let go shortly thereafter.

Out of the NBA, Beck would play a few seasons in the Eastern League with Sunbury. He would start a new career as a high school teacher and coach


Source:
https://www.philly.com/philly/sports/high_school/230939891.html

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/becker01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=becker01

1953-54 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)

1953-54 SYRACUSE NATIONALS
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Eastern Division
Finished: 42-30 .583, 2nd place

Advanced from Eastern Division Round Robin
Division Semifinals - Defeated Boston, 2-0
NBA Finals - Lost to Minneapolis, 4-3

Despite stepping back about 80 points in winning percentage, the second-pace Nationals, lead by Dolph Schayes, rolled through the round robin and then the Celtics to meet with the Lakers in the Finals. They took the Lakers to seven games, but lost the deciding game and failed to grab the club's first NBA championship. Schayes averaged 17.1 PPG and also pulled down 12.1 rebounds per game.

• Head Coach: Al Cervi (February 12, 1917 - November 9, 2009)

PLAYERS:

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

Biography 

• Billy Gabor (May 13, 1922 - June 4, 2019)

Biography

• Bato Govedarica (April 17, 1928 - March 13, 2006)

Biography

• Billy Kenville (December 1, 1930 - June 19, 2018)

Biography 

• George King (August 16, 1928 - October 5, 2006)

Biography

• Dick Knostman (August 9, 1931 - March 16, 2022)

Biography 

• Bob Lavoy (June 29, 1926 - December 18, 2010)

Biography

• Earl Lloyd (April 3, 1928 - February 26, 2015)

Biography

• Al Masino (February 5, 1928 - August 16, 2006)

Biography

• Jim Neal (May 21, 1930 - October 3, 2011)

Biography 

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

Biography

• Wally Osterkorn (July 6, 1928 - January 11, 2012)

Biography

• Dolph Schayes (May 19, 1928 - December 10, 2015)

Biography

• Paul Seymour (January 30, 1928 - May 5, 1998)

Biography

Bob Lochmueller

Robert Lee Lochmueller


Born:
June 5, 1927
Elberfeld, IN

Died:
October 27, 2020
Tell City, IN



Career
1942-43 Elberfeld High School - Indiana (High School)
1943-44 Elberfeld High School - Indiana (High School)
1944-45 Elberfeld High School - Indiana (High School)
1949-50 University of Louisville (College)
1950-51 University of Louisville (College)
1951-52 University of Louisville (College)
1952-53 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1953-54 Fort Branch High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1954-55 Princeton High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1955-56 Princeton High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1956-57 Richmond High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1957-58 Seymour High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1958-59 Seymour High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1959-60 Seymour High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1960-61 Seymour High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1962-63 West Virginia State University (College) Assistant coach
1963-64 West Virginia State University (College) Assistant coach
1964-65 West Virginia State University (College) Assistant coach 
1965-66 Tell City High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1966-67 Tell City High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1967-68 Tell City High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1968-69 Tell City High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1969-70 Tell City High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1970-71 Tell City High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1971-72 Tell City High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1972-73 Tell City High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1973-74 Tell City High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1974-75 Tell City High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1975-76 Tell City High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1976-77 Tell City High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1977-78 Tell City High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1978-79 Tell City High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach
1979-80 Tell City High School - Indiana (High School) Head coach

Lochmueller, who played basketball while attending Louisville, was drafted by Syracuse in the 7th round of the 1952 NBA Draft. After a career-ending knee injury in his rookie season, Lockmueller went into the coaching ranks. He bounced around various Indiana High School before being offered as assistant job at West Virginia. After three seasons, we took the head coaching job at Tell City High School, where he would stay for 15 seasons. Tell City would win nine-consecutive sectional championships and two regional championships under Lochmueller.

Source:


Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/lochmbo01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=lochmbo01

1952-53 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)

1952-53 SYRACUSE NATIONALS
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Eastern Division
Finished: 47-24 .662, 2nd place

Division Semifinals - Lost to Boston, 2-0

Syracuse was lead by forward Dolph Schayes and guard Paul Seymour. They won almost two-thirds of their regular season games, but were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the equally-gifted Boston Celtics.

• Head Coach: Al Cervi (February 12, 1917 - November 9, 2009)  also played, see below

PLAYERS:

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

Biography 

• Bill Calhoun (November 4, 1927 - December 17, 2024)

Biography

• Al Cervi (February 12, 1917 - November 9, 2009)

Biography

• Billy Gabor (May 13, 1922 - June 4, 2019)

Biography

• Noble Jorgensen (May 18, 1925 - November 2, 1982)

Biography

• George King (August 16, 1928 - October 5, 2006)

Biography

• Earl Lloyd (April 3, 1928 - February 26, 2015)

Biography

• Bob Lochmueller (June 5, 1927 - October 27, 2020)

Biography 

• Wally Osterkorn (July 6, 1928 - January 11, 2012)

Biography 

• Red Rocha (September 18, 1923 - February 13, 2010)

Biography

• Dolph Schayes (May 19, 1928 - December 10, 2015)

Biography

• Paul Seymour (January 30, 1928 - May 5, 1998)

Biography

Ed Earle

Edwin Graffan Earle


Born:
April 28, 1927
Chicago, IL

Died:
March 26, 2009
Park Ridge, IL


Career
1944-45 Schurz High School - Chicago (High School)
1946-47 Loyola University - Chicago (College)
1947-48 Loyola University - Chicago (College)
1948-49 Loyola University - Chicago (College)
1949-50 Loyola University - Chicago (College)
1952-53 Elmira Colonels (ABL)
1953-54 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)

Burn to Harry and Lillian Earle, Edwin entered the U.S. Navy right out of high school, but World War 2 ended shortly afterwards and eh was discharged. He enrolled at Loyola University in Chicago and in three of his four years there, the Ramblers won 20 games. He started playing softball as he finished college. He played basketball in the ABL and NBA, but was a very well-known player in the world of 16-inch softball. He would eventually be inducted into the 16 Inch Softball Hall of Fame. Earle worked in the sales department for Yellow Frieght Systems in Chicago.

Source:
Obituary, Loyola Ramblers, April 2, 2009
16 Inch Softball Hall of Fame
Obituary, Chicago Sun-Times, April 2, 2009

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/earleed01.html

Jim Brasco

James J. Brasco


Born:
February 3, 1931
Brooklyn, NY

Died:
March 21, 2014
Huntington, NY


Career
1944-45 Abraham Lincoln High School - Brooklyn (High School)
1945-46 Abraham Lincoln High School - Brooklyn (High School)
1948-49 NYU (College)
1949-50 NYU (College)
1950-51 NYU (College)
1951-52 NYU (College)
1952-53 Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1952-53 Milwaukee Hawks (NBA)
1952-53 Elmira Colonels (ABL)
1953-54 Hazleton Mountaineers (EPBL)  Head coach / player
1954-55 Hazleton Hawks (EBL)
1955-56 Williamsport Billies (EBL)
1956-57 Williamsport Billies (EBL)
1957-58 Williamsport Billies (EBL) 

Brasco played his college ball at NYU, and he was subpoenaed to give testimony in the point shaving scandal that rocked college basketball in 1951. Brasco was offered money but he refused to accept. After NYU, Brasco would be drafted by the Syracuse Nationals in the 1952 NBA Draft. He was sold to the Milwaukee Hawks a month into the 1952-53 season, and after the the Hawks let him go, he signed with the Elmira Colonels on February 25, 1953. He scored four points in his only appearance with the Colonels. He was signed by the Hazleton Hawks in the Eastern League. In January of 1954, he was promoted to player / coach. He played a few more season in the EBL.

Source:
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newsday/obituary.aspx?n=James-BRASCO&pid=170401553

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/brascji01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=brascji01