2007-08 Long Island University Men’s Basketball Herbert Raubenheimer 1928 Herbert Raubenheimer inherited a dilapidated church gymnasium, a student body of about 200 students and just a handful of athletes when he 1933 Book became the fi rst Director of Athletics when Long Island University opened In 1933, Jimmy Gladden became its doors in 1927. When Raubenheimer resigned, an article in the Brooklyn the fi rst African-American to play Times on April 30, 1931, carried the headline, “Herbert Raubenheimer, basketball on the campus. Unaided, Put L.I.U. on Sports Map.” He began the basketball program in 1928 and single-handedly turned LIU Record into a athletics power with a non-stop routine of scheduling, purchasing, coaching and publicizing LIU’s fi ve varsity squads, spearheading attention- getting events and ultimately attracting outstanding coaches and athletes. 1947 World War II Former All-American Ossie Simon Lobello, the Schectman is credited with scoring leading scorer on the first basket in NBA history LIU’s 1941 NIT while playing for the New York Championship squad, Knicks against the Toronto Huskies. is killed in action Schechtman played for LIU from during World War II. 1938-41 and won two NIT titles. Ossie Schectman 1951-57 No basketball team, due to New York The 1938-39 Blackbirds went 24-0 and won LIU’s first NIT. City point-shaving scandals. 1968 NIT Led by All-Americans Luther Green and Larry 1957-58 1967 Newbold, the Blackbirds become the No. 1 The Blackbirds reinstate the basketball Former head coach Clair Bee is ranked small college team in the country by program and extend their home court inducted into the Naismith Basketball the AP. LIU won its fi rst 20 games en route to win streak. Dating back to a win over Hall of Fame. Bee led the Blackbirds a 22-2 record and a trip to the quarterfi nals of Mount St. Mary’s during the 1934- to a pair of NIT titles and posted the NIT, where its season ended with a 62-60 35 season, LIU won 142 straight at a 412-87 record in 21 seasons. His loss to Notre Dame. home until a 59-49 loss to Wittenberg .826 winning percentage ranks as the in 1957. highest in NCAA history. Luther Green Clair Bee led LIU to undefeated seasons in 1935-36 and 1938- 39, as well as, two NIT Championships in 1939 and 1941. 66 Long Island Blackbirds • 2007-08 Men’s Basketball • www.liuathletics.com 2007-08 Long Island University Men’s Basketball Record 1935-37 1939 NIT Champions Beginning with a 43-29 win over Th e Blackbirds went 24-0 during the 1938-39 season Catholic during the 1934-35 season, and captured their fi rst National Championship at the 1936 LIU began a 43-game win streak that National Invitation Tournament. Several LIU players, lasted into the 1936-37 season. Th e Book including Jules Bender Blackbirds posted an unbeaten season and Leo Merson, On Thanksgiving Day, 1939, team in 1935-36 going 25-0 and won the boycotted participating captain Dolly King played end fi rst seven games of the next year. Th e in the 1936 Berlin for the LIU football team against win streak still stands today as the sixth Olympics. Catholic University at Ebbets longest in NCAA history. Field and then played 40 minutes of basketball at Madison Square Garden that night. 1942 1941 NIT Champions Larry Doby begins his Clair Bee led LIU to a 25-2 mark in 1940-41 collegiate career on a and its second NIT Championship in three All-American Irv Torgoff accepts the basketball scholarship at seasons. The Blackbirds defeated Ohio, 56- 1939 NIT Trophy from Dr. James A. LIU. Doby followed the lead 42, in the fi nal. Naismith. of Jackie Robinson and broke the baseball color barrier in the American League with the Cleveland Indians during Paul Lizzo led the Blackbirds the 1947 season. to their first-ever NCAA Tournament in 1981 and is the second-winningest coach in LIU history. Roy Rubin 1972 Roy Rubin ends his 11-year run as head coach at LIU with a 174-94 record. He had a strong postseason reputation, leading the Blackbirds to three Tri-State League titles and three ECAC Division II titles. He also guided LIU to three NCAA College Division Tournaments where it 1981, 1984 NCAA Tournaments captured two Eastern Regional crowns, 1982 NIT 1984 in addition to appearing in two national Paul Lizzo coached the Blackibrds from 1975-95 and amassed Sherman White is named to NCAA Tournaments. Rubin’s biggest 245 wins, the second-most in LIU history. He led LIU to the Madison Square Garden’s 50th accomplishment might have been guiding school’s fi rst NCAA appearances in 1981 and 1984. Lizzo, an Anniversery Team, along with the 1967-68 Blackbirds to the No. 1 small assistant under Roy Rubin, also guided the 1981-82 squad to the legends Elgin Baylor, Kareem college ranking by the AP and a trip to the NIT for the fi rst time since the 1967-68 season. From 1980-84 Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, quarterfi nals of the NIT. he led the Blackbirds to a 78-41 record. Bill Russell and Jerry West. 2006 1998 NIT 1997 NCAA Tournament Long Island University completes construction Led by Charles Jones and Mike Powered by the highest scoring offense in the on its state-of-the-art Wellness, Recreation and Campbell the Blackbirds post a 21- country at 91.5 points per game, LIU wins Athletic Center. The $45 million facility houses 11 record and average 96.9 points the Northeast Conference and advances to the the Blackbirds basketball teams and includes per game. After falling in the NEC NCAA Tournament for the third time in school a 2,500-seat arena, an NCAA regulation pool tournament, LIU earns an invite to history. The Blackbirds push Villanova before and fi tness center and weight room. LIU played the NIT where it drops a narrow falling 101-91. its fi rst home game in the facility on Jan. 26 95-92 contest at Dayton. and defeated Sacred Heart, 63-60. Long Island Blackbirds • 2007-08 Men’s Basketball • www.liuathletics.com 67 2007-08 Long Island University Men’s Basketball CClairlair FFrancisrancis BBeeee ((1896-1983)1896-1983) Clair Bee coached basketball at Long Island and Rider for a total of 21 years, compiling a career record of 412-87. His .826 winning percentage is the highest Book of any coach in NCAA history. In 18 seasons at LIU he posted a 360-80 mark, including undefeated seasons in 1935-36 (25-0) and 1938-39 (23-0). In seven postseason trips to the NIT he led the Blackbirds to championships in 1939 and 1941. Record The Grafton, W. Va., native remains the fastest coach in Division I history to reach 200 and 300 wins. A devoted teacher of the game, he also helped LIU post a 43- game winning streak, which was an NCAA record at the time. By the time he left coaching in the 1950’s, Bee had already begun writing the Chip Hilton series, which is considered the top sports fi ction series ever written. In 1967, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfi eld, Mass., but his coaching infl uence remains intact today. He is credited with developing the 1-3-1 zone defense, the three-second rule and advocating the adoption of the NBA’s 24-second shot clock. In February 2000, he was inducted with the inaugural class of the LIU Athletics Hall of Fame. His daughter, Cindy Farley, was on hand to accept the honor posthumously. The Buzz on Bee • Career record of 412-87 in 21 seasons at LIU and Rider. • Highest winning percentage (.826) of any coach in NCAA history. • Enshrined in six halls of fame including the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Madison Square Garden Hall and the inaugural class of the LIU Sports Hall of Fame. • A 43-game win streak at LIU ranks sixth-longest all-time. • Led LIU to seven NIT tournaments, including championships in 1939 and 1941. • Over a 13-year span, his teams compiled a 222-3 home record. • Coached LIU to two undefeated seasons (1935-36 & 1938-39) • Nicknamed “The Innovator” for helping develop the 1-3-1 zone defense, the three-second rule and advocating the NBA’s 24-second shot clock. • Cofounded the acclaimed Kutsher’s Sports Camp. • Authored over 50 books, including the critically-acclaimed Chip Hilton’s Sports Stories for Young People. The Coach Clair Bee and Chip Hilton Awards were created by Chip Hilton Sports and the NCAA Foundation in 1996 as a way to honor the memory of Clair Bee, who had a great impact as a coach, administrator, innovator and teacher. The awards promote positive character in basketball, which were hallmarks of Bee and his teams. The Coach Clair Bee Award honors the active Division I men’s basketball coach who made the most signifi cant positive contribution to his sport during the preceding year. The winner refl ects the character and professional qualities of Bee, a Hall of Fame coach whom many consider the best technical basketball coach in history and a man who cared deeply about his players’ well-being. The criteria for the award involves actions that inspire, motivate, coach and educate their teams to achieve their fullest potential and demonstrate outstanding character. The Chip Hilton Award is given in recognition of a college player who meets the competitive and ethical standards that were the theme of the 24-book Chip Hilton series.