The BASKETBALL PREVIEW Salt Francisco ISSUE FOGHORN VOL. 66. NO. 12 UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO 151 DEC. 1. 1971 USF Basketball 1971-72 A WCAC Title in Sight? Athletic Tradition — A History of USF's Basketball Heritage By BILL DUPLISSEA earmarked by Coach Newell as tion at Michigan State Univer­ spect at least; it indelibly troupe a star of some renown. "the steadiest man on the sity. Filling his shoes would be marked USF in the minds of Bob Gaillard (currently head To have a prc-occupation with team." Joe McNamee was the a difficult task at best, and af­ basketball fans on a national USF basketball coach), all the past is today considered by team's leading rebounder par­ ter long consideration, Father scope. Although as yet there has WCAC and All-Northern Cali­ most people, especially a uni­ tially due to his then uncommon James Duffy S.J., athletic mod­ not been comparable success by fornia for the past two seasons, versity community, unhealthy at height of 6' 9". erator, named Phillip D. Wool- USF teams, the Bill Russell era hinted that USF basketball best. In the area of USF basket­ 1918-49 As many of today's pert as head coach of the Dons. created an athletic tradition on might return to the limelight. ball, however, it is difficult to USF students were being born, From the same basketball philo­ the Hilltop, something necessary Although Bob Gaillard had an­ restrain oneself from being in a Coach Pete Newell's Giant Kill­ sophic mold as his highly suc­ for perennial athletic achieve­ other great year (so great that word nostalgic. USF basketball ers were on the brink of Nation­ cessful predecessor, Coach Wool- ment. he broke Bill Russell's single fans, perhaps more than others, al prominence. As Freshmen pert integrated his own coach­ 1956-57 After the graduation game scoring record and estab­ find it difficult to look upon the and Sophomores, his "Davids" ing techniques with those of of Bill Russell, USF basketball lished the new mark at 41 upcoming season as merely the slew some of the nation's top Newell. Exciting wins over Cal, points), the Dons finished the Loyola, Baylor, Santa Clara and relinquished its position of na­ USF basketball season of 1971- quintets, but now as Juniors, the tional prominance. Associated season with a dismal 10-15 w/1 72, instead they look at this 48-49 team became Goliaths in St. Mary's, however, were Wool- record. pert's only cause for joy, as the Press and United Press Interna­ team as another episode in the the national basketball scene. tional felt the defending NCAA 1962-63 With graduation of continuing drama of The Saga The metaphor breaks down in Dons 50-51 team posted a bleak 9-17 season. Champions were not even Gaillard and the poor record of of Basketball at USF. the fact that there were not suf­ worthy of a national ranking. the previous year, the pre-sea- There are few students at USF ficient Davids to stop the Dons 1951-52 The basketball squad Ironically, the USF team of son outlook was bleak. The who do not know that Bill Rus­ from posting a 25-5 record (one of 1951-52 still clung to the mem­ 1956-57 was one of the best bal­ Dons were able to overcome sell led the USF teams of 1955- of such wins saw USF defeating ories of the Pete Newell era as anced clubs ever at the Hilltop. these deficits and post an im­ 56 to two consecutive NCAA a strong University of Santa they attained only moderate suc­ There were veterans returning pressive record of 18-9. The suc­ Championships, however, names Clara team starring such USF cess in their 11-13 season. In in every key position except for cess was due largely to the per­ like Ray Maloney, Rene Bare- notables as Pete Peletta and place of team glory, the Dons the vacancy left at enter by Bill formance of Ollie Johnson, the illes and Erwin Mueller are less (Fr.) Bob Sunderland), and could boast of at least three "the Remarkable" Russell. The 6-8 phenomenon from Washing­ widely known around the Hilltop. from obtaining their first bid great individual stars. Three names of Russell and Jones were ton, D.C. Johnson earned both The complete story of USF bas­ to the National Invitational Bas­ names still familiar to USF and partially replaced by Mike All-Northern California and All- ketball Tournament held in Mad­ basketball fans at large loomed Farmer and Art Day. Farmer WCAC honors, as well as a spot ketball is an interesting one, but ison Square Garden in New dominantly on the quintet of 51- earned All-America Honors and on the All-Sophomore All-Ameri­ more importantly it gives the York. The brightest stars in the 52—guard K. C. Jones, forward USF fan of today an additional Dons' highly successful bid for Jerry Mullen and guard Phil Day All-Coast honors as the can team as selected by the dimension of enjoyment as he cage dominance were the Mutt Vukicevich. Vukicevich, later to Dons, without Russell, finished Basketball News. views the continuation of USF and Jeff combination of 6-6 Lof- be head USF basketball coach, third in the NCAA. 1963-64 The 63-64 season athletic excellence. gran and 5-9 Rene Herrerias exhibited great cool and the 1957-58 The season of 57-58 marks a return to the limelight The University of San Fran­ who received All Coast and All ability to be a clutch performer. was marked by great defensive for USF basketball. When the cisco can only claim a "basket­ America honors, respectively. He hit 36% of his shots to tally play throughout the season, and season ended, fifth-year mentor ball Tradition" back to 1930. It Lofgran set a new school record a 202-point season total. Most consistent scoring by All- Pete Peletta could boast of his was St. Ignatius College (later in scoring with 442 points. noteworthy, however, was his America-bound Mike Farmer first WCAC title and his first to become USF) that started in­ His spectacular scoring and out­ consistently fine defensive play. and Mike Preaseau, a gem the bona., fide.. All-American... The tercollegiate basketball history standing rebound and defensive Jerry Mullen and K. C. Jones, Dons acqquired from Menlo Ju­ Dons made a clean sweep of the in 1924. From the beginning, our work earned him the NIT "Most who became more widely known nior College the year before. WCAC teams and recorded a tradition was a winning one, Valuable Player" trophy. Her­ for their exploits in Professional The team posted a 25-2 season 25-3 w/1 record, reminiscent of this 1924 team won thirteen rerias, who weighed only 134 Basketball, contributed 110 and record, but failed to acquire a days of old. Still a Junior, Ollie while losing only four. pounds was one of the most ef­ 128 points respectively to the berth in the NCAA tournament Johnson scored a phenominal fective defensive men and play 1951-52 season effort. that year. 1041 points. This total is two HISTORY OF BASKETBALL makers in the nation. New York more than Bill Russell's output USF 1952-53 The 1952-53 USF bas­ 1958-60 The seasons of 58-60 sports writers tabbed him Madi­ were lackluster in comparison to for the same period of time. son Square Garden's top "crowd ketball team opened its season Along with Johnson, Joe Ellis 1929-30 St. Ignatius College with a 73-74 loss to Stanford in Coach Woolpert's earlier teams. wins the Pacific Coast Cham­ pleaser" of the season. The NIT (known more widely for his ex­ championship ended a whirlwind double overtime. The trio of Woolpert lost all five of his pionship— this marks the first Jones, Mullen and Vukicevich starters from the 58 team; three ploits with the San Francisco significant USF cage endeavor three-year rise to the top for Warriors) earned All-Northern Pete Newell. He patiently were effective but not success­ by graduation and two by action on a national scale. The Gray ful enough to bring about a win­ of the school administration. California and All-Coast honors. Fog participated in the National worked with his youngsters through two seasons in which ning season — something the Enough remained, however, to 1961-65 A rerun of the last A.A.V. Tournament in Kansas they had 13-14 and 13-11 records Dons had not experienced since make USF a still dangerous op­ season, the 64-65 team again City that year, which was at that and then hit the jackpot a year Pete Newell had left the Hilltop. ponent and a solid dark horse captures the WCAC crown; Ol­ time the only major national ahead of schedule with his pre­ The quality of opponents had candidate for the WCAC title. lie Johnson and Joe Ellis are tournament. The San Francis­ dominately Junior class squad. diminished somewhat over the The West Coast Athletic Confer­ again named to All-American cans were defeated in the finals In addition to building a winning previous two years but a spo- ence, which USF joined in 1957, teams. The USF basketball dy­ of that tournament by Phillips team, he expanded the San ratic Don offense was the cause guaranteed a berth in the NCAA nasty had once again arrived University (26-17), however, Francisco schedule for one em­ of Coach Woolpert's poor w/1 tourney for its winner.