1942-43
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CONF. TOURNEY |
POST-SEASON |
| 22-6 |
7-1 |
11-3 |
4-2 |
10-0 |
1st |
None |
None |
ROSTER:
| NO. |
POS. |
NAME |
War
Status |
CLASS |
HGT. |
WGT. |
Hometown (Previous School) |
| |
|
RETURNEES: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
7
|
F-G
|
Jack
Ballard *
|
AERC |
Jr
|
6'6
|
205
|
Kansas City, MO (Southwest HS)
|
|
10
|
F-G
|
Charlie
Black *
|
AACR |
Jr
|
6'4
|
198
|
Kansas City (Southwest HS)Transfer
from Wisconsin |
|
14
|
G
|
Don
Blair *
|
|
Jr
|
6'1
|
|
Ottawa, KS
|
|
3
|
C-G
|
John
Buescher ** Cpt.
|
|
Sr
|
6'2
|
160
|
Beardstown, IL |
|
24
|
G
|
George
Dick *
|
AERC |
Sr
|
6'0
|
189
|
McLouth, KS |
|
15
|
C-G
|
Ray
Evans *
|
AERC |
Jr
|
6'3
|
185
|
Kansas City, KS (Wyandotte HS) |
|
19
|
F
|
Bob
Fitzpatrick *
|
AERC |
Jr
|
6'0
|
176
|
Salina, KS (Sacred Heart HS) |
|
4
|
C
|
Max
Kissell *
|
NACR |
Jr
|
6'0
|
175
|
Portis, KS
|
|
9
|
F
|
Paul
Turner *
|
V-7 |
Jr
|
6'2
|
190
|
Shawnee-Mission, KS |
|
|
|
NEW FACES: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hoyt
Baker
|
|
So
|
|
|
Peabody, KS |
|
12
|
G
|
Bill
Brill
|
AERC |
So
|
6'2
|
175
|
Kansas City, KS (Wyandotte
HS) |
|
13
|
C-G
|
Armand
Dixon
|
AERC |
So
|
6'1
|
162
|
Hermosa Beach, CA (Redondo Beach HS) |
|
23
|
F
|
Bill
Forsyth
|
V-1 |
Fr
|
6'0
|
170
|
Medicine Lodge, KS (Medicine
Lodge HS) |
|
20
|
F-G
|
Stanley
Hansen %
|
V-5 |
So
|
6'4
|
170
|
Kansas City (Southeast HS)
|
|
8
|
C
|
Harold
McSpadden
|
V-1 |
So
|
5'10
|
160
|
El Dorado and Stafford, KS
|
|
11
|
F-G
|
Otto
Schnellbacher
|
AERC |
So
|
6'2
|
183
|
Sublette, KS |
|
17
|
F-G
|
John
Short
|
|
So
|
6'0
|
167
|
Salina, KS
|
* Varsity letter Cpt. = Captain
# = Walk-on % = Nonletterman
War Status: V-1 and V-7 are undergraduate Reserves in the navy.
AERC is the Army Enlisted Reserve Corps. AACR is the Army Air
Corps Reserve. NACR is the Navy Air Corps Reserve (or V-%)
| HEAD COACH:
Forrest C. "Phog" Allen, 26th year |
John Pfitsch, Freshman Coach, 1st year |
LOSSES FROM LAST YEAR ('42 stats):
PRESEASON OUTLOOK:
Coach Forrest C. "Phog" Allen is starting his 26th year as head
coach at the University of Kansas with hopes none too bright for
an overly successful season. A goodly bunch of lettermen returns
for another season of play but the squad is sadly lacking in
experience as well as height. Five lettermen graduated and
five other lettermen aren't available for competition. Most
serious loss was all-Big Six forward Ralph Miller who led the
conference in scoring with 152 points. Source: University
of Kansas Basketball, 1942-'43 |
SEASON SUMMARY:
It was in '43 that KU's famed Iron Five of
Charlie Black, Otto Schnellbacher, Ray Evans and Armand Dixon won the Big Six
title, posted a 22-6 record but unfortunately got no chance to compete for the
NCAA title. World War II duty caused a wide pre-tourney dispersal of a squad
that many considered quite capable of winning the national crown. Wyoming
eventually claimed the college championship. KU played its final game, at home,
on March 6, beating Kansas State 47-30. The next morning coach Phog Allen took
six of his players to Fort Leavenworth for induction into the military. Earlier,
Charlie Black had left for Army Air Corps pilot training. Soon the entire roster
was decimated by wartime duty.
Source:
Bill Mayer, Lawrence Journal-WorldThe 1942-43 season
started with a 24-man roster, most of whom made the team
photograph. The longer he remained at Kansas, the more
Phog believed in large squads to build team morale. Many,
like a sophomore candidate in 1942 named Bob Dole, never played
in a varsity game.
With World War II
on, the Jayhawks played nine games against military teams and
those teams, with more experienced players on them, accounted
for four of Kansas' six losses that year. Kansas opened the
season with a loss to the Olathe Naval Air Base, coached by Jack
Gardner. After splitting the next two games, Phog took the team
on a long trip to the East, where the team and coaches shared a
train to Buffalo, NY with World War II soldiers, some returning
from battle. Allen believed the trip had a profound effect
on the Jayhawks, who crushed the Bonnies (St. Bonaventure)
53-22. Two nights later, Kansas beat St. John's 31-30 at
madison Square Garden, then capped the trip with a 25-point
triumph of St. Joseph's. The road trip sparked a 12-game
winning streak, including a revenge win over the Olathe NAB team
and created momentum for Big Six competition.
A notable achievement was made on January 16, as the Jayhawks
whipped three opposing military teams in the same evening.
|
1943 FINAL TEAM STATISTICS (Team
highs in bold):
Statistics, Cont'd
Note: Missing 2 points
Source:
GAME-BY-GAME
|
Olathe NAB
|
L
|
29-40
|
|
Dec. 5
|
at Kansas City, Mo.
|
|
Rockhurst
|
W
|
44-40
|
|
Dec. 11
|
at Kansas City, Mo.
|
|
Creighton
|
L
|
33-38
|
|
Dec. 15
|
at Lawrence
|
|
St. Bonaventure
|
W
|
53-22
|
|
Dec. 26
|
at Buffalo, N.Y.
|
|
Fordham
|
W
|
31-30
|
|
Dec. 28
|
at New York, N.Y.
|
|
St. Joseph's
|
W
|
63-38
|
|
Dec. 30
|
at Philadelphia, Pa.
|
|
St. Louis
|
W
|
60-25
|
|
Jan. 1
|
at St. Louis, Mo.
|
|
Olathe AAB
|
W
|
60-32
|
|
Jan. 4
|
at Lawrence
|
|
Missouri
|
W
|
69-44
|
|
Jan. 6
|
at Lawrence
|
|
Oklahoma
|
W
|
48-44
|
|
Jan. 9
|
at Norman, Okla.
|
|
Oklahoma State
|
W
|
36-29
|
|
Jan. 13
|
at Lawrence
|
|
N. Amer. Bombers
|
W
|
45-36
|
|
Jan. 16
|
at Kansas City, Mo.
|
|
Rosecrans A.F.
|
W
|
71-22
|
|
Jan. 16
|
at Kansas City, Mo.
|
|
Camp Crowder
|
W
|
57-26
|
|
Jan. 16
|
at Kansas City, Mo.
|
|
Kansas State
|
W
|
40-20
|
|
Jan. 20
|
at Manhattan, Kan.
|
|
Camp Crowder
|
L
|
31-35
|
|
Jan. 23
|
at Neosho, Mo.
|
|
Olathe NAB
|
W
|
47-36
|
|
Jan. 29
|
at Kansas City, Mo.
|
|
Great Lakes NTS
|
L
|
41-47
|
|
Jan. 30
|
at Kansas City, Mo.
|
|
Olathe AAB
|
L
|
32-42
|
|
Feb. 3
|
at Olathe, Kan.
|
|
Iowa State
|
W
|
44-20
|
|
Feb. 6
|
at Lawrence
|
|
Nebraska
|
W
|
56-24
|
|
Feb. 13
|
at Lincoln, Neb.
|
|
Iowa State
|
W
|
37-29
|
|
Feb. 15
|
at Ames, Iowa
|
|
Oklahoma State
|
W
|
47-43
|
|
Feb. 17
|
at Stillwater, Okla.
|
|
Nebraska
|
W
|
52-33
|
|
Feb. 23
|
at Lawrence
|
|
Oklahoma
|
W
|
42-35
|
|
Feb. 26
|
at Lawrence
|
|
Missouri
|
W
|
47-44
|
*
|
Mar. 2
|
at Columbia, Mo.
|
|
Creighton
|
L
|
34-56
|
|
Mar. 4
|
at Omaha, Neb.
|
|
Kansas State
|
W
|
47-30
|
|
Mar. 6
|
at Lawrence
|
|
Link to National Statistics for
Link to Big Conference for
|