1953–54 La Salle Explorers men's basketball team explained

Mode:Basketball
Year:1953–54
Prev Year:1952–53
Next Year:1954-55
Team:La Salle Explorers
Conference:Independent
Aprank:2
Record:26–4
Hc Year:5th
Champion:NCAA tournament National champions
Bowl Result:
W 92-76 vs. Bradley

The 1953–54 La Salle Explorers men's basketball team represented La Salle University in the 1953–54 NCAA men's basketball season. The team's head coach was Ken Loeffler. La Salle won the 1954 NCAA basketball tournament.

Season summary

Some basketball historians have called La Salle star Tom Gola the Magic Johnson of his day because, at 6'7", he could play all five positions. But not even Magic piled up the kind of numbers Gola did in leading the Explorers to the 1954 national championship – 21.7 points and 23 rebounds per game. Guard Frank O’Hara was Gola's capable running mate along with five sophomores who played complementary roles.

Sophomore Robert Ames, later a CIA official killed in the 1983 bombing of the United States embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, averaged two points and one rebound in 14 games for the Explorers.[1]

NCAA tournament

[2]

Rankings

See main article: 1953–54 NCAA men's basketball rankings.

Awards and honors

Team players drafted into the NBA

Round Pick Player NBA Club
11 93 Frank O'HaraPhiladelphia Warriors
[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NCAA champ became CIA legend. Historic La Salle team produced unsung hero - Philly.com . Articles.philly.com . 2004-01-23 . 2014-05-07.
  2. Web site: RotoWire Fantasy Football, Baseball, Basketball and More.
  3. Web site: Final Four Most Outstanding Players . cbs.sportsline.com . 31 March 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080907123518/http://sportsline.com/collegebasketball/mayhem/history/outstandingplayer . 7 September 2008 .
  4. Web site: 1954 NBA Draft on databaseBasketball.com . 2013-01-18 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130105193838/http://www.databasebasketball.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1954&lg=N . 2013-01-05 .