USF will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its first of back-to-back NCAA Championships on Jan. 24.
USF to Honor 1955-56 NCAA Championship Teams
1/12/2015 10:57:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The University of San Francisco will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its first of two consecutive NCAA Championships on Saturday, January 24th when the Dons play host to the Loyola Marymount Lions in Memorial Gymnasium. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.
Team members and staff from USF's 1955 and '56 NCAA Championship teams will be honored at halftime. In addition, USF will pay special tribute to Ross Giudice, who played on USF's National Invitation Tournament winning squad of 1949 and later served as an assistant coach on the both NCAA Championship teams. Giudice also served as head coach of the Dons for the 1959-60 season.
As part of the festivities, the players will be treated to a private on campus luncheon and will also be in attendance at the pre-game reception and make a special appearance in the Hilltop Club prior to the game.
Behind future Hall of Famers Bill Russell and K.C. Jones, USF won its last 26 games of the 1954-55 season on its way to capturing the school's first NCAA basketball championship. The Dons ascended the top spot in the nation after impressive victories over UCLA, Wichita State, Oklahoma City and George Washington and breezed to the California Basketball Association title with a 12-0 record. USF downed West Texas State (89-66), Utah (79-59) and Oregon State (57-56) to earn a spot in the Final Four and went on to defeat Colorado (62-50) and LaSalle (77-63) to claim its first of back-to-back national titles under head coach Phil Woolpert. In November of 2011, Sporting News named the 1954-55 Dons the fifth-best collegiate team of all-time, behind only the 1966-67 UCLA team (33-0), the 1972-73 UCLA squad (30-0), the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers (32-0) and the 1981-82 North Carolina Tar Heels featuring Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Sam Perkins.
The following season, the Dons posted a 29-0 record on its way to a second consecutive NCAA Championship. USF defeated UCLA (72-61), Utah (92-77, SMU (86-68) and Iowa (83-71) to become just the third school to win back-to-back national championships. Bill Russell scored 26 points and grabbed 27 rebounds in the title game against Iowa, while Hal Perry, subbing for K.C. Jones, scored 14 points in the semifinals and championship game.
Tickets for all remaining USF home games can be purchased on-line at USFDons.com/tickets for by calling (415) 422-2USF.
Players Expected to be in Attendance
Balchios, Steve
Baxter, Warren
Boyle, Vince
Brown, Eugene
Buchanan, Stan
Bush, Bill
Farmer, Mike
Giudice, Ross
King, Jack
Lawless, Dick
Mulholland, Bill
Nelson, Tom
Zannini, Rudy
Team members and staff from USF's 1955 and '56 NCAA Championship teams will be honored at halftime. In addition, USF will pay special tribute to Ross Giudice, who played on USF's National Invitation Tournament winning squad of 1949 and later served as an assistant coach on the both NCAA Championship teams. Giudice also served as head coach of the Dons for the 1959-60 season.
As part of the festivities, the players will be treated to a private on campus luncheon and will also be in attendance at the pre-game reception and make a special appearance in the Hilltop Club prior to the game.
Behind future Hall of Famers Bill Russell and K.C. Jones, USF won its last 26 games of the 1954-55 season on its way to capturing the school's first NCAA basketball championship. The Dons ascended the top spot in the nation after impressive victories over UCLA, Wichita State, Oklahoma City and George Washington and breezed to the California Basketball Association title with a 12-0 record. USF downed West Texas State (89-66), Utah (79-59) and Oregon State (57-56) to earn a spot in the Final Four and went on to defeat Colorado (62-50) and LaSalle (77-63) to claim its first of back-to-back national titles under head coach Phil Woolpert. In November of 2011, Sporting News named the 1954-55 Dons the fifth-best collegiate team of all-time, behind only the 1966-67 UCLA team (33-0), the 1972-73 UCLA squad (30-0), the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers (32-0) and the 1981-82 North Carolina Tar Heels featuring Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Sam Perkins.
The following season, the Dons posted a 29-0 record on its way to a second consecutive NCAA Championship. USF defeated UCLA (72-61), Utah (92-77, SMU (86-68) and Iowa (83-71) to become just the third school to win back-to-back national championships. Bill Russell scored 26 points and grabbed 27 rebounds in the title game against Iowa, while Hal Perry, subbing for K.C. Jones, scored 14 points in the semifinals and championship game.
Tickets for all remaining USF home games can be purchased on-line at USFDons.com/tickets for by calling (415) 422-2USF.
Players Expected to be in Attendance
Balchios, Steve
Baxter, Warren
Boyle, Vince
Brown, Eugene
Buchanan, Stan
Bush, Bill
Farmer, Mike
Giudice, Ross
King, Jack
Lawless, Dick
Mulholland, Bill
Nelson, Tom
Zannini, Rudy
Monday, March 09
Sunday, March 08
Sunday, February 22
Thursday, February 19
