Written for Success

It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen. - John Wooden

In 2002, Once There Were Giants: How Tiny Hebron Won the Illinois State Basketball Championship and the Hearts of Fans Forever by Scott Johnson and Julie Kistler was published in honor of the 50 years since Hebron won the single-class state championship. The book introduced a new generation of basketball fans to a team who defied all the odds through team work and dedication to become heroes in the state’s greatest high school basketball success story. Most importantly, it brought forth in great detail all of the paths leading to and away from the championship title run in 1952, including the personal stories of the basketball program, coaches, and players that years later would make all the difference.  

As we know in sports, it's the little things that make big things possible.

In March 2012 and ten years after the release of the book, hundreds gathered at Alden-Hebron High School to celebrate the 60th anniversary reunion of the state championship. Although the players did not know what they had accomplished at the time of their victory, they undoubtedly would come to realize how special their achievement and team were to the sport and their community. From the thousands that greeted them along the caravan route back to McHenry County after their monumental win, to the thousands that they have met over the last sixty years, their defeat of powerhouse Quincy (enrollment 1,035 in 3 grades) to become the first district school and the smallest school (98 enrollment) to win the single-class title is one for the ages and will never be duplicated again.  Even the largest of accomplishments can happen to the smallest of schools.

The players were introduced to the crowd in Alden-Hebron's Tigard Gymnasium and shortly thereafter, they shared personal stories about the memorable season and answered dozens of questions from those in attendance.  It was amazing the amount of minute detail the players still remember today when telling each story, including the score during a specific possession or what a coach said in the locker room.

As quick as the players answered each question, they were just as quick to give recognition and praise to their coach, Russ Ahearn, who developed an instilled in his players the value of sacrificing personal glory for the common goal.  Although gone, his dedication, bond, and passion will never be forgotten by his players.



60th anniversary reunion  - March 2012

From left to right: Bill Schulz, Paul Judson, & Phil Judson

Coach Ahearn may have been a man of short stature (he stood 5’6’’), but he rose above most coaches due to his work ethic, preparation, communication, and philosophy. Many times during the reunion celebration the Hebron players spoke proudly of Ahearn’s knowledge of the game and pointed out how he was ahead of his time, especially in the psychological aspect of the game, and how he concentrated on the small things. 

Coach Russ Ahearn

Phil Judson talked to the fact that Ahearn knew that they needed a good schedule in the 1950-51 and 1951-52 seasons. This meant no more games against smaller schools and blow-out victories. Since Ahearn was also the Athletic Director, he scheduled his team to play larger schools and play on the road in larger gymnasiums in preparation for the state playoffs and it's electric atmosphere. Ahearn needed to get his players to believe in themselves by building self-esteem rather than undermining it. Therefore, tiny Hebron played the likes of Joliet Township, Riverside Brookfield, Lake Forest, Marengo and Harvard. Road games consisted of Oak Park, Waukegan, Barrington and Belvidere that had much larger enrollment. Ahearn also took his Giants to the Kankakee Holiday Tournament where they beat South Shore of Chicago, Kankakee, and Danville.  

Player jerseys and warm-up top for the 1951-52 Season

1952 State Championship trophy and pictures

Paul Judson reminisced about coach Ahearn walking into the locker room before the start of the 1952 District Tournament in Richmond.  Ahearn briefly spoke to the team and before he left, he wrote the number 11 on the board, circled it and then instructed the team to, "win the next 11 games and you win the state title.” After he stated those memorable words, he walked out of the room. Sometimes the smallest amount of words of inspiration can leave the biggest impression.

It is also known that coach Ahearn had strict discipline with his team throughout the season. Players were handed a list with fourteen points on how to conduct themselves at all times.  In his Instructions To The Team, Ahearn informed each player that they do not have to go out for basketball, but if they decide to, he expected them to follow his instruction in order to have as good as team as possible. 

His instructions included everything from getting at least nine hours of sleep, being a gentleman, not tolerating tobacco or alcohol to being on time to practice, hustle at all times, treat opponents and officials courteously, but play to win.  Instruction #14 summed it up - if you don’t follow these thirteen points at anytime during the season, please turn in your suit. Let somebody else have it and root for the team – we’ll think more of you.

Great coaches continually challenge their athletes to do better and push their limits. One way great coaches inspire their athletes to believe in themselves is by continually putting them in situations which challenge their limiting beliefs. Ahearn pushed his team outside of their comfort zone, physically, mentally, and emotionally, and then helped them discover that they can do better than they first believed they could.

This holds no truer than Ahearn's development of Bill Schulz.

Alden-Hebron High School

Alden and Hebron schools consolidated in 1948, the same year that Russ Ahearn was introduced as the school’s new basketball coach and principal. When he rounded a corner on the first day of school, he bumped into a lanky fourteen year old eighth grader from Alden named Bill Schulz.  Seeing this new kid's height as an opportunity, Ahearn asked Bill to take gym class since he had never played basketball before. Shortly afterwards, Ahearn asked Bill to join the basketball team, but only after getting permission from his father, since he had farm chores to attend to.  Ahearn would work with Bill in gym class and during practice, honing his skills to make him a basketball player. Working on the small things to get better was a challenge that both coach and player were up for and would later pay off.

Within 5 years, Hebron would defeat Quincy 64-59 in overtime to win the coveted 1952 state championship. The 6-11 junior Bill Schulz would lead the team in scoring with 24 points. 

Retired jerseys from 1952 starters & Howie Judson

Without the book, Once There Were Giants, many basketball fans may never had known the Hebron story, especially the challenges the team and coaching staff overcame to reach the tournament's pinnacle. Many of coach Russ Ahearn’s personal stories and notes that appear across the pages may still be stored away, never to be found by his daughter for years to come. Many may not have known that during the 1949-50 and 1951-52 seasons, the Green Giants won eighty-five games, while losing only eight.  Many may not have known that Hebron would be ranked at the top of the Associated Press poll the majority of the season, but they were still seen as underdogs in the finals.  Additionally, many may not have known that in 1951-52, the Hebron varsity squad had only six players on its roster and all five starters would get Division I scholarships to play basketball, making their story even more special.

Without the undertaking of the book, many of the player's personal stories may never have been put to paper and made public, including the mention of a note of recommendations given to Bill Schulz by coach Russ Ahearn. A note, although frayed, that he still carries in his wallet today. 

It was this hidden gem that I spoke to Bill about in the days following the 60 year reunion celebration.  To Bill, the list of recommendation is just that, a list. But, I think most basketball fans and basketball historians would feel quite differently.

Bill Schulz standing tall in the middle

In the spring of 1951, following Bill Schulz's sophomore season when the Green Giants finished 26-2, coach Ahearn worked on a plan to improve Bill's skillset as a big man.

Bill recalled coach approaching him in the hallway in the spring of 1951 and asked if they could talk about next year.  During the conversation, coach Ahearn gave Bill a list torn from one his spiral notebooks and asked him to review it, which Bill didn’t think twice about doing. 

Contained on the sheet titled, Recommendations for Bill Schulz, was a list of twenty-two recommendations to follow, which stressed drills, proper conditioning, and diet. Ahearn led with the important remark, "the very minimum if he wants to become a polished ball player by Nov. 1951."

Below is the full list of recommendations:

Recommendations for Bill Schulz 

The very minimum if he wants to become a polished ball player by Nov. 1951

1.  Jump Rope --5 minutes per day -- jump on toes.

2.  50 pushups --  done on fingers -- 10 at a time.

3.  100 jumping jacks -- 20 at a time --for coordination.

4.  Drag dribble -- 5 minutes for footwork.

5.  Ball handling -- ball around body between legs.

6.  Rebound for 5 minutes with rim covered.

7.  Shoot like a forward from side & in front.  2 handed high (kiss style).

8.  Right and left pivot shots -- 5 minutes

9.  Get down and take starts like a sprinter, say to yourself on your mark, get set, go, & see how fast you can get away -- Run at top speed for about 50 yards -- 10 times a day -- 3 or 4 sprints at a time.

10. Hang around our regulars from last year -- Paul Judson, Phil Judson, & Don Wilbrandt, Bill Thayer &

       Ken Spooner -- Learn to think the way they do -- adopt their splendid habits.

11. Continue to be a splendid gentleman & win the sportsmanship award when you are a senior or junior.

12. Do not imitate any players of the past -- They are individuals -- so are you -- Be yourself & help your

       brothers to learn the game.

13. Shoot an unlimited time every day -- Be a scorer.

14. Squeeze a ball in either hand.

15. Matching exercise with another center -- 5 minutes

16. Come up to the gymnasium and day this summer & shoot in the gym or any evening from 6:30 on.

17. Eat good solid foods.

18. Convince your brother that he'll be a good player when he is a junior & senior.

19. Start drive/step with either foot -- take big step back & shoot.

20. Observe all training rules.

21. Get a lot of sleep.

22. Set your scoring aim at a 20 point average next year.

                                                      Mr. Ahearn -- Coach


Page 1 - Recommendations of Bill Schulz

The list of recommendations had a big effect on Bill in the early years; therefore, he made an effort to follow through with each item because he wanted to improve as a player and teammate. Due to his daily chores on the farm, adhering to all recommendations would be challenging.

The list also speaks volumes as to what type of teacher and coach Ahearn was because it was carefully thought out. The front page was written in blue or black pen but portions of the back page were written in both pencil and red ink;  therefore, Ahearn must have gathered his thoughts over a period of time about what recommendations would be most important to Bill's improvement and development as a player. 

Page 2 - Notes in different color

Upon receiving the note of recommendations, Bill first put it in his locker but later folded it and put it in his wallet.  Bill knows that he was carrying it in the Fall of 1951, because he pulled the list from his wallet and recorded the note "Ford is left handed" while scouting the McHenry center early in 1951-52 season. Having the piece of paper in his wallet also made it convenient to capture an important thought.

The list had an effect on Bill during the 1951-52 season and several years following but until 2002, the list was somewhat forgotten.  Bill said, “it was there because it was there”.  He is not superstitious, it’s just that the list had been there for so many years, why remove it? The list was briefly mentioned in the Once There Were Giants book, which has resulted in fans asking to see it from time-to-time.  As a result, portions of the list have become illegible but not to worry, Bill made copies in 2002 so the information would never be lost. 

If not asked to show it, he removes it from his wallet every March.  He carefully unfolds the paper made up of eight tiny squares from the creases, reads the list, relives the successes since receiving it, and then carefully folds it and puts it back in his wallet.

I asked if he had plans to donate it to one of the basketball Hall of Fame museums in Illinois since it is a part of the Hebron story, but Bill honestly responded,  “I have never thought about it.”
 

Bill being asked if he still had the note in his wallet

Bill talking about the note of recommendations

I personally feel that the list is representative of the Hebron story.  It's about working on the little things to excel.  It's about being a team on and off the court. It's about taking care of body and mind to put yourself in the best position to win. But most important, it's about seeing potential in not only one player, but an entire team.

The list may have been folded and forgotten for many years but the coach's words and his pupil’s preparation and determination to win will never be forgotten.  The list symbolizes the “little things” that coaches should instruct and players should take to heart. 

Work on the little things, and big things are sure to come. 
 
That's an important note that all basketball players should carry with them.

 

1952 State Champs

Planting the Seed

Throughout the history of Illinois high school basketball, there are a number of teams that have captured the attention of basketball fans throughout the state. Stories or accounts of these teams have been passed down to the younger generation of basketball players by parents and grandparents. Many of these teams are still celebrated today, including the Appleknockers of Cobden. 

The 1963-64 Appleknockers were the smallest school (enrollment 147) to reach the single-class Illinois State High School Basketball Tournament Finals since Hebron qualified in 1952. Smaller schools traditionally had a longer road to the finals due to the additional district tournament, so teams like Hebron and Cobden had to win eleven games to be crowned champions compared to the larger schools having to win only nine. 


1963-64 Cobden Appleknockers

Although Cobden's school enrollment was small, their starting line-up was not, which included heights of 6'6'', 6'5'', 6'5'', 6'5'', and 6'1''.  Many of the largest schools didn't have a team with that much height, nevertheless, a starting line-up. The school's unusual mascot also aided in their mystique and popularity as they advanced through the 1964 postseason. 


Cobden was a community of 900 located about 13 miles south of Carbondale in southern Illinois.  A blue-collar town where farming and coal mining were a means to provide a living. Cobden was known for its apple and peach orchards that surround the town, where many of the young school boys worked after school.  It is said that when an orchard's crop of apples got too big for the trees to handle, the orchard would send workers with long sticks or poles to knock the apples out of the trees. They became known as "Appleknockers".

"Appleknockers" mascot

It wasn't until the 1940s when Cobden began using the unique "Appleknockers" team name. The story goes that it came from a response when the small town won a sectional tournament. Someone was quoted as saying, 'Whoever heard of a bunch of Appleknockers winning such a thing?'.  Years later when the Appleknockers were beating much larger schools on their way to the 1964 IHSA state finals, the name would become no laughing matter.

The Appleknockers success was not a surprise to those in southern Illinois. Coach Dick Ruggles had been hired at Cobden in June of 1962, specifically to coach the young group of underclassman boys that had high expectations. During the1962-63 season, the Appleknockers compiled an impressive 27-2 record, winning the conference but losing in sectionals. They had been ranked the No. 1 team in their area but had not received much respect in the basketball media circles in the north region of the state. With the core of their team returning, many in southern Illinois believed that Cobden could be playing in Champaign the following season. They were right.

The Appleknockers would end the 1963-64 regular season with a 22-2 record.  They also earned some recognition being ranked No. 16 by the Associated Press prep poll towards the end of the season. Cobden battled its way through district, regional, and sectional play, beating the likes of Douglass, Cairo Sumner, Carmi, and Harrisburg. The further they went into each tournament, the more media attention they received and the more fans joined the Cobden bandwagon. As teams started to bow out of the single elimination tournament, they too would follow the small team from southern Illinois.

Many from Cobden believed that their Appleknockers were good enough to compete for a state title, even though they would be going up against schools ten to forty times their size. After a three-overtime victory in the supersectional game against one of the state's best in Pinckneyville, the Appleknockers' expectations were met and they were on their way to Champaign. 

The Elite Eight field would be made up of teams that were traditionally strong, including Centralia, Rock Island Alleman, Pekin, Stephen Decatur, and Galesburg. Of the final eight teams remaining, Cobden would be ranked seventh, with little odds of winning but as everyone knows, anyone can be beat. Cobden didn't disappoint.  After beating Galesburg 60-57 in the quarterfinals and Stephen Decatur 44-38 in the semi-finals, Cobden would play Pekin for the coveted single-class state championship. 

1963-64 Pekin Chinks

The 1963-64 Pekin Chinks, from central Illinois, were 21-3 and ranked eighth in state after losing to Moline in their last regular season game. After the Sweet Sixteen field was set, the Associated Press would rank the remaining teams. Pekin would be ranked No. 5.  Once Centralia, ranked No. 1,  was upset in the quarterfinals, it was not a surprise to see Pekin in the finals. Although Pekin was a community of 32,000 with a school enrollment of 1,000 plus students, they would be going up against a much taller Cobden team. Pekin too had an unique team name.  The boys athletic teams were known as the Pekin Chinks from the 1930s until 1980 when the school administration changed the nickname to the Dragons.
 

Jump ball during 1964 state title game

One of the great stories of the game occurred before the teams took the court. Pekin's coach Dawson "Dawdy" Hawkins knew that Cobden was the fan favorite because they were the Cinderella team.  Being the smallest school to qualify for the state finals since Hebron, the crowd would be pro-Cobden; therefore would garner the majority of the cheers.  Knowing that the loud cheers for Cobden could affect his Pekin team and make them out to be the underdog, Hawkins purposely had his team wait in the tunnel until Cobden ran on the floor and then sent his team to take the court for warm-ups at the same time. The teams were greeted with a roar from the crowd of more than 16,000 fans.

Pekin's Dave Golden who would later play for Duke

Once the ball was tipped, the game would be as good as it was billed. Although Pekin would take a commanding lead throughout the first half, Cobden would close the gap quickly at the beginning of the second half making it a competitive game until the final buzzer. 

Pekin and Cobden players rebounding

As the final seconds run off the clock at the end of each championship game, one team will immediately become celebrated while another team will hang their heads in defeat, knowing their chance slipped away. The champion will be remembered for either their dominance throughout the tournament or for their adversity to overcome all odds to win it all. Thousands of images will have captured the victors as they lift the championship hardware over their heads, cementing that moment in time forever. Front page headlines will read "State Champs" as the news circulates around the state.

Each year, one team will be remembered. Championship teams are remembered.

All other teams become a footnote.

I clearly remember my father talking of tiny Cobden and their unusual mascot, but most notably their run in the 1964 state tournament to battle a much larger Pekin for the title. For many years, I assumed that Cobden did the unthinkable and won the tournament. Why else would he be talking about them?

The headlines around Illinois following the 1964 title game would contain Pekin's name, not Cobden. Pekin would beat Cobden 50-45.  But over the years, a rare occurrence would take shape.

In the Epilogue of The Amazing Appleknockers: Illinois' Cinderella Basketball Team of 1964, authors Teri Campbell & Anne Ryman write, "the years passed, a curious phenomenon occurred. Many people in Illinois and elsewhere think the Appleknockers won the state championship in 1964.  The reason for this revisionist history is unclear, but members of the team and residents of Cobden often run into people who refer to the Appleknockers as the 'tiny team who won the state tournament.'" 

If you were to drive through Cobden, you will see a commemorative sign proudly recognizing the team and proclaiming, "Home of The Amazing Appleknockers". Occasionally while reading blogs or online prep basketball articles, the Appleknockers and their Cinderella season will be mentioned.  If you peruse the book store shelves in Illinois, you will find a book published in 2011 about Cobden and the Appleknockers detailing the challenges and adversity that the team overcame in the years and months leading up to Champaign. With a lot of fanfare around the small-town team the past forty-eight years, it's understandable why some think they are the champions.

They are remembered.

Commemorative sign in Cobden

Book about the Appleknockers published in 2011

On the other hand, if you were to drive through Pekin, you won't see any mention of a basketball state title.  The only place where I’ve seen the accomplishment commemorated is in the Pekin Community High School trophy case outside Hawkins Gym and the championship banners hanging from the rafters.  A year ago, I inquired about this with my in-laws who are 1965 and 1967 Pekin graduates, at the time when Pekin had its greatest basketball success.  It was during our discussion that my father-in-law mentioned that the 1964 state championship is commemorated outside the school. I immediately asked, "where"?

1964 State Championship display at PCHS

He began to tell me that in the days following the state championship game, thousands from the Pekin community met at the East Campus gymnasium to celebrate the victory with the team and coaching staff.  The team members were introduced, speeches delivered, and the trophy was displayed for all to see. 



Pekin community celebrating a state championship

My father-in-law then recalled an event that either took place following the celebration or the next day at school.  He remembered students, teachers, and administrators walked out the school's front entrance doors and across the vehicle turn-around located at the top of the hill. At that moment, a ceremony took place.

An apple tree was planted.

The apple tree was to commemorate the hard fought victory over the Appleknockers to win the coveted state title.

I asked if the apple tree still stands and my father-in-law thought it did.  Months later we attended an event at Mineral Springs Park which is near Pekin Community High School.  Afterwards I asked him if he could show me where the apple tree was planted since my curiosity had got the best of me. We drove the short distance to the turn-around on the hill, but to our surprise the tree was no longer there.

Commemorative apple tree once stood in the foreground - outside the school's turnaround

Dirt patch may have been where tree once stood

This hidden gem intrigued me so I asked a few friends, who were Pekin alumni, if they knew about the commemorative tree on the school's campus.

Not one person knew.

I finally asked Pekin's current athletic director but he had never heard the story. I mentioned that a friend's uncle thought it had been moved in later years but he was not sure of it's new location.  A few days later I received an email from the athletic director saying that he too was curious so he had looked for the tree, but could not find it.  He then asked a player from the 1964 team if the tree did exist. The player verified that an apple tree was planted in the days following the championship game but he thought it had been cut down about four or five years ago.  Pekin's athletic director then asked the East campus grounds keeper, who responded with bad news.  The apple tree had been cut down after a storm had split the tree about fifteen years ago. 

I would later find the below picture of coach Hawkins in the 1964 Pekin yearbook with the caption, "Mr. Hawkins beams proudly as he displays The Apple Tree, planted to commemorate the Chinks' Victory over the Cobden Appleknockers to capture the State Basketball title."

Coach Hawkins and the apple tree

The planting of the apple tree on the Pekin Community High School campus was symbolic to what was to come to Pekin basketball in the 1960s. The 1964 Pekin Chinks planted the seed for the next three years of basketball success in Pekin.

"He who plants a tree, plants a hope"

Many consider Pekin to have the teams of the 1960s. With the leadership of coach Dawdy Hawkins, the Pekin Chinks began their notable run in 1963-64 with a state title.  The remaining underclassman built upon the experience. The 1964-65 and 1965-66 teams lost in the supersectional, but the 1967 would again bring a state championship back to Pekin.  During those four years, Hawkins and his Pekin Chinks would compile a 115-11 record (.91 winning percentage). It is also during this time that Pekin would begin hosting a Holiday basketball tournament that featured some of the best teams throughout the state. The tournament still exists today.


Pekin's State Championship banners proudly displayed in Hawkins Gym

"Dawdy" Hawkins Gym during the Pekin Insurance Holiday Tournament

The Cobden Appleknockers also planted a seed, as Hebron did before them, for all the small schools who dreamt of competing in the single-class state tournament. For many of the small, "district" schools, winning a district tournament equates to a successful season.  But as district teams advance through the sectional tournament and the media begins to cover these teams across the state, a seed is planted inside all small-town basketball players, giving them hope that they too can do the unimaginable.

Unfortunately, as the commemorative apple tree would eventually fall in Pekin, so would single-class basketball in Illinois. From 1908-1971, a single tournament was contested by nearly all high schools in Illinois. In 1972, only eight years after Cobden's tournament run, the IHSA would create a two-class system based on school size, each producing a separate champion. In 2008, the tournament would be divided again.  This time into four separate divisions, each crowning a state champion. The governing body uprooted every team's dream of beating the best to be the best. The class system created opportunity for the smaller schools to compete but the dream of being the true state championship came to an end. Many argue today that the tournament is watered down and a championship is worth less. Is a runner-up finish in a single-class tournament more memorable than winning the 1A state title?

As for the 1964 runner-up Cobden team, I can only imagine the popularity and notoriety they have received over the last forty-eight years.  As we near the fifty-year anniversary of their memorable season, I only expect the Appleknockers to be commemorated even more.  I doubt any other state runner-up team is as celebrated.

Of the 735 high schools, large or small, that entered the single-class state basketball tournament series in 1964, Cobden made it to the state's final game.

Cobden is much more than a footnote. They're champions in my book.

  

A Legacy at Loyola

The state of Illinois has thirteen colleges and universities that are classified Division I for NCAA competition. In a state where basketball roots run deep in the central and southern regions and high school talent in Chicagoland is amongst the nation's best, one may assume that the state is home to more than one NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Champion in seventy-three years. 

With the basketball likes of Bradley, Northwestern, Southern Illinois, Illinois State, and the rich tradition at the University of Illinois, at least one of these universities would have a title, right?  Even though DePaul and it's All-American center George Mikan won the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in 1945 during the tournament's first fifteen years of existence when the winner was hailed as National Champions, they too have not claimed the coveted NCAA Tournament Championship crown. 

Only one school has bragging rights over all other colleges and universities in the Land of Lincoln. Nestled near Lake Shore Drive in the northernmost neighborhood of the city of Chicago, the state's one and only NCAA Tournament Championship trophy rests not in a large state-of-the-art arena, but in a modest gymnasium.

As we now look back years later, we are humbled to have seen it.  And to think that we almost missed it due to time.

1962-63 Loyola Ramblers - NCAA National Champions

“Should we park and find it?" 

"Is it worth seeing?"

“Do we have enough time?”

Simple questions that we asked each other on October 17, 2010 while driving through the entwining roads on the campus of Loyola University Chicago. Unfortunately, the decision was not as simple as one might think since we were scheduled to be at a gym in Lisle within a few hours and traffic had not been so kind to us that day.

It was a choice that we debated for a few minutes but the longer we drove around, the less time we had. But looking back it was probably the best decision we made the entire three-day trip. This was the only stop that had not been coordinated with the coaching staff or administration, but it was the one that we hated to miss. Our answer was unanimous.

"We have to see it; we don't want to miss it."

Construction was taken place on campus, so after parking we had to navigate our way around barriers and equipment but finally found a sidewalk that would hopefully lead us to our destination. We knew the general area of its location on North Sheridan Road but nothing in the vicinity looked like the exterior of an arena or gymnasium. If we didn’t find it soon, time would run out and we wouldn't get our chance to see it.

We finally took the time to ask someone directions. A student pointed back behind us at a dark brick building that we had just overlooked. As we walked up to the front doors, we noticed a small black sign with the words ALUMNI GYM hidden from view behind the shrubs. Upon entering, a sign directed us up a flight of stairs leading to the second floor gym, which seemed peculiar to us since the surroundings were more like an academic hall, rather than an athletic arena. 
 

Entrance to Alumni Gym

At the top of the stairs was the men’s basketball offices and lucky for us someone was opening the glass door and walking towards us.  We introduced ourselves and briefly told the men's assistant coach about our trip and asked permission to look around Alumni Gym and play some basketball. “Go right ahead” was his quick response as he was in a hurry preparing for something important. 

As we turned toward the gymnasium doors, a single trophy in a small glass display case caught our eye; the state's only NCAA Tournament Championship trophy. The 1963 NCAA Championship trophy's design looked nothing like the modern award handed over to each Championship team, but the make-up of Loyola's 1963 Championship team was unique at that time as well. 

The 1962–63 Loyola Ramblers men's basketball team was led by head coach George Ireland, who taught a full-court press and a high-speed style of play. With this style of play and talented personel, the Ramblers started the season 21-0, defeating the likes of Indiana, Seattle, Marquette, and Iowa.  Following loses to Bowling Green and Wichita State, the Ramblers finished the regular season 24-2.

The #3 ranked Ramblers would fight their way through each round and would go on to defeat #2 Duke in the national semi-finals, staging a National Championship game against #1 Cincinnati Bearcats, who had captured the title the previous two seasons. Despite being the top offensive team in the nation, the Ramblers were labeled as underdogs against the Bearcats. Many thought that Cincinnati's slow, controlled style of play would slow Loyola's up-tempo play. The game would not disappoint fans as the Ramblers would defeat Cincinati 60-58 in overtime by a tip-in as time expired. No other college or university in Illinois has matched this feat. Loyola not only shocked the nation with its victory over Cincinnati but their season and that game would change the college basketball landscape forever.

Loyola started  four black players in the NCAA Championship game.  This at a time when some schools refused to play against a team with even one black player.  In addition, Cincinnati started three black players, making seven of the ten starters in the 1963 NCAA Championship game black. It is also important to note that during the 1962-63 season, Loyola also became the first team in NCAA Division I history to play an all-black lineup.

As important as the Championship season was to the men's basketball program, it's the cramped narrow Alumni Gym, where all home games were played, that would have a substantial impact on Loyola University.  As we approached the doors to the historic gym, we were not only anxious to tour it, but our time playing on it's court would have significance due to the gym's future. 

To understand the gym's future, you have to first understand it's past. 

Funded by a group of 12 alumni, designed by Paul V. Hyland and built in 1923 by George W. Stiles Company of Chicago, the Alumni Gymnasium had a 2,000 capacity.  According to the university’s website, it served as the home of the Loyola Ramblers Men's and Women's Volleyball programs, as well as the Loyola University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.  An edition of the Loyola Quarterly from 1923 described the newly designed Alumni Gym as, "A very good gymnasium, quite the equal of anything in this part of the country.  Journalists would use the terms, "cozy, personal, and intimate" when describing it. One writer said that, "even visiting players enjoyed the trip back to a time when playing hoops was such sheer fun."

College basketball wouldn't be the only basketball played inside.  In 1924, Loyola began hosting the National Catholic Interscholastic Basketball Tournament in Alumni Gym.  The National Catholic Interscholastic Basketball Tournament was held to determine the national basketball championship for Catholic high schools and academies in the United States since Catholic high schools were excluded from competition in the National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament held at the University of Chicago.  This invitational meet featured competition between 32 teams representing various sections or states of the United States. The tournament would end in 1941 as the National Federation of High School Athletic Associations began to allow Catholic schools into state affiliates.



1963 Championship banner

For Loyola Athletics, the electric atmosphere of Alumni Gym would prove inspiring and impactful throughout the years. The 1962-63 NCAA Championship team went undefeated in Alumni Gym during their title season, going 17-0 at home . The 1977-78 season would be a memorable one in Alumni Gym as the Ramblers would play spolier to a few well-known visiting players and a coach. Early in the season the Ramblers would defeat Minnesota 70-66, led by Kevin McHale. Then within days, Loyola would triumph over Indiana State and Larry Bird, 79-76 and then defeat Georgetown, 68-65 in OT, in John Thompson’s first season as the Hoyas’ head coach.



Nike commercial

It is also worth noting that in 1985, Michael Jordan would film one of his first Nike Air Jordan commercials at Alumni Gym.  The commercial would be banned because it promoted the red and black Air Jordans during a time when the NBA required players to wear predominantly white shoes. 

On Feb. 19, 1996,  Loyola would defeat UIC, 89-85, in the final regular-season game played at Alumni Gym. The Ramblers had called Alumni Gym home for seventy-three years. The basketball team relocated to the 5200-seat Joseph J. Gentile Center at the beginning of the 1996-97 season. The Ramblers finished their tenancy in Alumni Gym with an all-time record of 484-136 (a remarkable .781 winning percentage). 

In May 2002, hundreds of NBA ­officials, coaches and scouts flocked to Alumni Gym to watch the first NBA tryout of Yao Ming, the first Chinese player to come to the United States. Originally scheduled in New York, the try-out site would change to Chicago since the newly constructed Gentile Center was already booked. Alumni Gym was suggested. This is not the first time that NBA players would practice in Alumni Gym. Many pro teams would practice in the gym before playing the Bulls, including the Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar Lakers teams of the 1980s.

We spent an hour in Alumni Gym where all the above and more took place. We took pictures from all angles possible and played our traditional 2-on-2 game. It was one of the two gyms during our Illinois trip that my father and I won (best of three series). As we were finishing up, men's head coach Jim Whitesell walked onto the court with his assistants, which included the young assistant coach who we had briefly spoken to earlier.  We politely thanked them and gathered our belongings as they began to talk and walk through the afternoon’s practice schedule.  We took one last look around, taking it all in and then walked out the doors.

We were well aware that October day that we had only one chance to visit historic Alumni Gym, which is why even though we were running out of time, we made time to go see the old facility. As the old quote goes, "You may delay, but time will not." As we ran out of time and had to leave, so had time run out on Alumni Gym.



After being home to many of Loyola's Athletic programs and many successful seasons, it would soon be demolished in the upcoming summer of 2011 to make way for a new student union on campus. A year earlier on January 21, 2010, Loyola launched the reimagine campaign, a five-phased project to build new facilities that would renew student life and improve their college experience.  Ironically, thousands gathered to hear this announcement in Alumni Gym. The gym that is synonymous with Loyola University and it's basketball program, was about to become history itself. 

On April 27, 2011 during the upcoming spring semester, the final intercollegiate game at Alumni Gym took place. The Loyola men's volleyball team defeated Quincy University 3-1 in the semifinals of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. In May, Loyola University Chicago students, faculty, and alumni gathered to celebrate one final farewell to Alumni Gym. Within a few months, Alumni Gym would fall to defeat.

Demolishing Alumni Gym

To pay tribute to Alumni Gym's legacy, Loyola University Chicago created the brief video below. I know what you are thinking because we too asked ourselves the same questions that morning.

"Is it worth seeing?"

“Do we have enough time?”

Trust me when I say, "You have to see it; you don’t want to miss it”.