1953–54 La Salle Explorers men's basketball team

American college basketball season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.

Quick Facts La Salle Explorers men's basketball, NCAA tournament National champions ...
1953–54 La Salle Explorers men's basketball
NCAA tournament National champions
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
APNo. 2
Record26–4
Head coach
Seasons
 1952–53
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More information Conf., Overall ...
1953–54 NCAA men's basketball independents standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 3 Holy Cross 262  .929
No. 17 Seattle 262  .929
No. 5 Duquesne 263  .897
No. 6 Notre Dame 223  .880
No. 2 La Salle 264  .867
Dayton 257  .781
Louisville 227  .759
No. 9 Penn State 186  .750
Oklahoma City 187  .720
Navy 188  .692
Army 157  .682
Villanova 2011  .645
Lafayette 1710  .630
Saint Joseph's 149  .609
Xavier 1812  .600
No. 7 Bradley 1913  .594
John Carroll 1511  .577
Seton Hall 1310  .565
Temple 1512  .556
Muhlenberg 1210  .545
Washington University 1210  .545
Syracuse 109  .526
Cincinnati 1110  .524
DePaul 1110  .524
Iona 1110  .524
Butler 1312  .520
Boston College 1111  .500
Loyola (Calif.) 1416  .467
Rutgers 1113  .458
Creighton 1417  .452
Gonzaga 1215  .444
Valparaiso 1013  .435
Marquette 1115  .423
Lehigh 812  .400
Pittsburgh 914  .391
Georgetown 1118  .379
Siena 714  .333
Portland 919  .321
Loyola (IL) 715  .318
Drake 716  .304
Colgate 512  .294
Bucknell 416  .200
Rankings from AP Poll
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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

  • West
    • La Salle 76, Fordham 74
    • La Salle 88, NC State 81
    • La Salle 64, Navy 48
  • Final Four

[2]

Rankings

Awards and honors

Team players drafted into the NBA

RoundPickPlayerNBA Club
1193Frank O'HaraPhiladelphia Warriors

[4]

References

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