The Amateur Athletic Union Tournament is the annual American amateur basketball championship series for Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) teams.[1] It started in 1897 and has continued until present. Most finals have been played in a single final format, apart from some occasions that the winner's tournament had been decided by a round robin format.[2]
By the early 1930s, a few teams had earned reputations for basketball excellence and produced AAU All-Americans such as Forrest DeBernardi, Melvin Miller and Chuck Hyatt. In 1936 the significance of the tournament soared as it became integral part of the process to select US first Olympic team. When the stakes became higher, the competition between AAU and NCAA grew more intense as its organization asserted its claim to represent the US in international competition But the AAU tournaments came to rise during the 1950s and 1960s with teams like the Phillips 66ers, the Peoria Caterpillars, the Akron Goodyears, the Denver D-C Truckers and the Wichita Vickers. These teams played a full schedule each season, topping 30 games a year and traveling throughout the country. Some of them also helped introduce the American style of basketball to foreign players. In 1956, the Buchan Bakers played games in Japan, the Philippines, France, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Spain. During the 1950s, the rosters of the top amateur teams were filled with former college stars, many of whom had been drafted by the NBA, which was still in its formative years. The amateur teams sometimes offered more money than the pro teams as well as the security of full-time employment. AAU basketball was particularly strong in the Midwest, Southwest and West Coast, where the NBA had not yet established a presence.[3][4] The top teams also played in the National Industrial Basketball League, which began play in the 1947–48 season,[5] two years before the establishment of the NBA. The NIBL had as many as eleven teams for the 1951–52 season and had nine teams during its next to last season in 1959–60. The Phillips 66ers won the NIBL title 11 of the league’s 14 years of existence.[6] But the goal for all these teams was winning the National AAU Tournament, held each year in Denver. The tournament field was determined by play in regional AAU tournaments, and included the top industrial teams, armed services teams, and often teams just put together for the tournament. Between 1943 and 1963, the Phillips 66ers won the tournament 10 times and the Peoria Caterpillars won five times. But there was always a chance for a surprise team to slip past the favorites. The Buchan Bakers, long shots at the outset of the tournament, won the national championship in 1956. Other one-time winners included the Oakland Bittners, led by Don Barksdale, in 1949 and Stewart Chevrolet, led by George Yardley, in 1951.[7][8] The appeal of AAU basketball began to decline in the early 1960s as the NBA gained prominence with such players as Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West. The NIBL folded in 1961, and with expansion of the NBA and the formation of the American Basketball Association in the late 1960s, the annual National AAU Tournament faded from prominence.
Robert Ace Gruenig was crowned champion 3 times with the Denver NuggetsShorty Carpenter was one of the star players with the Oilers, leading them to several titles
1898-1900 at New York1898, Madison Square Garden, New York City: 23rd St. Y.M.C.A New York (later known as the New York Wanderers) A.J. Abadie, A.C. Abadie, A. Shields, W. Reed, J. Hamill, Deitrich, Meyerhoff, J. Wendelken, G. Greif. 1899, Brooklyn, NYC: Knickerbocker A.C. New York Weiss, Stripple, Cornish, Keawn, Dietrich, Reuss. 1900, Madison Square Garden, New York City: Knickerbocker A.C. New York Quigg, Stripple, Brocker, Keawn, Linder, Reuss, Grennhall, Patterson.[10]1901: at Chicago1901, at Chicago, Illinois: Ravenswood Y.M.C.A. Chicago, Illinois Lorentzen, Rechard, Washburne, Albertson, Rowley, Stevens, Krafthefer.
1904: St. Louis Olympic Basketball Tournament
1904: Francis Field, St. Louis, Missouri: Buffalo (Germans) Y.M.C.A. Buffalo, New York - at St. Louis, Missouri Rhode, Manweiler, Monohan, Hardt, Miller, Redlein. 1910-1914: at Chicago 1910, Chicago, Illinois: Commpany F. Portage, Wisconsin, N.F. Sheppard, Mueller, Ebert, Janda, Hinickle, S. Ernsperger, Swenholt, Harbor, Abell, F. Ernsperger, Schneider. 1913, Chicago, Illinois: Cornell (Armour Playground), Chicago, Illinois A. Pressler, W. Pressler, Feeney, Johnson, Freeling, Kohfeldt. 1914, Chicago, Illinois: Cornell (Armour Playground), Chicago, Illinois 1915: at San Francisco 1915, San Francisco, California: Olympic Club of San Francisco, San Francisco, California Berndt, J. Gilbert, R Gilbert, Stadfeldt, Schugert, Miller, Kemp. 1916 and 1917: at Chicago 1916, Chicago, Illinois: University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah Dorton, Warner, Thorum, Smith, Breiben, Romney, Van Pelt, Clark, Parker, Goodrich. 1917, Chicago, Illinois: Illinois A.C. Chicago, Illinois Kohfeldt, Elliot, D. Holland, Greisel, Cochrane, Feeney, A. Pressler (Capt), Frieling, W. Pressler, Egan. 1919: at Los Angeles1919, Los Angeles, California: Los Angeles A.C. Los Angeles, California Swann, Wilson, Laswell, Cooper, Slaighter (Capt.), Cate, Tate, Olney. 1920: at Atlanta1920, Atlanta, Georgia: New York University Holman, Goeller, Delaney, Cann, Storey (Capt.), Mooney, Baker.
1921-1935: Kansas City venue
1921, Convention Hall, Kansas City: Kansas City, A.C. Burrien, Saunders, Lonborg, Moberley, Singer, Davis, De Bernardi. 1922, Convention Hall, Kansas City: Lowe and Campbell, Kansas City Browning, G. Williams, F. Williams, Reeves, Scott, Keyes, Buckner, Davidson. 1923, Convention Hall, Kansas City: Kansas City, A.C. Williams, Trumbo, Harry Viner, Bobby Sanders, Francis Hess, George Reeves, George Williams, Milton Singer, George Browning. 1924, Convention Hall, Kansas City: Butler University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana Paul, Blessing, Strole, Conway, Reichel, Griggs, Keach, Jones, Middlesworth (Capt.), Hooker, Nipper, Harber. 1925, Convention Hall, Kansas City: Washburn College, Topeka, Kansas Brewster, Peterson, Briethaupt (Capt), Lowe, Lonborg, Poart, McLaughlin, Spohn. 1926, Convention Hall, Kansas City: Hillyard, St, Joseph, Missouri Earl Mueller, R. Hillyard D. Goodson, N Hillyard, C. Allen, George Rody, S. De Bernardi, G. Starbuck, John Wulf, R. Mosley, E. Giltner. 1927, Convention Hall, Kansas City: Hillyard, St Joseph, Missouri Starbuck, Loveless, Wulf, Allen, De Bernardi, Mitchel, Hewitt. 1928, Convention Hall, Kansas City: Cook Paint Company, Kansas City Holt, Peterson, Ekstrom, Gordon, Mosley (Capt.), Lecrone, Wingate, DeBernardi. 1929, Convention Hall, Kansas City: Cook Paint Company, Kansas City De Bernadi, Burke, Hewitt, Peterson, Holt, Harrigan, Hale, Gordon, Lamb. 1930, Convention Hall, Kansas City: Henry Clothiers, Wichita, Kansas McBurney, Starbock, Gibbons, Hewitt, Miller, Davis, Dundham, Nonken, Burke. 1931, Convention Hall, Kansas City: Henry Clothiers, Wichita, Kansas Davis, Callahan, Dunham, Scott, Miller, Iba, McBurney, Hoffman, Alexander, Gardner (Capt). 1932, Convention Hall, Kansas City: Henry Clothiers, Wichita, Kansas Miller, Gibbons, Grove, Pickell, Olmstead, Dunham, Calahan. 1933, Convention Hall, Kansas City: Diamond DX Oilers, Tulsa, Oklahoma Chuck Hyatt, Futhey, Jerome, C. Larson, Lantrop, Carlton, H. Larson, Mullins, Art Hyatt. 1934, Convention Hall, Kansas City: Diamond DX Oilers, Tulsa, Oklahoma W. Miller, Willis, Lantrop, Carlton (Capt), Larson, Pickell, Mullins, Hyatt. 1935, Convention Hall, Kansas City: Southern Kansas Stage Lines Fischer, Browning, Piper, Quinn, Wier, Wallenstrom, Praiswater, Meyers, Light. 1936, Convention Hall, Kansas City: Globe Refiners, McPherson, Kansas Johnson, Ragland, Frank, Gibbons, Wheatley, Vaughan, Dowd, Fortenbury, Schmidt.
Burdette Haldorson, a champion with the Oilers in the 1950s
1957-1968: Denver Fall
1955, Denver Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado: Phillips 66, Bartlesville, Oklahoma Walsh, Short, Darling, Ford, Houghland, Fuller, Mattick, Buchanan, Rivers. 1956, Denver Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado: Buchan Bakers, Seattle, Washington Parsons, Halberg, Jordan, Swyers, Glowaski, Guisness, B. H. Born, Cipriano, Koon. 1957, Denver Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado: U.S. Air Force Boushka, Bragg, Warren, Tomsic, Welsh, Coshow, Kelley, White. 1958, Denver Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado: Peoria Cats Bingham, Palmer, B. H. Born, Prudhoe, Plunkett, Schultz, Sullivan, Warden, Lee, Wolfe, A. Kelley, Crittenden, D. Kelley. 1959, Denver Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado: Wichita Vickers Broushka, Swartz, Boldebuck, Lane, Revon, Smith, King, Schramm, Mullen. 1960, Denver Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado: Peoria Cats Boozer, Adams, Prudhoe, Ohi, Crittenden, Plunkett, Kelley, Hill, Woll. 1961, Denver Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado: Cleveland Pipers, Cleveland Adams, Swartz, Sharrar, Taylor, Barnhill, McCollom, Hamilton. 1962, Denver Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado: Phillips 66 Hagan, Robitallie, Frank, McNeil, Kojis, Thompson, Altenberg, Cole, Bowerman, Jerry Shipp, Price. 1963, Denver Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado: Phillips 66 Kojis, Jerry Shipp, Hagan, Price, Rascoe, Bowerman, Moran, Frank, Mounts, Pursiful. 1964, Denver Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado: Goodyear Wingfoots Arnold, Beckman, Larry Brown (MVP), Davies, McCaffrey, McCoy, Sharrar, Small, Whiteford, Williams. 1965, Denver Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado: Armed Forces All Stars Sheehan, Meyers, Birkle, Reloff, Connelly, USMC; Fowler, Mahonak, Reid, Vern Benson (MVP), USA; Stowers, USAF; Moor, USN. 1966, Denver Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado: Ford Mustangs Russell (MVP), Clawson, Johnson, Olson, Darden, Curtis, Murrey, Thompson, Tregoning, Washington. 1967, Denver Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado: Akron Goodyear Miller, Jim King, Anderson, Calvin Fowler, Vern Benson, Patterson, McCoy, Corell, Dabich, Hanson. 1968, Denver Auditorium Arena, Denver, Colorado: Armed Forces All Stars Coach Hal Fisher, USA; S/Sgt. Jones, Manager, USAF: Darius Cunningham, John Clawson, George Carter, Mike Silliman, USA; Mike Redd, Marvin Willet, USMC; John Snipes, James Cole, USN; Mike Barrett (MVP), USN; Ken Bradley, Harry Gilmore, Bill Blair, USAF.
1969-1970: at Macon and Columbia 1969, Macon, Georgia: Armed Forces All Stars Coach Hal Fisher, USA; Garfield Smith, Ken Washington, Rod McDonald, Mike Silliman, George Collier, Tal Brody, Harold Jeter, Bob Wolf, USA; Howard Hansen, USN; Mike Redd, Jim Meyers, USMC. 1970, Columbia, South Carolina: Armed Forces All Stars Coach Hal Fisher, USA; Mike Redd, USMC; Mike Sillman, Garfield Smith, Tal Brody, Mike Wolf, Rod MacDonald, Ken Washington, Art Wilmore, Darnell Hillman, USA; Ed Whitehead, USAF.
1971-1973: at Kentucky 1971, London Kentucky: Armed Forces All Stars Art Wilmore, Don Crenshaw, Bruce Sloan, Darnell Hillman, Jim Oxley, Fram Dumphy, Ron Krayl, Larry Bauer, USA; Chuck Kozak, USMC; Cliff Parsons, USAF; Hal Fisher, Coach, USA, Assistant Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Fox, USA. 1972, London Kentucky: Armed Forces All Stars Bernie Barnes, Howard Hughes, Cliff Parsons, Ron Richards, Marv Schmitt, Gregg Popovich, USAF; Bill Squires, USMC; Paul Andrews, Don Crenshaw, Tom Daley, USA. 1973, Ashland, Kentucky: Marathon Oil, Lexington, Kentucky Coaches ScottBaesler, Pat Doyle; Kenny Davis, Jim Lemaster, George Bryant, John Adams, Gene Kirk, Jim Day, Dan Argabright, Ketchel Strauss, Phil Argento, Darryl Dunagan.
1974-1976: AAU Fall
1974-1976: at Baton Rouge 1974, F. G. Clark Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Jacksonville, Florida Coach Lowell Wood; Dan Foster, Rick Coleman, Chip Dublin, Otis Cole, Todd Lolich, Otis Johnson, Lawrence McCray, Abe Steward, Rex Morgan. 1975, F. G. Clark Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Capital Insulation, Los Angeles, California Louis Smith, Dwight Taylor, Paul Scranton, Larry Hollifield, Billy Jackson, Carl Toney, Richard Darnall, Hugh Fenderson, William Jankans, Robert Murray. 1976, F. G. Clark Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Athletes in Action, Tustin, California - at Charles Neal, Brad Hoffman, Eldon Lawyer, Randy Allen, David Lower, Doug Oxsen, Irvin Kiffin, Tim Hall, Dan Knight, John Sears.
1985-1998: at Topeka, Kansas
1985, Topeka, Kansas: Brewster Heights Packing, Brewster, Washington Coach John J. Pariseau, Assistant Coach Keith Kingsbury, Sponsor Ed Pariseau, Managers, Mike Pariseau, Mark Pariseau; Eddie Smith, Pete Williams, Brian Kellerman, Jay Triano, John W. Pariseau, Eli Pasquale, Phil Zevenbergen, Mike Terpstra, Eric Brewe, Ray Brooks.[11] 1986, Topeka, Kansas: Continental/Coors, Houston, Texas Coach Marty Bratton; Jimmy Gilbert, Greg Anderson, Nick Cucinella, Ron Baxter, Andrew Parker, Ernest Patterson, Alvin Franklin, Kevin Fitchett, Vick Ewing, Steve Sylestine, Harry O'Brian, Greg Skulman. 1987, Topeka, Kansas: Brewster Heights Packing, Brewster, Washington Coach John J. Pariseau, Assistant Coach Keith Kingsbury, Sponsor Ed Pariseau; John W. Pariseau, Alvin Vaughn, Lorenzo Romar, Jay Triano, Zack Jones, Todd Burton, Phil Zevenbergen, Tom Gneiting, Eddie Smith, Sven Meyers, Ron Vanderschaaf. 1988, Topeka, Kansas: Brewster Heights Packing, Brewster, Washington Coach John J. Pariseau, Assistant Coach Keith Kingsbury, Sponsor Ed Pariseau; John W. Pariseau, Brian Kellerman, Lorenzo Romar, Phil Hopson, Jay Triano, Dan Weiss, Ricky Brown, Zak Jones, Al Kristmanson, Kevin Sprewer.[12] 1989, Topeka, Kansas: US Armed Forces - at Topeka, Kansas Coaches Harold Johnson and Bill Carry; Earl Wilson, Kevin Houston, Timothy Wilson, Samural Addison, Kevin Bradshaw, Dion Brown, Raymond Lettstom, K.E. Whittaker, Walter Golden, Willie Linder, Charles Bailey, David Robinson. 1990, Topeka, Kansas: Sam Ragnone, Attorney - Flint, Michigan - at Topeka, Kansas Coach Sam Ragnone; Joel Ragland, Lamar Edwards, Darrin Fitzgerald, Tom Hawkins, Terry Duerod, Eric Turner, Ray Keiser, Greg Kelser, Lorenzo Orr, Zack Hicks, Rony Thompkins, Ernest Williams. 1991, Topeka, Kansas: Lafayette Hustlers - Lafayette, Indiana Coach Jim Bower, Ryan Berning, Ricky Hall, Derrick Johnson, Kip Jones, Walter Jordan, John Teague, Shawn Teague, Chad Tucker, Tim Hasley, T. Cutter. 1992, Topeka, Kansas: Sam Ragnone Attorney - Flint, Michigan Coach Sam Ragnone, Darrin Fitzgerald, Lamar Edwards, Eric Turner, Terry Duerod (MVP), Gilvannie Johnson, Jones, Phil Hubbard, Greg Kelser. 1993, Topeka, Kansas: USA Verich Reps - Warren, Ohio Coach Louis Cathcart, Derrick Fields, Mergin Sina, Darrin Morningstar, Bill Edwards, Johnny McDole, Louis Geter, Trig Lee, Dapris Owens, Harris, Craig, Hodges. 1994, Topeka, Kansas: MNS Stars - Kansas City, Missouri Coach Milton R. Bradley, Nate Buntin, Stan Bradley, Aaron Collier, Michael Irvin, Will Scott, Jamal Coleman, Deryl Kearney, Deryl Conningham, Stan Bradley, Jay Boster, Cody, Waters. 1995, Topeka, Kansas: Team Pella - Des Moines, Iowa Michael Born, Ron Bayless, Brad Pippett, Howard Eaton, Sam Powell, Fred Brown, Paul Doerrfeld. 1996, Topeka, Kansas: Bankers and Investors-Kansas City, Missouri Coach Riley Maher, Burce Chubick, Eugene Cheadle, Rick Muller, Brian Maher, Dion Barnes, Tom Wald, Ralph Davis, Mac Irvin, Terrance Badgett, Erwin Claggett, Chris Haynes. 1997, Topeka, Kansas: Marathon Basketball - Joliette, Illinois Coach Mark Simpson, Curt Smith, Erwin Claggett, Willie Murdaugh, Jerald Ryner, Jeff Harris, Steve Showalter, Rick Hughes, Mikki Moore. 1998, Topeka, Kansas: Pella Windows - Des Moines, IA Coach Michael J. Born, Michael Born, Ron Bayless, Carl Pickett, Brad Pippett, Troy Wade, Tony Harvey, Jeff Hrubes.
1977, Lake Worth, Florida: Armed Forces All Stars Coach Hal Fisher, Assistant Wilbert Logan; Jyrona Ralston, Robert Sherwin, Eddie Brown, Pierre Russell, James Penn, George Hester, Jerome Benning, Ron Brown, Bobby Young, Richard McGuire, Alfred Forney, L.C. Pierce. 1978, at London, Kentucky: Christian Youth Center, Joliet Illinois Coach Glen Sergent; Tim Bryant, Dennis Taylor, Steve Clum, Jim Bocinski, Huby Marshall, Jim Calhoun, Frank Kaminsky, Houston Lloyd, Bill Glover. 1979, Ponca City, Oklahoma: Christian Youth Center, Joliet, Illinois Coach Glen Sergent; Allan Hardy (MVP), Dennis Taylor, Steve Clum, Jim Bocinski, Huby Marshall, Kerry Hughes, Frank Kaminsky, Craig Burtyn, Bill Glover.
1979 and 1980: at Florida 1980, St. Augustine, Florida: Airliner Basketball Club, Iowa City, Iowa Coach Jim Baker, Assistant Dante Vignaroli, Sponsor Doug Tvedt; Fred Haberecht, Mike Gatens, Neil Fegebank, Glenn Vicnovic, William Mayfield, Clay Hargrave, Rick Engel, Pete Griffin, Tom Norma, Dick Peth, John Hairston, Gary DeCarlo.[13] 1981, St. Agustine, Florida: Brewster-Heights Packing, Brewster, Washington Coach John J. Pariseau, Assistant Keith Kingsbury, Sponsor Ed Pariseau; Joe Leonard, Mark Scott, Marion Pericin, Tony Barnes, Stan Walker, Todd Burton, Dennis Johnson, Jeff Stoutt, Wayne Smith, Joe Webb.
1982, Portland Oregon: Brewster Heights Packing, Brewster, Washington Coach John J. Pariseau, Assistant Keith Kingsbury, Sponsor Ed Pariseau; Joe Webb, Eric Brewe, Gene Glenn, Dan Caldwell, Todd Burton, Joe Leonard, Steve Matzen, Rob Visser, Ray Orange, Billy Turney Loos, John Greig, John W. Pariseau. 1983, Ponca City, Oklahoma: Houston Flyers, Houston, Texas Coach Marty Bratton, Assistant Howard Knight, John Flewellen; Latrell Mitchell, Harry O'Brien, Steve Sylestine, Ed Jeffries, Andrew Parker, Ricky Hooker, Randy Martel, Hiram Harrison, David Marrs, Larry Hendrix, Kenny Austin.[14] 1984, Las Vegas, Nevada: Paul-Son Dice, Las Vegas, Nevada Coach Larry Keever, Manager Mike Pilz, Sponsor Paul-Son Dice and Card, Inc; Terry Manghum, Alan Holder, Melvin Washington, Bobby Joe Jacobs, Cris Jackson, Armon Gilliam, Mel Bennet, Keith Star, Greg Goorjian, Kenny Harmon, Sam Smith.
1999-present
1999-2000 at Des Moines 1999, Sisam Arena, Des Moines, Iowa: Palmer's Tornadoes, Des Moines, IA Coach David Palmer, Sam Crawford, David Palmer, Tim Gill, Lamar Hillsman, Darrel "A.J." Waley, Stan Gouard, Rocky Walls, Wayne Houston, Ed Johnson, Ray Poindexter. 2000, Sisam Arena, Des Moines, Iowa: Palmer's Tornadoes – Des Moines, IA Coach Stan Gouard, Asst. Coach David Palmer, Wayne Houston (MVP), Kevin Sams, Justin Wimmer, Tim Gill, Lonnie Cooper, Tyrone Barksdale, D. Taylor, Carl Pickett, Ed Johnson, M. Stephany. 2001-2005 at Sacramento 2001, Cosumnes River College, Sacramento, CA: Shell-Widman – Elk Grove, CA Coach David Shell, Shann Ferch (MVP), Charles Terrell, Ali Thomas, Robert Richardson, Lossie Mitchell, Thomas Washington, Justin Leslie, Jason Cox, Rich Manning, Tito Addison, Jimmie Carol. 2002, Cosumnes River College, Sacramento, CA: Posse – San Jose, CA – at Sacramento, California Coach Joe Molina, Asst. Coach Al Gordon, Brian Jones (MVP), Wayman Strickland, Champ Wrencher, Darrel Teat, Dave Smith, Chris Samdahl, Steve Ross, Richard Morton, Julius Hicks, Brian Gomez. 2003, Cosumnes River College, Sacramento, CA: Sunny's Rebels – Seattle, WA Coach Sunny Backlund, Antuan Jones (MVP), Jackie Jones, Chuck Johnson, Donald Watts, Brian Dennis, Darnell Taylor, Chris Walcott 2004, Cosumnes River College, Sacramento, CA: Maine Lobsters, Bangor, Maine Coach Charlie Wilson, Fred Hooks (MVP), Demarius Akins, Moses Alvarez, Ed Fontaine, William Genung, Shaun Jackson, Fred Nichols, Rico Redd, TK Reed, Alton "Sonny" Smith, Shannon Taylor, Al Williams 2005, Cosumnes River College, Sacramento, CA: Mitchell-McKineyz "New Beginnings 4 Youth," Columbus, Ohio Coach Tony Rice, Tony Rice (MVP), Larry Abney, Ben Berry, Tony Givens, Isaac Jefferson, John Spain, Orenthall Strothers, Shannon Swillis, Chad Younger. 2007: NA 2006: NA 2008, Cocoa Beach, Florida: 102 Jamz, Orlando, Florida Brian S, Mike S, Mike E (MVP), Jason, Shawn S, T’here, Pete, Dave 2009, Reno, Nevada: Gold Rush, San Francisco, CA Coach, Rick Lewis: Jovan Harris (MVP), Cardell butler, Xavier McNally, Dean Browne, John Tofi, Johnny Dukes, Reggie Smith, Larry Reggie.
George Yardley (San Francisco Stewart Chevrolets, Los Alamitos Naval Air Station)
Trial Games
The AAU also sent teams to the Olympic Trial Games organized before each Olympic tournament. The results of the teams would finally decide the players would play for the USA Team in the Olympics. The playoffs had a massive interest drawing huge crowds to the hosting venues. Similar games were organized for the FIBA World Cups.
The National Industrial Basketball League was founded in 1947 to enable United States mill workers a chance to compete in basketball. The league was founded by teams sponsored by large companies and made up of their employees belonging to the National Basketball League (NBL) that did not join the National Basketball Association when the NBL merged with the Basketball Association of America.
The National Alliance of Basketball Leagues (NABL) is the descendant of the industrial-based basketball clubs that formed into the National Basketball League (NBL) in the early 1930s.
The Denver Nuggets were a professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets joined the National Basketball League (NBL) for the 1948–49 season, and then joined the National Basketball Association when the NBL was absorbed by the Basketball Association of America to create the NBA for the 1949–50 season. The Nuggets were the first major professional sports franchise in Colorado, but disbanded after going 11–50 in their inaugural season. This franchise is not directly connected to the current Denver Nuggets franchise of the NBA.
Robert Albert Kurland was a 7 feet (2.1 m) American basketball center, who played for the two-time NCAA champion Oklahoma A&M Aggies basketball team. He led the U.S. basketball team to gold medals in two Summer Olympics, and led his AAU team to three national titles. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
SMG, formerly Spectacor Management Group, was an American worldwide venue management group headquartered in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, that specialized in managing publicly owned facilities. It began their operation in 1977 with management of the Louisiana Superdome. It was one of the largest property management corporations in the world.
The Akron Goodyear Wingfoots are one of the oldest basketball teams in the United States. They were founded in 1918, by the workers at the Goodyear Tire Company, in Akron, Ohio. The teams, while giving workers recreation, also helped to promote one of the first canvas/rubber based shoes made specifically for athletics, the wingfoot.
The Cleveland Pipers were an American industrial basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio in the 1950s and early 1960s. The Pipers are mostly known for having played in the short-lived American Basketball League from 1961–62. They were also a power in the day's Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball and the National Industrial Basketball League (NIBL) which peaked in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Ronald Yngve Bontemps was an American basketball player who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics. He was born in Taylorville, Illinois, and attended Beloit College. He was a captain of the United States men's basketball team, which won the gold medal in the 1952 Olympic Games. He played in all eight games. Bontemps died on May 13, 2017, in Peoria, Illinois, aged 90.
Howard Earl "Howie" Williams was an American basketball player who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics. Williams played collegiately at Purdue University where he was a 2x All-Big Ten guard ; he was selected as the Purdue team MVP in his junior and senior seasons and as Team Captain in 1949-50; posting a career total of 735 points. He led the Big Ten Conference in Free Throw Percentage (85.7%) for the 1948-49 season.
Louis Gustav Wilke was an American football and basketball coach and athletics administrator. After coaching basketball on a high school level, he became the coach for Phillips University in 1927. He also coached the Phillips 66ers of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) from 1929 to 1931 to a 98–8 record. After his coaching career he served as a chairman of the AAU Basketball Committee for seven terms and was an executive board member of the United States Olympic Committee from 1956 to 1960. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1983.
John Warren Womble, Jr. was an American basketball coach. He was the head coach of the Peoria Cats, a National Industrial Basketball League (NIBL) team, located in Peoria, Illinois, and the head coach of the 1952 United States men's Olympic basketball team.
Gerald Tucker was the head coach on the 1956 USA Men's Basketball Gold Medal Olympic Team. He was the coach of Bartlesville Phillips 66ers for four seasons from 1954 to 1958 having the most wins in the National Industrial Basketball League in each of those 4 seasons. In 1955 Bartlesville Phillips 66ers won the AAU National Basketball Championship against the Luckett-Nix Clippers of Boulder, Colorado, winning 66-64 and in 1956 they were the runners-up to the Buchan Bakers of Seattle, losing 59–57.
Omar M. "Bud" Browning was an American basketball coach. In 1948, he became the United States' second Summer Olympics men's basketball head coach. Browning led 1948 USA team to a final record of 8–0, en route to a gold medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics basketball tournament, in London. Browning became the winning-est coach in AAU tournament history, when his teams won AAU championships in 1962 and 1963.
James Carlos McNatt was an All-American basketball player for the Oklahoma Sooners and the AAU's Phillips 66ers. At Oklahoma, McNatt led his team to the first-ever NCAA final Four in 1939, and at Phillips 66, McNatt guided the 66ers to four consecutive AAU national championships. He was a two-time All-American at Oklahoma and a four-time AAU All-American for Phillips 66. The speedy player came to be known by his nickname “Scat” McNatt, a moniker originally traced back to the term “Boy Scats” which sportswriters had used to describe McNatt's fast-breaking, sophomore-led 1937-38 Oklahoma Sooners basketball team. McNatt grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, attended Norman High School, and then opted to stay in his hometown to play basketball for the University of Oklahoma.
The 1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team competed in the Games of the XVII Olympiad, representing the United States of America. The USA team, coached by California Golden Bears head coach Pete Newell, dominated the competition, winning its games by an average of 42.4 points per game. The team is considered by many to be the best amateur level basketball team of all time, and was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a unit, in 2010.
Gary Thompson is a retired American basketball player and broadcaster. He was an All-American player at Iowa State. Following his collegiate career, Thompson played for the Phillips 66ers of the Amateur Athletic Union and had a successful career as a broadcaster.
The Phillips 66ers were an amateur basketball team located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and sponsored and run by the Phillips Petroleum Company. The 66ers were a national phenomenon that grew from a small-town team to an organization of accomplished amateur athletes receiving national and worldwide attention. Under the sponsorship of the company's owner, Frank Phillips, the team, which began playing in 1919, participated in the Amateur Athletic Union, the nation's premier basketball league before the National Basketball Association. Between 1920 and 1950, some of the strongest basketball teams in the United States were sponsored by corporations: Phillips 66, 20th Century Fox, Safeway Inc., Caterpillar Inc., and others.
The Caterpillar Diesels was an amateur basketball team located in Peoria, Illinois and sponsored and run by the Caterpillar Inc. company. The Caterpillars were one of the most successful teams of the Amateur Athletic Union League in the 1950s and they became world-wide known in 1952 when five of their players represented the USA team in the Olympics, winning the gold medal.
The Buchan Bakers was an amateur basketball team located in Seattle, Washington and competed in the National Industrial Basketball League. The Bakers were one of the most popular teams of the Amateur Athletic Union, rising to fame in 1957 when the beat the Phillips 66ers in the AAU Tournament final. The team was sponsored by the Buchan Baking company, thus they adopted their name. During the 1955-56 season, the Buchan Bakers traveled to Asia, playing teams from Japan, China and they were the first AAU basketball team to play against Eastern European teams during the Cold War.
Allan J. Bunge is a former National Basketball Association (NBA) first round draft pick of the Philadelphia Warriors in the 1960 NBA draft. Bunge led the Maryland Terrapins to the NCAA tournament in 1958. Bunge's career was interrupted, and his entire life impacted, by flareups of ulcerative colitis that was discovered during his freshman year at Maryland.
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