From WWII to the NCAAs: "Tex" Kauferhalter's Defensive Rise

[PointGuard]

Wait a minute!!!!

Tex's team finishes 8-12 in Big Ten play and he wins Conf Coach of the Year??????

I'm guessing there are some coaches asking for a recount. I hear someone saw a guy wearing a Northwestern swearshirt carrying a box stuffed with ballots into the Big Ten offices before the vote count. Somebody check those voting machines.

[jksander]

Wait a minute!!!!

Tex's team finishes 8-12 in Big Ten play and he wins Conf Coach of the Year??????

I'm guessing there are some coaches asking for a recount. I hear someone saw a guy wearing a Northwestern swearshirt carrying a box stuffed with ballots into the Big Ten offices before the vote count. Somebody check those voting machines.

Trust me I did a spit take myself. The game seems to over-weigh postseason results in the lesser tournaments in deciding conf awards. I am still using 2022 edition.

[PointGuard]

I don't recall seeing that occur, but maybe. Anyway, congrats on the award.

[jksander]

I'm back! Work's been absolutely insane the last couple weeks, but I'm looking forward to having more time to sneak in some DDSCB action finally!

SEASON NINE
1953-54

Coach Information
Name: Rolf “Tex” Kauferhalter
Age / Record: 31 (189-85, .690)
Contract: $209,000 / 2 Years
NCAA Sweet Sixteens: 1 (1950)
NCAA Appearances: 5 (1946-1947, 1949-1951)
NCAA Tourney Record: 4-5 (.444)
NIT Championships: 1 (1948)
NIT Appearances: 1 (1948)
NIT Record: 5-0 (1.000)
CBI Tourney Appearances: 1 (1952)
CBI Tourney Record: 0-1 (.000)
CIT Championships: 1 (1953)
CIT Appearances: 1 (1953)
CIT Record: 5-0 (1.000)
Big Ten Coach of the Year: 1 (1953)
Patriot League Titles: 5 (1946-1947, 1949-1951)
Patriot League Tourney Titles: 3 (1946-1947, 1949)
Patriot League Coach of the Year: 4 (1947-1948, 1950-1951)
Reputation: 35% (+4)
Offense: 34% (+2)
Defense: 97% (+5)
Recruiting: 50% (+4)
Scouting: 53%
Development: 45%

School Information
School: Northwestern Wildcats
Location: Evanston IL
Conference: Big Ten
Arena: Welsh-Ryan Arena (Cap: 8,117)
Budget: $213,500 ($137,920 Assistants / $75,580 Recruiting)
Facilities: B-
Academics: A+ (SAT Min: 1100)
School Prestige: 44% (+7)
Conf. Prestige: 90% (+1)

Job Goals
1. Qualify for the NIT.
2. Finish in the Top Half of the Big Ten.
3. Win 15+ Games.
4. No Academic Ineligibility.
5. Improve the School’s Prestige.

Recruit Class Ranking: 39th
Big Ten Rank: 8th

Assistants
AHC: Eric O’Connor (38, $67,500 / 4 years, Rep: 48%) - Recruiting (71%)
2nd: Michael Frazier (60, $50,470 / 2 years, Rep: 19%, +1) - Development (30%)
3rd: Abel Seals (62, $19,950 / 2 years, Rep: 11%, +1) - Scouting (32%)

MAY 29, 1953 . . . Kevin Hastie is transfering out because he didn’t feel I gave him enough minutes. I think he’s being shortsighted -- he would have been a unanimous starter this year -- but if he’s not smart enough to understand we needed to play our most experienced lineup last year, he’s probably not smart enough to be a leader on this team. I hope he finds a better fit elsewhere.

JUNE 9, 1953 . . . I’ve offered a scholarship to transfering small forward Ralph Windlan, a 6’5” sophomore from Ole Miss with a 3.7 GPA who averaged 4.4 points 2.0 rebounds 0.7 assists 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks per game playing for the Rebels. He has three years of eligibility left after he sits out this season, and he’s got four star potential, though right now he’s only a two star player at best. With time to learn our system I am confident he’ll fit in well in our roatation.

JUNE 26, 1953 . . . This will be a year where we only have two scholarships to fill, so we need to make the players we get really count. We have a few dozen early psospects we’re examining in these opening weeks -- hopefully we’ll find the right fits for our program.

SEPTEMBER 18, 1953 . . . We got both our recruits to sign right away this year! 6’7” power forward Noel Arline, a four star prospect from Pomeroy, Ohio, comes in ranked 76th nationally, while Stromile White, a 6’3” shooting guard from Rock Island, Illinois, comes in ranked 80th as a four star prospect himself. Arline is a great shooter with decent defensive ability and a lot of potential upside, but playing time is not a big focus which is good because he may need to redshirt for a year. White, a potential starter right out of the gate, has excellent potential to go with great scoring, defensive and (for his height) rebounding ability. Arline has a 4.0 GPA and is one of the best academic prospects in the country, but White has a 3.6 GPA Himself so he should have no trouble fitting in here at Northwestern.

SEPTEMBER 25, 1953 . . . Our schedule this season features seven home games in a row (including against Stanford, California, Alabama, Georgia and Arkansas) before we play in the Las Vegas Winter Jam starting December 16th with a neutral court game against Baylor. Our biggest test this year will be a road trip to play preseason #3 Kentucky in Lexington, a game that should give us an indication of where we stand against Big Ten competition. I don’t expect us to post a 10-1 start like last year, and we’re going to have our work cut out for us in the conference with what I can charitably describe as a very “novice” young team. But I’ll have them prepared to play, anyone, anywhere.

Roster
PG - R.J. Ward (6’0” 189 lbs Fr) Liberty Center OH (Liberty Center HS) 3.5 GPA (3.0/4.5)
SG - Bryan Waters (6’2” 185 lbs Jr) Wells MN (United South Central HS) 4.0 GPA (3.5/4.0) 0.6 ppg 0.2 rpg 0.5 apg 0.2 spg 0.1 bpg
SF - Bart Daniels (6’8” 210 lbs Sr) Rockton IL (Hononegah Community HS) 4.0 GPA (2.5/3.5) 7.8 ppg 4.1 rpg 1.6 apg 1.2 spg 0.6 bpg
PF - Steve McCullum (6’6” 229 lbs So) Riverbank CA (Riverbank HS) 4.0 GPA (3.0/3.0) transfer player
C - Adam Watkins (6’9” 242 lbs Jr) Joy IL (Westmer HS) 3.5 GPA (3.0/3.5) 9.8 ppg 3.4 rpg 1.4 apg 0.8 spg 0.6 bpg

6 - Clinton Thorne (6’1” 176 lbs Fr) Mount Vernon OH (Mount Vernon HS) 3.3 GPA (2.0/4.0)
7 - Petrick McAfee (6’7” 195 lbs Fr) Commerce MI (Walled Lake Northern HS) 4.0 GPA (1.5/4.5)
8 - Bevon Brown (6’9” 273 lbs Sr) Wadsworth OH (Wadsworth HS) 3.7 GPA (2.0/3.0) 9.2 ppg 5.6 rpg 0.7 apg
9 - Bryan Conway (6’8” 245 lbs Jr) Elmhurst IL (York Community HS) 4.0 GPA (2.0/3.0) 1.6 ppg 1.5 rpg 0.5 apg 0.3 spg 0.2 bpg
10 - Matt Eldridge (6’7” 207 lbs Fr RS) Ypsilanti MI (Lincoln Consolidated HS) 4.0 GPA (1.0/2.0)
11 - Jason Lewis (6’7” 239 lbs Fr RS) Beardstown IL (Beardstown HS) 3.7 GPA (2.0/4.0)
12 - Pete Abrams (5’9” 172 lbs Fr) Miles IL (Notre Dame HS) 3.6 GPA (0.5/0.5)*
13 - Travis James (6’4” 219 lbs Jr) Richton Park IL (Rich South HS) 4.0 GPA (0.5/0.5)*

RS - Robinson Johnson (6’6” 216 lbs Fr) Minneapolis MN (Washburn HS) 3.9 GPA (1.0/3.0)

TR - Ralph Windlan (6’5” 181 lbs So) Talladega AL (Talladega Co. Central HS)( 3.7 GPA (2.0/4.0)

NOVEMBER 13, 1953 . . . R.J. Ward is going to have to step up right away and play big minutes at the point, and we’ll see quickly if he lives up to his four star status, while I expect Petrick McAfee to provide a lot of energy off the bench -- I suspect he’s going to prove to be a lot closer to his potential rating this year than his initial one, though he’ll be fighting for minutes with Thorne and senior Bevon Brown, who was a starter for most of last year. Our starting lineup could shift significantly as the pre-Big 10 season progresses and players earn their spots.

[jksander]

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Date    Rank   Team                      Score           W/L Record      Key Players
11/16          Stanford                  W 79-63         1-0             S. Daniels (16 pts 3 reb 1 ast 1 stl) P. McAfee (13 pts 5 reb 1 stl)
11/19          La Salle                  W 80-66         2-0             P. McAfee (18 pts 9 reb 2 ast 1 stl) B. Waters (10 pts 5 reb 4 ast 2 stl)

NOVEMBER 20, 1953 . . . I’m liking what I’ve seen from our young guys so far, and I’ve decided to tighten our rotation by moving McAfee in at starting center, while moving Watkins down to sixth man, where he’ll still play 18-20 minutes per game. Thorne and Brown will continue to get 14-16 minutes each off the bench, and that’s about as deep as I expect us to play barring complications.

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Date    Rank   Team                      Score           W/L Record      Key Players
11/23          Alabama                   L 68-80         2-1             B. Waters (14 pts 3 reb 1 ast 2 stl) R. Ward (10 pts 1 reb 3 ast 3 stl)
11/26          California                W 80-62         3-1             P. McAfee (19 pts 10 reb 3 ast 2 stl) A. Watkins (16 pts 2 reb 2 ast 1 stl)
11/30          Green Bay                 W 68-57         4-1             R. Ward (22 pts 2 reb 2 ast 2 stl) P. McAfee (17 pts 10 reb 1 ast)
12/7           Georgia                   W 84-49         5-1             P. McAfee (29 pts 10 reb 1 ast) B. Waters (9 pts 2 reb 2 ast 3 stl)
12/14          Arkansas                  W 69-49         6-1             P. McAfee (18 pts 9 reb 1 stl) B. Waters (16 pts 7 reb 1 ast 1 stl)
12/16          (n) Baylor                W 81-65         7-1             P. McAfee (25 pts 1 reb) A. Watkins (17 pts 5 reb 3 ast 2 stl)
12/17          (n) Syracuse              W 57-56         8-1             P. McAfee (17 pts 9 reb 1 stl) S. McCullum (11 pts 5 reb)
12/18          (n) #21 Butler            W 74-54         9-1             P. McAfee (23 pts 3 reb 1 ast) B. Waters (13 pts 5 reb 10 ast 4 stl)
12/21          @ Kentucky                L 67-71         9-2             P. McAfee (24 pts 9 reb 1 ast 2 blk) A. Watkins (9 pts 3 reb 1 ast 1 stl)

DECEMBER 22, 1953 . . . By the time we faced Kentucky, they were 4-5 and struggling, but we’re still a very raw team overall despite our record, and we struggled down the stretch, losing to them as their fans took over the game. Petrick McAfee has been our team’s offensive leader, but I’m struggling with how to motivate him to become a true “leader,” since he seems happy being more of a disruptive force. It’s never anything I can really point out to draw overt disciplinary ire, but he struggles with his general composure. He’s come close to fouling out on numerous occasions, amd his defensive performances to this point have been subpar at best, which as a defensive coach, frustrates me. We’ll see how he adjusts to Big Ten play -- maybe he’ll be humbled by the experience of going against these caliber of teams on a night in night out basis. Or we’ll be discussing him washing out in the spring, unable to handle the rigors. I certainly hope not, but if we’re going to reach our goals everyone has to step up and play like a team. He’s a freshman, so I’m going to give him room to figure things out before I have to bring him in for any deeper conversations.

Heading into Big Ten play we’re ranked in the top 25 of the NET, but as usual it’s hard to know where we’ll shape up in a conference where any nine other teams could be ranked at some point. Everyone’s records are good, and only Penn State, Purdue and Iowa have losing records heading into conference play. Our offense and defense are ranked in the top 50 nationally and we’re 32nd nationally in points allowed, but to this point we’ve only played one true road game, so it’s really hard to draw comparions this early. Offensively it’s been all McAfee for the most part, so we’re going to have to find players to step up and join him in creating scoring opportunities if we’re going to keep up in the conference. Or, conversely, our defenses are going to have to be near perfect, which, with as young as this team is, I’m less confident in. R.J. Ward has been a quiet contributor at the point, averaging 8.9 points 2.5 assists 1.7 steals and 1.8 rebounds per game so far, and he’s done a better job than McAfee at taking a leadership role on the court. So there’s that to be confident in.

We open the Big Ten season with three home games in a row, but will then have four of five games on the road from January 6-20, including Michigan State and Maryland. So we’ll know pretty quickly how we’re shaping up.

DECEMBER 25, 1953 . . . Petrick McAfee bruised his calf in practice pretty badly, and he’ll be out of the lineup for at least a week, possibly for two, and he’s not happy about it. I told him he needs to stop complaining and work to return, and that his mouth is going to get him in trouble if he can’t control it. Not how I wanted to be heading into conference play.

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Date    Rank   Team                      Score           W/L Record      Key Players
12/26          Indiana                   W 55-50         10-2 (1-0)      A. Watkins (11 pts 11 reb 2 stl) R. Ward (13 pts 2 reb 2 blk)
12/30          Purdue                    W 70-53         11-2 (2-0)      A. Watkins (24 pts 5 reb 1 ast) B. Brown (14 pts 4 reb 2 stl)
1/2            #9 Illinois               L 70-81         11-3 (2-1)      R. Ward (19 pts 2 reb 2 ast 1 stl) S. McCullum (12 pts 5 reb 2 stl 3 blk)
1/6            @ Michigan State          L 54-64         11-4 (2-2)      P. McAfee (12 pts 6 reb 1 ast 1 stl) B. Daniels (13 pts 4 reb 2 ast 1 stl)
1/11           @ #23 Maryland            L 68-70         11-5 (2-3)      A. Watkins (17 pts 2 reb 1 stl) R. Ward (13 pts 6 ast 2 stl 1 blk)

JANUARY 12, 1954 . . . In the locker room after the Maryland loss, Petrick McAfee did the unforgivable. He got into a huge argument with Watkins over why he thought he should have gotten more minutes down the stretch when the game was close, and R.J. Ward stepped in to defend Watkins, calling McAfee out for his piss-poor attitude. And before I could step in to shut the whole thing down and bring them all into my office for conversations, McAfee punched Ward in the face. That did it. He’s off the team, and if a disciplinary hearing goes the way I expect, he’ll be kicked out of the university regardless of his willingness to stay on without his athletic scholarship. I just can’t let the cancer spread, and the team made it clear they weren’t going to keep putting up with it. We’re five games into a Big Ten season that started out surprisingly well even with McAfee benched via injury, but now we’re certainly at a disadvantage heading into the heart of the schedule. But there are things that are more important than winning, and if the board doesn’t understand that, so be it.

One of the biggest beneficiaries of playing time is likely to be Matt Eldridge, our redshirt Freshman who has been averaging just a few minutes per game. We’re going to need him to be able to play more of a role in games where any of our starters struggle, and he’ll be particularly needed as a backup at small forward, while Thorne, Brown and Conway cover multiple positions as needed.

[jksander]

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Date    Rank   Team                      Score           W/L Record      Key Players
1/13           Iowa                      W 59-48         12-5 (3-3)      S. McCullum (14 pts 6 reb 3 ast 1 stl) R. Ward (10 pts 6 reb 3 ast 2 stl)
1/16           @ Nebraska                L 70-71         12-6 (3-4)      R. Ward (14 pts 5 ast 2 stl) B. Waters (14 pts 4 reb 3 ast 2 stl)
1/20           @ Purdue                  L 67-79         12-7 (3-5)      A. Watkins (11 pts 10 reb 1 ast 1 stl) R. Ward (13 pts 4 reb 4 ast)
1/25           #23 Ohio State            L 53-60         12-8 (3-6)      B. Daniels (17 pts 6 reb 1 blk) A. Watkins (10 pts 7 reb 2 ast 2 stl)
1/27           Penn State                W 63-35         13-8 (4-6)      B. Daniels (11 pts 3 reb 1 ast) S. McCullum (7 pts 11 reb 4 ast)
1/30           @ Iowa                    L 55-73         13-9 (4-7)      A. Watkins (12 pts 4 reb) S. McCullum (10 pts 6 reb 3 stl 1 blk)
2/3            @ #10 Illinois            L 53-69         13-10 (4-8)     C. Thorne (14 pts 2 reb 1 ast 1 stl) A. Watkins (9 pts 9 reb 1 ast)
2/6            @ #2 Wisconsin            L 53-77         13-11 (4-9)     M. Eldridge (9 pts 10 reb 1 blk) J. Lewis (12 pts 1 reb 1 ast)
2/8            Nebraska                  W 61-42         14-11 (5-9)     A. Watkins (19 pts 6 reb 2 stl) R. Ward (10 pts 2 reb 7 ast 1 stl)
2/15           #8 Minnesota              W 72-65         15-11 (6-9)     A. Watkins (13 pts 8 reb 1 ast) M. Eldridge (12 pts 7 reb 2 ast)
2/20           @ Michigan                L 61-72         15-12 (6-10)    M. Eldridge (16 pts 3 reb 1 stl) R. Conway (10 pts 6 reb 1 stl)
2/24           Maryland                  W 64-58         16-12 (7-10)    R. Ward (22 pts 4 reb 10 ast 3 stl) C. Thorne (11 pts 2 reb 1 ast 1 stl)
2/27           Michigan State            W 68-51         17-12 (8-10)    M. Eldridge (17 pts 11 reb 2 ast) C. Thorne (14 pts 3 reb 3 ast)
3/1            @ Ohio State              L 66-70         17-13 (8-11)    R. Ward (14 pts 3 ast 3 stl) A. Watkins (11 pts 15 reb 2 ast)
3/3            @ Rutgers                 L 49-75         17-14 (8-12)    B. Brown (12 pts 6 reb 1 ast) M. Eldridge (8 pts 4 reb 2 ast 1 stl)

MARCH 4, 1954 . . . We finished the regular season with another dismal 8-12 record in the Big Ten, this year winding up with the 10th seed for the conference tournament. We were actually on the NCAA Tournament bubble heading into our final week of conference play, but we stumbled in the final two road games, most embarassingly against Rutgers, a game I felt we should have certainly been more competitive in. This has been a season of turmoil, with our team chemistry never quite developing, and I suspect we may have a few transfers coming. That failure of leadership is on me, and I will need to ensure that in the coming seasons we redvelop the emphasis on discipline and teamwork that I had when I was coaching at Army. Either that, or we’re never going to get over the hump in what is as brutal a league as ever. Hell, Wisconsin (31-0, 20-0) is fighting for potentially its second perfect season in five years. Marcus Page has built a juggernaut up in Madison, and what we have here in Evanston is not even remotely close.
 
Big Ten Tournament

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Date    Rank   Team                      Score           W/L Record      Key Players
3/8            (7) Indiana               L 61-74         17-15           C. Thorne (17 pts 2 reb 2 ast) M. Eldridge (9 pts 2 reb 3 ast)

MARCH 13, 1954 . . . Wisconsin steamrolled through the conference tournament as expected, beating Michigan State by 14, Michigan by 33 and Minnesota by 25. And since Duke blasted through the ACC Tournament (beating Virginia Tech by 28, Syracuse by 12 and Virginia by 20) we’re seeing two top seeds in this year’s NCAA Tournament who go into the postseason undefeated -- Duke at 35-0 and Wisconsin at 34-0. Anything less than those two meeting in the National Championship will be considered an unbelivable shock.

Big Ten teams in the NCAA Tournament:

#10 Seed, Cleveland: Maryland
#9 Seed, Cleveland: Ohio State
#4 Seed, Austin: Illinois
#1 Seed, Oakland: Wisconsin
#3 Seed, Oakland: Minnesota

Big Ten Teams in the NIT:

#2 Seed, South: Indiana
#2 Seed, West: Michigan

Big Ten Teams in the CIT Tournament:

#5 Seed, Midwest: Northwestern
#3 Seed, West: Michigan State

Collegiate Insider Tournament

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Date    Team                      Score           W/L Record      Key Players
3/13    (4) Troy                  L 55-56         17-16           M. Eldridge (15 pts 8 reb 2 ast) C. Thorne (15 pts 6 reb 5 ast)

MARCH 15, 1954 . . . We lost our CIT first round game in a squeaker that pretty much summed up our season. There would be no repeat of last year’s deep postseason run, and honestly I’m grateful. I think it’s time to close the book on the 1953-54 season and work on how to make sure the 1954-55 season does not repeat the same struggles and failures.

MARCH 19, 1954 . . . Ohio State stunned a lot of people by beating (1) Florida 95-85 to earn their way to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in program history! They trailed the Gators 39-47 at the half, fought back to tie it 76-76 at the end of regulation, and then absolutely crushed the Gators in overtime, putting up nearly 20 points!

MARCH 20, 1954 . . . Though Illinois lost their bid for a Sweet Sixteen with a loss against (5) Oklahoma State, Wisconsin punched their ticket by blasting (8) Arkansas 69-41, while Minnesota handled (11) Cincinnati perfectly 69-46. So despite a down year in the conference overall (thanks to Wisconsin’s dominance) we still have three Big Ten teams in the tournament’s second weekend.

MARCH 24, 1954 . . . (5) Kansas put a quick end to Ohio State’s Elite Eight hopes as they completely destroyed the Buckeyes 83-56.

MARCH 25, 1954 . . . Wisconsin annihilated (4) Xavier 80-50 in their Sweet Sixteen game, while Minnesota won a much tighter game against (7) South Carolina, though they did it in style, coming back from down 25-33 to beat the Gamecocks by a 71-62 margin via a dominant second half offensive performance. That puts both teams in yet another rematch game -- Wisconsin beat Minnesota 81-66 on the road on February 10th, and then won 83-65 on their home court in Madison on February 24th, and then there was the 25-point drubbing in the Big Ten Tournament Championship. Does Minnesota have any chance of finding a weakness in these Badgers?

MARCH 27, 1954 . . . Minnesota played their best game out of all four matchups when they faced (1) Wisconsin in the Oakland Regional Finals, but they’d dug such a terrible hole in the first half, down 33-52 at the half, that it didn’t matter how close they cut it in the second half. The Badgers rolled down the stretch and won this one 81-73, returning to the Final Four with their perfect season still intact. (1) Duke won their regional final against (3) Pittsburgh 70-60, while (3) Louisville escaped (5) Kansas by an even tighter margin, winning 78-73. Finally, in Austin, (8) Syracuse beat (3) Utah 76-61. They’ll have to find a way past Wisconsin if they want a third rematch against Duke. A Duke / Wisconsin Championship game looks all but guaranteed.

APRIL 1, 1954 . . . As expected, (1) Duke completely destroyed (3) Louisvile 82-52, while (1) Wisconsin stumped (8) Syracuse 76-55. Duke has led the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll for most of the season, and the two teams are locked in at #1 and #2 in the NET. The question remains, which undefeated team will pull out the victory? Here’s hoping the game at least stays close; it would be a shame for a matchup of 40-0 and 39-0 teams to end in a blowout either way.

APRIL 2, 1954 . . . Wisconsin went out onto the court completely unfazed by the Duke Blue Devils, getting out to a quick 7-2 lead in the first three minutes, but Duke clamped down defensively and fought back in a determined manner, retaking the lead 10-11 with 11:17 to play in the first half. Duke led by as many as six late in the half, but Wisconsin kept the game tight enough to go into the half trailing only by three, down 23-26. The Badgers fought back, retaking the lead 29-27 with 18:22 to play, thanks to a Wayne Mixson three pointer, at which point the game became a back and forth battle! The Badgers built a 37-32 lead and then went ice cold, letting Duke go out on an 11-1 run to give them a 38-43 lead again with just 12 minutes left in this battle of undefeated teams. Wisconsin rallied to knot the game up at 43-43 with 8:26 remaining, and this time they looked determined to keep their lead when they pulled ahead. Up 55-49 with just three minutes to play, the Badgers handled their business on defense and came out with a hard-fought 60-53 victory. Duke fell to 40-1, while the Badgers earned their second 40-0 finish in five years with their third National Championship in the last decade.

Team Leaders
Scoring: Adam Watkins (9.7 ppg) R.J. Ward (9.3 ppg) Bevon Brown (7.3 ppg)
Rebounds: Adam Watkins (5.3 rpg) Steve McCullum (5.1 rpg) Bevon Brown (3.2 rpg)
Assists: R.J. Ward (3.7 apg) Bryan Waters (3.3 apg) Clinton Thorne (2.2 apg)
Steals: R.J. Ward (1.7 spg) Bryan Waters (1.6 spg)
Blocks: Steve McCullum (1.1 bpg) Adam Watkins (1.1 bpg)

Graduating
Bevon Brown (3.7 GPA) 7.6 ppg 4.3 rpg 0.9 apg 0.6 spg 0.6 bpg (125 games, 60 starts)
Bart Daniels (4.0 GPA) 5.3 ppg 2.8 rpg 1.0 apg 0.7 spg 0.5 bpg (115 games, 56 starts)

It’s clearly going to be a rebuilding year, with so many of our top performers graduating. It’ll be interesting to see how our youth step up to the challenge of the bigger minutes they’re all likely to be receiving in the fall.

Awards
None.

APRIL 9, 1954 . . . I failed my performance review in every regard this year except not having any academic ineligibility and managing to win at least 15 games. But the administration did give me a four year extension and a raise anyway, bumping my salary to $219,000 per year for the enxt five seasons. My goals remain pretty much the same for next season as far as they are concerned, but I definitely feel added pressure to make sure that, whatever our record next year, the chaos and general lack of discipline among the players is not allowed to stand.

We’ve signed our thrid incoming freshman for the upcoming season, filling the scholarship voided by McAfee. Dominick McDermott is one of the best junior college transfers in the nation, a 6’9” 267 pound center from Katonah, New York with a 2.5 GPA. While playing at Monroe College’s Mustangs in the Bronx, he put up 27.5 points and 18.2 rebounds per game and comes in as a three star prospect. I’’m stunned no other Big Ten teams took a flyer on him, as he’s put in the work to bring his grades up while playing JuCo ball, and his scoring, rebounding and defensive ability are, in my judgment, through the roof. He’ll be a key starter right out of the gate, and I am hoping he’ll be a catalyst to putting our program on the NCAA Tournament path. But he’ll have to keep putting in the work in the classroom if he wants to earn his degree here and stay eligible.

[jksander]

From the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, June 2, 1954, Section B, p.4

Wildcat Whirlwind: Concerns Mount over Disciplinary Meltdown in Northwestern Basketball Program
Richard Elmore, Staff Writer

EVANSTON, Ill. - When Northwestern Athletic Director Aaron Eckerly hired wunderkind head coach Rolf “Tex” Kauferhalter to helm the Wildcats’ struggling basketball program, he was hailed as a miracle worker for bringing in the hottest defensive-minded coach in college basketball. Kauferhalter, a discipline-minded leader of young men, came in having won five Patriot League titles, an NIT Title and with a Sweet Sixteen under his belt. He had a 100-percent graduation rate at Army, and his players had routinely been nominated for the prestigious Norton Award for overall excellence.

For Northwestern, a team which had never made it into the top half of the ever-brutal Big Ten, this seemed a no-brainer brilliant hire, one which would allow Northwestern to continue fielding a basketball team with the potential to eventually make it to the NCAA Tournament, while also fielding the best student athletes available at any given time.

What has resulted, however, has been less of a “no brainer” and more of a failure in discipline.

Since taking over at Northwester, Kauferhalter has indeed helped the program improve, at least ostensably, if you’re looking at overall wins and losses. Though the team posted a 15-16 record during the 1951-52 season, the Wildcats won 24 games during the 1952-53 season and wound up winning the Collegiate Insider Tournament outright after finishing ninth in the Big Ten with an 8-12 conference record. But last year the team backslid, barely posting a winning record, and the situation in the locker room and at practices was much more dire.

Early in January, Kauferhalter dismissed the team’s freshman center and leading scorer, Petrick McAfee, for assaulting another player physically in the locker room over a dispute over playing time. The remainder of the season persisted under a cloud of chaos, with reports, off the record, from within the program of a team essentially playing to get through the season, of a team atmosphere that was utterly degraded.

With four additional players on the team having transferred out officially yesterday, citing an inability to work with the other players on the Northwestern basketball team, it’s time to ask the question: Is Kauferhalter over his head trying to lead a team that isn’t beholden to him under Army service contracts and standards?

Eckerly certainly thinks so, having offered Kauferhalter a four year extension worth $219,000 per year to remain Northwestern’s coach potentially through the 1958-59 season. And it’s understandable that he would fight to keep a coach who has gone 56-46 over three seasons after the prior three Wildcats coaches combined for a 80-105 record from 1945 through 1951. There is something to be said for keeping some sense of constancy within the program.

But it is clear that Kauferhalter has let discipline be relaxed since he left Army, and that’s a concern for a program that still has yet to appear in the NCAA Tournament, that still has yet to place within the top six of what has become the preeminent conference in college basketball.

Can Kauferhalter step up and become the leader we all hoped he’d be when his hiring was announced? This upcoming season may prove to be something of a referendum on how he can handle this adversity which is at least partly of his own making.

[jksander]

SEASON TEN
1954-55

Coach Information
Name: Rolf “Tex” Kauferhalter
Age / Record: 32 (206-101, .671)
Contract: $219,000 / 5 Years
NCAA Sweet Sixteens: 1 (1950)
NCAA Appearances: 5 (1946-1947, 1949-1951)
NCAA Tourney Record: 4-5 (.444)
NIT Championships: 1 (1948)
NIT Appearances: 1 (1948)
NIT Record: 5-0 (1.000)
CBI Tourney Appearances: 1 (1952)
CBI Tourney Record: 0-1 (.000)
CIT Championships: 1 (1953)
CIT Appearances: 2 (1953-1954)
CIT Record: 5-1 (.833)
Big Ten Coach of the Year: 1 (1953)
Patriot League Titles: 5 (1946-1947, 1949-1951)
Patriot League Tourney Titles: 3 (1946-1947, 1949)
Patriot League Coach of the Year: 4 (1947-1948, 1950-1951)
Reputation: 36% (+1)
Offense: 36% (+2)
Defense: 100% (+3)
Recruiting: 52% (+2)
Scouting: 55% (+2)
Development: 45%

School Information
School: Northwestern Wildcats
Location: Evanston IL
Conference: Big Ten
Arena: Welsh-Ryan Arena (Cap: 8,117)
Budget: $224,175 ($137,984 Assistants / $86,191 Recruiting)
Facilities: C+
Academics: A+ (SAT Min: 1100)
School Prestige: 40% (-4)
Conf. Prestige: 89% (-1)

Job Goals
1. Qualify for the NIT.
2. Finish in the Top Half of the Big Ten.
3. Finish Above .500 For the Year.
4. No Academic Ineligibility.
5. Improve the School’s Prestige.

Recruit Class Ranking: 83rd
Big Ten Rank: 9th

Assistants
AHC: Eric O’Connor (39, $67,500 / 3 years, Rep: 46%, -2) - Recruiting (74%, +3)
2nd: Michael Frazier (61, $51,984 / 3 years, Rep: 19%) - Scouting (30%)
3rd: Clarence Bailey (36, $18,500 / 4 years, Rep: 8%) - Development (20%)

APRIL 30, 1954 . . . The board approved my request for an upgrade to our budget for the season, bumping our overall recruiting budget from $213,500 to $224,175 for the forseeable future. It’s definitely a start! Unfortunately we lost Abel Seals, our third assistant and lead scout, to another assistant position at LSU midway through the hiring phase, so we had to bring in Clarence Bailey, who has never coached and who will take over as our practice assistant. I’ve told Michael Frazier to take over scouting duties effective immediately.

MAY 29, 1954 . . . The fallout from last year’s locker-room dysfunction continues to rain down. We’ve lost four players who are transfering out “looking for teammates they get along with better.” Those players are Matt Eldridge, R.J. Ward, Robinson Johnson and Jason Lewis. Eldridge and Wall are stunners -- I’d never had an ounce of trouble from Wall, and Eldridge had been steadily improving and one of our most improved players down the homestretch of the season. Suddenly this is looking like a season that will be heavily dependent on our incoming freshmen, and we’re going to again lack any kind of significant depth. I’m going to work hard recruiting transfers myself, but otherwise we’re looking at a make or break recruiting year overall if this program’s going to have any chance of competing in the Big Ten over the next few seasons.

JUNE 5, 1954 . . . We have signed two early transfer players so far this spring! 6’0” PG Louis Harley, a solid four star sophomore who transferred out of Illinois after averaging 7.4 points 2.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, is the point guard of our future. He was earning starters minutes at Illinois, but was looking for a more rigorous academic program where he can still get the chance to play. He was ranked 32nd nationally when he was originally recruited, and he is an exceptional athlete with the ability to pass and handle smoothly while scoring on his own if necessary. We also recruited Greg Johnson, a 6’7” forward from Minnesota who never gelled while playing for the Gophers -- he’s also looking for a good academic fit, coming in with a solid 3.2 GPA, and we’re betting on his overall potential more than his ability to be an immediate contributor. Still, he’s got quick hands and is always a stealing threat, and he can shoot well from outside while being a consistent defender.

JUNE 9, 1954 . . . We filled our final two transfer spots today. Wayne Steele, a 6’7” forward and solid four star transfer from Central Connecticut, has a 3.9 GPA and was NEC Freshman of the Year and made the All Conference 2nd Team while averaging 12.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game! He has the potential to be among our top rebounders right out of the gate, and he’s a well conditioned athlete overall with a ton of upside. He’ll fit in nicely with my defensive program. We also recruited another solid four star prospect in Ricardo Demory, a 6’6” forward from Georgia Tech. He averaged 11.4 points 3.8 rebounds and nearly a steal per game while playing for Yellow Jackets, and he’s a sharpshooter from outside with top level athleticism and rebounding skills for his height. While none of these guys will be able to help us this season, I think we’ll boast a lot more depth next year. I am now focused on this fall’s recruiting, searching for three players to fill open scholarship spots so hopefully we can turn the corner and get Northwestern basketball back on track.
 
SEPTEMBER 18, 1954 . . . I’ve had to keep my head down and focused fully on the job and not the consistent buzz of bad press following last year’s meltdown in discipline with the team and the chaos from our massive transfer recruiting round in May. But today we got the first good sign, with Eric Everhart, a 6’4” shooting guard from Lillington, North Carolina, agreeing to come play for us next fall. Everhart has a 4.0 GPA coming out of high school, and has averaged 15.6 points 3.6 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game playing high school ball. He’s a three star recruit ranked #177 nationally, with solid defensive skills to go with high ratings in shooting and scoring both inside and out. He’s also a very capable passer and handler for s non point guard, and he has a ton of upside. I think he’ll fit in nicely as a sixth-man option right away, with potential to quickly become a starter.

SEPTEMBER 25, 1954 . . . For the second time in four seasons we’ve been given a non-conference schedule with zero road games, and though I’ve attempted to get the best schools possible to come play here, we yet again are going to have no idea how we stack up against the doiminant teams in the conference until at least January 6th when we play our first road game (at preseason #12 Illinois to boot). So with 13 of our first 14 games at home it’s going to be critical that we develop team chemistry during these early season games. We’ll need every bit of it when we hit the Big Ten grinder. Here’s the schedule as it stands:

11/16: Iowa State
11/19: Boston College
11/23: Missouri
11/26: Nevada-Las Vegas
11/30: Alabama
12/3: Stanford
12/7: Illinois-Chicago
12/14: La Salle
12/21: Providence

We open the Big Ten with home games against Rutgers (12/26), Iowa (12/30) and Michigan (1/2). We play Illinois twice in January, and we get #1 Wisconsin twice in February -- on the road on the 8th and at home on the 13th. February will be particularly brutal, with the two Wisconsin games plus Michigan State at home and Minnesota on the road. But the Big Ten only has four preseason-ranked teams this year -- #1 Wisconsin, #11 Minnesota, #12 Illinois and #23 Michigan State. So there is at least the perception of a down year coming for the Big Ten, with just a few teams potentially dominating. If we can win out against the others, there’s at least a chance. And we DO have good players returning, it’s just that everyone’s going to have to play hard every night -- there are no easy teams to beat in this conference.

We also got our final commitments in the recruiting wars:

Kyle Love, a 6’1” point guard from Peoria Heights, Illinois, is a four star recruit ranked #121 nationally with a 3.3 GPA. We will have to hope he can meet the 1100 SAT requirements, so I am not closing out recruiting elsewhere just in case, but he’s one of the top ball handlers and passers overall in the region and he really knows how to shoot. His basketball IQ is through the roof, and combined with his grades in high school I think he is fully capable of meeting that SAT requirement. We’ve also signed Camah Dudley, a 6’6” small forward who comes in from Vincennes University where he played JuCo ball for two years. He got his grades up to a 2.5 GPA at Vincennes, and he’s the top athlete overall in our class so far, to go with solid defensive skills, incredible ability to drive and score inside, and a ton of upside for a player with only two years of eligibility. He’ll have to work hard in the classroom to continue bringing those grades up, but I think he’s a kid with the ability to do well here -- he was particularly interested in Northwestern as a place where he COULD focus on his academics and come out with a degree that matters.

Roster
PG - Bryan Waters (6’2” 185 lbs Sr) Wells MN (United South Central HS) 4.0 GPA (3.5/3.5) 5.8 ppg 2.7 rpg 3.3 apg 1.6 spg 0.4 bpg
SG - Ralph Windlan (6’5” 181 lbs So) Talladega AL (Talladega Co. Central HS) 3.9 GPA (2.5/4.0) tranferred from Mississippi
SF - Steve McCullum (6’6” 229 lbs Jr) Riverbank CA (Riverbank HS) 4.0 GPA (4.0/4.0) 5.3 ppg 5.1 rpg 1.1 apg 0.9 spg 1.0 bpg
PF - Adam Watkins (6’9” 242 lbs Sr) Joy IL (Westmer HS) 3.5 GPA (3.0/3.5) 9.7 ppg 5.3 rpg 1.1 apg 0.8 spg 1.0 bpg
C - Dominick McDermott (6’9” 267 lbs Jr) Katonah NY (John Jay HS) 2.5 GPA (4.0/5.0) junior college transfer

6 - Clinton Thorne (6’1” 176 lbs So) Mount Vernon OH (Mount Vernon HS) 3.3 GPA (2.5/4.0) 6.0 ppg 1.8 rpg 2.2 apg 0.9 spg 0.5 bpg
7 - Stromile White (6’3” 216 lbs Fr) Rock Island IL (Alleman HS) 3.6 GPA (4.0/5.0)
8 - Noel Arline (6’7” 203 lbs Fr) Pomeroy OH (Meigs HS) 4.0 GPA (2.0/4.0)
9 - Brian Conway (6’8” 245 lbs Sr) Elmhurst IL (York Community HS) 4.0 GPA (2.5/3.0) 3.6 ppg 3.1 rpg 0.5 apg 0.3 spg 0.6 bpg
10 - Pete Abrams (5’9” 172 lbs So) Miles IL (Notre Dame HS) 3.6 GPA (0.5/0.5) insignificant minutes*
11 - Travis James (6’4” 219 lbs Sr) Richton Park IL (Rich South HS) 4.0 GPA (0.5/0.5) 0.3 ppg 0.1 rpg 0.1 apg*

TR - Lewis Harley (6’0” 185 lbs So) Mendon MI (Mendon HS) 3.2 GPA (4.0/5.0)
TR - Ricardo Demory (6’6” 216 lbs Jr) Claxton GA (Claxton HS) 3.5 GPA (3.5/3.5)
TR - Wayne Steele (6’7” 199 lbs So) Fisherville VA (Wilson Memorial HS) 3.9 GPA (3.5/4.0)
TR - Greg Johnson (6’7” 242 lbs So) Ottawa OH (Ottawa-Glandorf HS) 3.2 GPA (2.0/3.0)
___________
* Walk-on

NOVEMBER 13, 1954 . . . We’re in a good situation with the nine players we have on scholarship, in that they’re all comfortable in their roles. Clinton Thorne will be our primary backup at the point, while freshman Stromile White will get 12-14 minutes per game backing up Windlan and McCullum. Neal Arline isn’t overly concerned about how many minutes he plays, but he’ll be Watkins’ primary backup at power forward, while senior Brian Conway will get any minutes not taken by McDermott. Everyone knows they’ll get to play, and no one looks to be fighting for more of the spotlight than they’re expected to get. This year’s going to be about letting Waters and Watkins lead this team as veterans, helping to give our younger players a better sense of belonging to a whole. And with only nine scholarship players, there’s going to be no room for distractions. Being on this team will mean being willing to put every ounce of energy into building up the team if we want to make any headway this season. But the talent is there, it’s just young and raw.

[jksander]

Code: Select all

Date    Rank   Team                      Score           W/L Record      Key Players
11/16          Iowa State                W 55-54         1-0             D. McDermott (32 pts 14 reb 2 stl) S. White (8 pts 3 reb 1 ast 2 stl)
11/19          Boston College            W 78-58         2-0             D. McDermott (32 pts 18 reb 3 blk) N. Arline (12 pts 2 reb 1 ast)
11/23          Missouri                  W 82-56         3-0             D. McDermott (26 pts 12 reb 1 ast 1 stl) A. Watkins (13 pts 4 reb 4 stl 1 blk)
11/26          Nevada-Las Vegas          W 75-56         4-0             D. McDermott (30 pts 11 reb 6 blk) A. Watkins (13 pts 6 reb)
11/30          Alabama                   W 81-60         5-0             A. Watkins (16 pts 6 reb 2 ast) D. McDermott (12 pts 11 reb 3 blk)

DECEMBER 1, 1954 . . . It’s clear that Dominick McDermott is, by far, our best player this year, and he’s definitely outplaying the three-star level predicted by many of the programs that thankfully overlooked him last year during recruiting. But it’s still unclear whether he’s a big fish playing against a bunch of small pond players right now, or whether he’ll be able to keep up this level of competitive play when he starts playing teams like Wisconsin. Regardless, at the end of November he’s averaged 26.4 PPG 13.2 RPG and 3.2 BPG in the first five games, good for third in the nation for scoring, behind Matt Riley (PG, Georgetown, 26.8 PPG) and Chris Tomey (SF, Florida, 27.8 PPG) and for fourth in rebounding and fifth in blocks. He got into foul trouble against Alabama but the team stepped up to make sure we continued to dominate. But it’s safe to say there’s suddenly a lot of interest in how we’ll shape up against Big Ten competition.

Code: Select all

Date    Rank   Team                      Score           W/L Record      Key Players
12/3           Stanford                  W 76-58         6-0             D. McDermott (15 pts 9 reb 2 stl 1 blk) R. Windlan (14 pts 5 reb 4 ast 1 stl)
12/7    #25    Illinois-Chicago          W 74-61         7-0             D. McDermott (20 pts 17 reb 2 ast 2 stl 2 blk) S. McCullum (11 pts 6 reb 4 ast 1 stl)
12/14          La Salle                  W 79-60         8-0             D. McDermott (28 pts 11 reb 1 blk) A. Watkins (10 pts 7 reb 1 ast 1 stl)
12/21          Providence                L 60-67         8-1             D. McDermott (18 pts 7 reb 1 blk) S. White (12 pts 3 reb 1 blk)

DECEMBER 22, 1954 . . . Dominick McDermott came in with a 2.5 GPA but signed up for Northwestern’s rigorous Journalism program, taking a full load of 15 credits in addition to his already strenuous basketball training schedule and he’s come out with a 3.7 GPA over the semester, proving he fits in here just fine academically. He’s been able to focus specifically on the courses for his major, since he’d gotten all of his other required courses out of the way while playing in junior college, which is letting him focus on what he enjoys. He’s hoping to become a sports reporter in the burgeoning television industry. He’s certainly not shying away from the spotlight so far this season on the court, and he handles himself well in press conferences, so I think he’s found a really good fit.

DECEMBER 25, 1954 . . . The Providence loss was tough to handle, but we are clearly an improved team overall -- we just need to build up confidence when we play teams that are capable of keeping things close and outplaying our bench. Now it’s time to prove we can play improved defense in Big Ten games and get ourselves into the upper half of the standings and potentially make it into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. We haven’t played a tough enough schedule, which is why our NET ranking is only #37 nationally despite an 8-1 start. But our offensive efficiency rating is 104.6 (24th Nationally) and our defensive efficiency rating is 84.7 (33rd Nationally) which puts our NET Efficiency Rating at 19.9, which is in the top 20 overall. We got a taste of being ranked in the AP Poll for a week in December, but we’re not there yet. #2 Wisconsin (11-0, #2 NET), #10 Minnesota (10-1, #15 NET), #14 Illinois (9-1, #27 NET), and #22 Maryland (8-1, #21 NET) are all ranked, and Michigan State (8-1, #39 NET) played a schedule equal to ours and still looks formidable. Indiana (8-1, #113 NET), Ohio State (8-2, #119 NET), Iowa (7-3, #68 NET) and Rutgers (6-4, #86 NET) are also likely to be tough opponents. Only Penn State (3-7, #267 NET) and Nebraska (2-7, #265 NET) look completely down and out, and as we all know based on past seasons, even that’s not a guarantee when it comes to this conference because despite any pre-conference strength of schedule issues, once the conference season starts we’re ALL playing brutal ones.

[jksander]

Code: Select all

Date    Rank   Team                      Score           W/L Record      Key Players
12/26          Rutgers                   W 69-61         9-1 (1-0)       D. McDermott (16 pts 12 reb 2 ast 2 blk) A. Watkins (16 pts 7 reb 2 ast 3 blk)
12/30          Iowa                      W 87-61         10-1 (2-0)      D. McDermott (23 pts 13 reb 1 ast) A. Watkins (20 pts 4 reb 4 ast 2 stl)
1/2            Michigan                  W 77-53         11-1 (3-0)      C. Thorne (21 pts 2 reb 3 ast 1 blk) D. McDermott (17 pts 12 reb 2 stl)
1/6            @ #14 Illinois            W 63-48         12-1 (4-0)      D. McDermott (18 pts 17 reb 3 ast 2 blk) S. McCullum (9 pts 5 reb 2 ast 3 stl)
1/9     #25    Nebraska                  W 86-51         13-1 (5-0)      D. McDermott (30 pts 10 reb 4 ast 3 blk) A. Watkins (18 pts 3 reb 2 blk)
1/13    #25    @ Rutgers                 L 51-58         13-2 (5-1)      D. McDermott (13 pts 11 reb 1 blk) B. Waters (14 pts 4 ast 3 stl)

JANUARY 14, 1955 . . . Midway through January we’re on a 5-1 start to the Big Ten season, tied for second in the conference with #17 Illinois (14-2, 5-1, #12 NET). We have our toughest stretch ahead of us, however, with six of our next ten games on the road, including both Wisconsin games. The Badgers are 18-0 and riding a 58-game winning streak at this point, having risen back to #1 in the nation as the country’s only remaining undefeated program. And I can tell you, we’d love to play spoiler to their insanely dominant run. No one has scored more than 67 points against us all year and we’ve only had six games all year with our opponent scoring 60 or more, and our 57.5 PPG allowed ranks 7th in the nation, while our NET Efficiency rating of 21.2 has moved us into the top ten nationally. Interestingly, we’re 15th in the country in field goal percentage (48.5% from the floor0 and 22nd in the nation for free throw percentage (77.1%) but we’re one of the worst teams in the nation (335th overall) in three point shooting, only hitting 27.9% from beyond the arc.