Temple University Athletics
Temple To Celebrate 50th Anniversary Of First Final Four Team
12.22.06 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 22, 2006
PHILADELPHIA - Temple University will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of its first Final Four team at halftime of the Owls game against Lafayette on Thursday, December 28. All 11 living members of the 1955-56 team will be in attendance at the game, including 1956 Final Four Most Valuable Player, Hal Lear.
"This was arguably the greatest team in the history of Temple basketball and we are excited that all of the members are able to make the ceremony," said Director of Athletics Bill Bradshaw.
Under the direction of the Hall of Fame coach Harry Litwack, the Owls opened the 1955-56 campaign with 13 straight wins, including a 73-61 victory at second-ranked Kentucky on December 10. The Owls ended the regular season 23-3 with a late-season 77-68 loss to Saint Joseph's denying Litwack's charges of the inaugural Philadelphia Big 5 title.
Ranked 13th nationally, Temple opened the NCAA Tournament with a nail-biting 74-72 win over #12 Holy Cross. The Owls then dispatched Connecticut and Canisius to earn their first trip to the Final Four. In the win over UConn, Fred Cohen pulled down 34 rebounds, a single-game NCAA Tournament record that still stands to this day.
An 83-76 loss to fifth-ranked Iowa ended the Owls hopes of a National Championship, but Lear would end his career with one of the finest individual performances in Temple history. The All-America guard torched eighth-ranked SMU for 48 points to lead the Owls to a 90-81 win and third place in the tourney. Lear, who teamed with sophomore point guard Guy Rodgers to make up the best back court in Philadelphia college basketball history, ended the season with 745 points, a Temple single-season record.
Joining Lear and Cohen at the 50th Anniversary festivities will be team members Jay Norman, Hotsy Reinfeld, Dan Fleming, John Granozio, Leon Smith, Fred Dobisch, Mel Brodsky, Bill Smith and Bernie Osherow. Team managers Charles Hulet and Frank Walker will also be honored as will Sports Information Director Al Shrier, who is currently in his 54th year as a member of the Temple University Athletics staff.
Individual game tickets for Temple Men's and Women's Basketball are available by calling 1-800-298-4200 or by logging on to www.comcastTIX.com.
