M. Hoops marches to first Ivy title in '66

Lyndon Johnson. The Beatles. The Vietnam War. Thirty-two years ago today, with these people and events in the public eye, Penn began a weekend series against the Columbia Lions at the Palestra that propelled them into the top of the league standings. A couple weeks later, and 12 years after the establishment of the Ivy League in 1954, the Pennsylvania men's basketball team finally ended the season conference champs. After six consecutive years of second or third place finishes, the '65-'66 squad put together one remarkable season. Under the guidance of coach Jack McCloskey, who would leave after the season and eventually become coach of the NBA's Portland Trailblazers from '72-'74, the Quakers ended the season 19-6 with a 12-2 league record. Against the Lions, Penn was fueled by a strong start from junior Frank Burgess and third-year letterman senior Chuck Fitzgerald, who each had seven points in the first 10 minutes. This helped to offset the poor shooting night from senior star Stan Pawlak, who ended the half having shot only 1 of 9 from the field. The 6'3'' Pawlak recovered in the second half to finish with 13 points and 12 rebounds. For Pawlak, a third-year letterman and co-captain, the low point total was an aberration. He finished the year with 579 points and a 23.2 points per game average, ranking him second highest in Penn season scoring history. Contributions also came from senior John Hellings and junior sub W. Tom Mallison. The other co-captain, Jeff Neuman, poured in 17 points. Later in the year Neuman was drafted by Baltimore in the sixth round of the NBA draft. Neuman was also named the team's MVP at season's end. Penn's 67-58 victory placed them atop the standings with a 10-1 Ivy record, followed by Columbia at 9-2, with Cornell and Princeton tied for third at 8-3. Penn's previous loss had come at Princeton and they also lost their final away game against Cornell on Feb. 26. The first place finish wasn't mere luck. Pawlak left Penn ranked fifth on Penn's career scoring list with 1501 points and a 20.3 average. Penn averaged 76.2 points and held their opponents to 63.1. Although the smaller NCAA tournament didn't guarantee automatic entry and the Quakers remained home for post-season play, their place in history is secure establishing the mark repeated by subsequent men's basketball teams.