USA BASKETBALL HISTORY
USA MEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM 1952 RESULTS
HELSINKI, FINLAND • JULY 14-AUGUST 2, 1952
For the first time since 1912, the Soviet Union elected to send selected athletes and teams to the Olympics. With the U.S. engaged in a bitter cold war struggle against the USSR, an American-Soviet Union match-up was viewed as exciting and politically important. The U.S. Olympic Committee had also modified its format for the selection of the U.S. team. Invited to the trials were the NCAA winner and runner-up, the champions of the NAIB (predecessor of the NAIA), the top four AAU teams and the winner of the National Invitational Tour- nament. In the end, the 14-member USA team was made up by seven University of Kansas team members, five members of the AAU Peoria Caterpillars and two Phillips 66ers. Opening versus Hungary, the Americans behind Dan Pippin’s 13 points, secured a 66-48 victory. Czechoslovakia fell the following day 72-47 as Robert Kurland led the U.S. with 14 points. The U.S. struggled before disposing of Uruguay 57-44 as Kurland scored 21 points. With both teams undefeated, for the first time in Olympic history the Americans met the Soviets in their first quarterfinal game. In the highly aggres- sive and physical battle that saw six Americans and four Soviet players foul out, the U.S. crushed the Soviets 86-58 as Kurland scored 15 and Robert Kenny and Clyde Lovellette added 14 points each. With Lovellette erupting for 25 points, Chile was overrun by the U.S., 103-55. Brazil gave the U.S. men a scare. Trailing 26-24 at half, the U.S. rallied to claim a 57-53 win, then, thanks to a 27-point performance by Lovellette, the U.S. managed to slip past Argentina 85-76 and earn a trip to the Olympic finals. The USSR, learning from its earlier loss, stuck to a strategy of tight defense and a full court stall. After 10 minutes the U.S. led 4-3. Just prior to halftime the U.S. managed a basket and grabbed a 17-15 halftime lead. The U.S. foiled the Soviet Union’s upset attempt by shooting well from the outside. After pulling ahead by nine, the U.S. began its own stall causing one distraught Soviet player to stage a temporary sit-down strike at midcourt. The Americans eventually went on to win, 36-25. Lovellette led the USA offense with nine points.
1952 USA MEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM ROSTER
1952 USA RESULTS (8-0)
NAME
POS HGT WGT AGE AFFILIATION (SCHOOL)
HOMETOWN
Hungary
W, 66-48 W, 72-47 W, 57-44 W, 86-58 W, 103-55 W, 57-53 W, 85-76 W, 36-25
Czechoslovakia
Ronald Bontemps Marcus Freiberger Wayne Glasgow
G C
6-2
175 215 190 185 180 185 165 185 220 180 230 225 170 168
25 23 26 20 22 23 20 21 27 22 22 25 25 24
Peoria Caterpillars (Illinois) Peoria Caterpillars (Oklahoma) Phillips 66ers (Oklahoma)
Taylorville, IL Greenville, TX Bartlesville, OK
6-11 6-3 6-2 6-4 6-3 5-11 6-2 7-0 6-5 6-9 6-8 6-1 6-0
Uruguay
G/F G/F
Soviet Union
Charles Hoag
University of Kansas University of Kansas University of Kansas University of Kansas University of Kansas University of Kansas University of Kansas
Topeka, KS Wichita, KS
Chile Brazil
William Hougland
G
John Keller
G/F
Great Bend, KS McCune, KS Winfield, KS Batlesville, KS Newton, KS Terre Haute, IN Grand Rapids, MI Waynesville, MO New Ross, IN
Melvin ‘Dean’ Kelley
G G C
Argentina
Bob Kenney Robert Kurland Bill Lienhard Clyde Lovellette Frank McCabe
Soviet Union
Phillips 66ers (Oklahoma State)
F F F
FINAL STANDINGS
Peoria Caterpillars (Marquette) Peoria Caterpillars (Missouri) Peoria Caterpillars (Purdue)
Dan Pippin
G G
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
United States (8-0) Soviet Union (6-2)
Howard Williams
HEAD COACH: Warren Womble, Peoria Caterpillars (Peoria, IL) ASSISTANT COACH: Forrest (Phog) Allen, University of Kansas MANAGER: Howard Hobson, University of Oregon ASSISTANT MANAGER: James Coogan, New Haven, Connecticut ATHLETIC TRAINER: Eddie Zanzaai, Princeton University
Uruguay (5-3) France (5-3)
Chile (4-4) Brazil (4-4)
Bulgaria (4-4) France (4-4) Canada (3-3)
1952 USA MEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM CUMULATIVE STATISTICS
9.
NAME
G
FGM-A
PCT
FTM-A
PCT
PF
PTS
10. Cuba (1-4) 11. Czechoslovakia (1-2) 12. Egypt (3-3)
Lovellette
7 7 7 8 8 7 8 6 4 8 6 7 2 6 8 8
39- 27- 24- 16- 23- 15- 20- 10-
21- 26 22- 28 19- 26 25- 28 10- 14 14- 18 8- 15
.808 .786 .731 .893 .714 .778 .533 .750 .556 .667 .667 1.000 1.000 .400 .750 .680
21 14 19 11 18 25 19 17 12 15 13 13
99/ 14.1 76/ 10.9 67/ 9.6 57/ 7.1 56/ 7.0 44/ 6.3 48/ 6.0 27/ 4.5 16/ 4.0 27/ 3.4 18/ 3.0 20/ 2.9 3/ 1.5 4/ 0.7
Kenney Kurland
13. Finland (0-3) 14. Hungary (2-4) 15. Mexico (1-2) 16. Philippines (3-2)
Bontemps
Pippin
Freiberger Hougland Glasgow Lienhard Williams McCabe
7- 7 6- 8 5- 9 6- 9 4- 6 1- 1 2- 5
5-
11-
6- 8- 1- 1-
Hoag Keller Kelley USA OPP.
1
10
206- 118-
150-200 170-250
208 180
562/ 70.3 406/ 50.8
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