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Draft:GOLDEN AGE OF WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSIITY BASKETBALL

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West Virginia's Golden Age of Basketball refers to a period of 17 consecutive years between 1946 and 1963 when the West Virginia Mountaineers were considered to be a national powerhouse in men's college basketball. Throughout this era, the Mountaineers scheduled nationally prominent teams and routinely beat them. During this time, the Mountaineers made numerous appearances in the NIT and NCCA Basketball Tournament, and won numerous Southern Conference championships. Although the Mountaineers never won a national championship, they came within one point in the 1959 NCAA finals, losing 70 - 71 to the California Bears. [1]

Head coaches of Golden Age era (chronological): Lee Patton, Red Brown, Fred Schaus, George King.[2]

WVU Hall of Fame basketball players of Golden Age era: [3]

  • UNDER SCHAUS: Pete White (from Brown), Jerry West, Willie Akers, Bucky Bolyard, Hot Rod Hundley, Lee Patrone, Ronnie Retton, Lloyd Sharrar, Don Vincent.
  • UNDER KING: Lee Patrone (from Schaus), Rod Thorn, Gale Catlett, Tom Lowrey, Jim McCormick.


ABOUT LEE PATTON PERIOD: WVU's Golden Age of Basketball began when legendary coach Lee Patton took over as head coach in the 1945 – 1946 school year and lit the fire. That first season, the Mountaineers achieved a 88.9% win/loss record, and the WVU Fieldhouse became notoriously fearsome for opponents,

His teams went on to achieve an overall 86.% record for his first three seasons, and 83.7% for his four complete seasons. Patton's overall win/loss percentage was 77.8% when his career ended during his fifth season (on February 14,1950 when he was mortally injured in a car crash). Patton's overall record remains unsurpassed by any WVU basketball coach except for Fred Schaus. Patton's record of 57 consecutive home wins remains unbroken. [4]

ABOUT RED BROWN PERIOD: The Golden Age era continued with Patton's successor, Red Brown, who maintained a overall 69.2% win/loss record for the four complete seasons he served as head coach (1950/51 to 1953/54). [5]

ABOUT FRED SCHAUS PERIOD: The Golden Age continued under coach Fred Schaus (1954/55 to 1959/60) who amassed an overall 79.8% record. [6]

ABOUT GEORGE KING PERIOD: The Golden Age continued under coach George King (1960/61 to 1963/64) who amassed an overall 79.8% record. The Golden Age did not end abruptly, yet many agree that this era wrapped up when Rod Thorn concluded his illustrious career under Coach King in 1963. [7]





References

[edit]
  1. ^ "1947-48 Men's Basketball Schedule". West Virginia University Athletics. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  2. ^ "1945-46 Men's Basketball Roster". West Virginia University Athletics. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  3. ^ "WVU Sports Hall of Fame". West Virginia University Athletics. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  4. ^ "Lee Patton (2004) - WVU Sports Hall of Fame". West Virginia University Athletics. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  5. ^ "Robert "Red" Brown (1991) - WVU Sports Hall of Fame". West Virginia University Athletics. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  6. ^ "Fred Schaus (1992) - WVU Sports Hall of Fame". West Virginia University Athletics. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  7. ^ "George King (2014) - WVU Sports Hall of Fame". West Virginia University Athletics. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
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