The greatest basketball team in the history of Rockhurst University did the unthinkable 50 years ago today in Kansas City. The Hawks upset heavily-favored Texas-Pan American to capture the 1964 NAIA national championship before a record crowd of more than 10,000 fans at KC's Municipal Auditorium.
"It was huge playing in front of all of those people. It was really something," said Pat Caldwell, who scored 17 points and collected 10 rebounds in the Hawks' 66-56 victory over the defending NAIA national champions.
Shutting down Pan American's offense was the key to victory, according to Caldwell. The Hawks held the high-powered Broncs to 24 points in the second half. All-American Lucious Jackson, who later played eight seasons for the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, only scored 11 points on five-of-14 shooting.
"I played the best defensive game I had ever played. I was fresh in the second half and guarded Lucious Jackson. I believe he only scored one basket in the second half," said Caldwell, who was a sophomore center in 1963-64.
Rockhurst head coach Joe Brehmer held Caldwell out of the starting lineup for the first time that season in the championship game. Brehmer went with a smaller and quicker lineup hoping to tire out the Broncs. The Hawks, who trailed 32-29 at halftime, wore down Pan American in the second half with the help of their strong bench play.
Dick Hennier was one of eight seniors who played for Rockhurst in 1963-64. He remembers going into the tournament without a lot of expectations. "We treated each game as something that just happened," said Hennier, who also scored 17 points in the championship game. "We didn't have a lot of anxiety. It was kind of a, 'Golly, how did this happen kind of mystical feeling.' It didn't sink in until later after you looked back on it."
Hennier hit the biggest shot of the tournament in a second-round game. His 30-foot shot at the buzzer gave the Hawks a 76-74 win over Indiana Central. The Hawks went on to defeat St. Mary's of Texas (59-54) in the quarterfinals and Emporia State (66-61) in the semifinals to reach the championship game. Rockhurst opened the tournament with a 77-70 win over Eastern Montana.
"We weren't real close off the court, but we had a lot of respect for each other," said Hennier, who played two seasons at Rockhurst after transferring from Spring Hill (Ala.) College. "Everyone on that team went on to get a graduate degree or law degree. Everyone was as successful in life as they were in basketball."
Hennier of Dalton, Ga., and Caldwell of Kennedyville, Md., will be returning to Kansas City for the 50-year anniversary of the 1964 championship team and "Rockhurst Men's Basketball Celebration" on March 23-24. The team will be honored at halftime of the first semifinal game at the NAIA Tournament on Monday, March 24 at Municipal Auditorium.
"I am looking forward at coming back and seeing my former teammates. It was a really special period and what it meant to the city with all of the notoriety," said Caldwell, who is the all-time leading scorer (2,334 points) and rebounder (1,113 caroms) in school history.
The rest of the 1963-64 team included senior guard Ralph Telken, senior forward Harry Witte, senior forward Jim Selzer, senior guard Dennis Rabbitt, senior guard Tom Fisher, senior forward Walt Tylicki, junior guard Chuck Dunlap, junior guard Rich Grawer, junior forward Joel Frisch and sophomore center Al Payne. Telken and Selzer were the co-captains of the team. Telken won the NAIA Tournament's Charles Stevenson Award.
Tylicki, who passed away in 2006, is the only deceased member of the team. The Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association named an award in Tylicki's memory that recognizes longtime educators and coaches who have devoted an entire career to helping people become better athletes and students.
