1963-64 Men's Basketball Team (2022) - Hall of Fame

1963-64 Men's Basketball Team

Induction:
2022

Making just the second postseason appearance in school history, the State College of Iowa men's basketball season of 1963-64 was one of record breaking success, highlighted by the deepest postseason run in history of the program. Under the leadership of second year head coach Norm Stewart, SCI opened the 1963-64 season winning its first 10 games, including a 59-54 win over Iowa State. The Panthers finished the regular season with a 20-2 record, and 11-1 mark to win the North Central Conference championship.

Pete Spoden earned AP First Team All-American honors, while guard Duane Josephson and forward Ron Jessen both were selected with all-Conference recognition. Hosting the Midwest Regional of the NCAA Division Championship, the Panthers defeated Washington University (Missouri) and Mankato State to clinch the regional title and advance to the Elite Eight in Evansville, Indiana. Led by Josephson's 28 points, SCI reached the Final Four with a 93-85 win over Southeast Missouri State.

The Panthers would fall to the host and eventual national champion Evansville Purple Aces in the Final Four, and finished fourth in the tournament after falling to North Carolina A&T in the third-place game. Josephson led UNI with 16.8 points per game on the year, as Jessen shot 50% overall from the field. Craig Kneppe, who would go on to be named the NCC Player of the Year and earn AP All-American Honorable Mention recognition the following season, led the Panthers with 8.6 rebounds per game, and a 75.8% mark at the free throw line.

PLAYERS: Harry Daniels, Gene Fuelling, Ivan Gilbert, Larry Goodrich, Don Hein, Ronald Jessen, Duane Josephspn, Herb Justmann, Craig Kneppe, Richard Lowe, Dan McCleary, Jerry McColley, Charles Nolting, Dennis Przychodzin, Barry Remington, Lyle Schwarzenbach, Pete Spoden

HEAD COACH: Norm Stewart