2/27/1971 Bradley Frosh 105 Notre Dame Frosh 79

[capecod]

44 years ago today

The undefeated Bradley Papooses(14-0) played their final game of the season vs the Notre Dame frosh team at Robertson Memorial Fieldhouse

The game started (as all Frosh games did) at 5:45 pm, prior to the nightcap contest- the BU varsity game vs Chicago St(the final home game for the varsity too)

Most fans usually wander in sometime during the second half of the Frosh contest-coming for the main event- the varsity contest to follow. Not this night. Most fans were in their seats prior to the tipoff of the Frosh contest.

Note: I wrote a very long description of the two frosh teams, their rosters, schedules and of course this game itself.

When I went to submit the post, I had been logged off (Guess I don't type fast enough)....this has happened to me on this site before(sparing you reading from some of my longer posts)

So I will submit this NOW with the hopes that I am still logged on and continue with another post(or two or three below)

[capecod]

Bradley Papooses 105 Notre Dame Frosh 79

The Bradley Papooses came into their final game with a 14-0 record.
The BU frosh had already beaten the Louisville Frosh twice(H & A), St Louis Frosh twice (H & A), Drake frosh, and road wins vs Southern Illinois and most recently Illinois St frosh (83-59)

Notre Dame had a heralded frosh team that had beaten the Michigan frosh, Michigan St and Illinois frosh-all on the road. The Illini game in Champaign having occurred just 7 days earlier w ND winning 99-78.....the Irish frosh had also just beaten the DePaul frosh and an undefeated Marquette frosh-handing their star frosh Marcus Washington his first loss since his junior year of HS(Washington having led his LaGrange team to the Illinois State title with a 31-0 record the previous year

ND had lost to the Purdue frosh on the road and an early season road loss to Marquette(avenged later in the season)

[capecod]

Bradley Papooses 105 Notre Dame Frosh 79

The Bradley Papooses came into their final game with a 14-0 record.
The BU frosh had already beaten the Louisville Frosh twice(H & A), St Louis Frosh twice (H & A), Drake frosh, and road wins vs Southern Illinois and most recently Illinois St frosh (83-59)

Notre Dame had a heralded frosh team that had beaten the Michigan frosh, Michigan St and Illinois frosh-all on the road. The Illini game in Champaign having occurred just 7 days earlier w ND winning 99-78.....the Irish frosh had also just beaten the DePaul frosh and an undefeated Marquette frosh-handing their star frosh Marquis Washington his first loss since his junior year of HS(Washington having led his LaGrange team to the Illinois State title with a 31-0 record the previous year

ND had lost to the Purdue frosh on the road and an early season road loss to Marquette(avenged later in the season)

The Bradley Papooses were led by 6'3 foward Mike Harrell (Shreveport, La)-the leading scorer, defensive and rebound specialist 6'6 C/F Seymour Reed(Lincoln), 6'6 Gil Pacey (Peru, Ind), Dave Klobucher G 6'1 Peoria Manual and Doug Shank G 6'1 (Mt Morris)

Notre Dame's roster had numerous HS AAs- John Shumate 6'9 (who would be a AA in college and a 1st rd NBA draft choice), G John Valibus 6'2 (Miami, Fla) who had scored 25 vs the Illini frosh a week before, John O'Mara F 6'6(Los Angeles, Cal) and two Central Illinois products that Bradley had tried very hard to recruit: Gary Novak 6'7 LaSalle Peru and Ken Wolbeck 6'7 Peoria Spalding

Novak was a HS teammate of BU Papooses reserve guard Doug Pomatto

[Da Coach]

Sorry about the log-off issue. I don't think the problem is coming from our board. It does not log you off automatically, no matter how long you go without activity. I have left my computer on overnight a lot of times, and it will still be logged on the next day. So it must be some setting in your system or internet provider that logs you off after a period of inactivity.

One suggestion- If I do post a long post, I will sometimes highlight and save the text periodically as I enter it so that if something happens, I don't have to start over again. I have done this on other message board too, since various problems can interrupt your connection.

I remember that 1971 freshman game very well. I was there and had a great seat to watch the game.

[capecod]

coontinued

The Bradley Papooses were led by 6'3 foward Mike Harrell (Shreveport, La)-the leading scorer, defensive and rebound specialist 6'6 C/F Seymour Reed(Lincoln), 6'6 Gil Pacey (Peru, Ind), Dave Klobucher G 6'1 Peoria Manual and Doug Shank G 6'1 (Mt Morris)

Notre Dame's roster had numerous HS AAs- John Shumate 6'9 (who would be a AA in college and a 1st rd NBA draft choice), G John Valibus 6'2 (Miami, Fla) who had scored 25 vs the Illini frosh a week before, John O'Mara F 6'6(Los Angeles, Cal) and two Central Illinois products that Bradley had tried very hard to recruit: Gary Novak 6'7 LaSalle Peru and Ken Wolbeck 6'7 Peoria Spalding

Novak was a HS teammate of BU Papooses reserve guard Doug Pomatto

The game itself was no contest(sorry if you read this far down and expected an exciting game-though the home crowd loved it!)

The Papooses jumped to an early lead (perhaps helped on by the large crowd on hand-easily the largest group they had played in front of all year)

At half Bradley led 50-32. Harrell was unstoppable on offense & Reed and Pacey were effective double teaming ND star center Shumate. Klobucher(or maybe in was Shank) shut down high scoring Irish guard Valibus.

The second half looked just like the first. BU Coach Harris cleared his bench with around 2 minutes left. Mike Harrell (who scored 32 pts in the contest) left to a standing ovation-shooting his fist in the air as he jumped off the court to the bench below. Gil Pacey had also had a career night, scoring a season high 19pts and helping Seymour Reed hold John Shumate to single digits(a season low for the 23 pts per game scorer)

The two Central Illinois products were the high scorers for the Irish= Gary Novak 14 pts and Ken Wolbeck 12

The Bradley Papooses finished 15-0
This was the 4th time in the history of the Bradley Freshmen basketball program that a frosh team finished undefeated.

There would only be one more year of Freshmen basketball at BU. in 1972 the NCAA changed the rules and allowed Frosh to play on the varsity-and with it came an end to Freshmen basketball teams at Bradley

[capecod]

The undefeated Bradley Papooses of 1970-71

Mike Harrell 6'3 F Shereport, La (23.6 pts per game)
Seymour Reed 6'6 C/F Lincoln (13.6)
Gil Pacey 6'6 C/F Peru Ind (12.0)
Doug Shank 6'1 G Mt Morris (13.2)
Dave Klobucher 6'1 G Manual (16.4)

Tim Althoff F 6'5 McHenry (9.1)
Doug Pomatto G 6'1 LaSalle Peru (5.3)
Henry Thomas G 5'6 Chicago Harlan (4.3)

EDIT other members of that BU Frosh team

Bruce Blumer G 6'1 St Jacob Ill
Bob McGee G 6'0 Chicago Tilden
Hubert Burks G 5'11 Chicago Calumet
Walt Theus G 6'0 Chicago Harlan
Rich Bowles G 6'1 East Peoria
Bill Wied F 6'6 Forest Park Proviso East

another note: the Bradley Papooses of the previous year (1969-70) had beaten the Notre Dame frosh team of that year at ND (78-52)



Games

Churchill JC 105-40 won (H)
Quincy JC 119-65 won (H)
Lincoln Land CC 122-49 won (H)
Louisville Frosh 97-85 won (A)
Spoon River CC 91-58 won (H)
St Louis Frosh 80-70 won (H)
Drake Frosh 94-58 won (H)
Louisville Frosh 90-77 won (H)
SIU-Edward frosh 108-54 won (H)
St Louis Frosh 69-67 won (A)
S Illinois Frosh 64-51 won (A)
Western Ill Frosh 84-59 (H)
Carl Sandburg CC 111-56 won (H)
Illinois St Frosh 83-59 won (A)
Notre Dame Frosh 105-79 won (H)

[capecod]

the mysterious Sam Puckett

Well, I have already placed too many posts above-so what's another post going to hurt?

sorry to clutter the board-maybe someone will find this of interest...then again......

the mysterious Sam Puckett

why post this in this thread? Because Sam Puckett was a freshman at Notre Dame the season the Irish played at Bradley. But Sam didn't play against the Bradley Papooses, having already quit ND and transferred to Jacksonville

Why mysterious?
Because I never saw him play, yet he is a legend in Chicago
Just 'google' Sam Puckett Hales Franciscan...you'll find plenty to read

Isaiah Thomas said that he picked #11 to wear in HS because that was the number Sam Puckett wore, and Puckett was the best player he ever saw

Another will tell you that Puckett was the best HS player ever in Chicago under 5'10

The first time I ever heard of Puckett was when the Parade AA team came out. I followed Illinois HS BB closely(being a HS senior myself that year).
I expected to see Marcus Washington, Owen Brown, Gary Novak, Ken Wolbeck or Seymour Reed on the Parade AA team. Illinois HS players from the State Tourney. Instead all I saw from Illinois was a player I never heard of- Puckett from Hales Franciscan

Puckett was a legend on the Chicago playgrounds(I believe Dick Vercace use to coach against him), but I grew up in Peoria...never heard of him. Sam and his Hales Francisan teammates played 'off the radar'. Hales was not a member of the ISHA so they didn't play in the Illinois State tourney.

Instead, Puckett and Hales played in the National Catholic HS Tournament.
There, Sam lead his team to the 'National Championship' and Puckett broke Austin Carr's scoring record in the process

A 'by the way' here. The National Catholic HS Tournament was held for many years-the first winner way back in 1924 = Peoria Spalding

Back to Puckett: after leaving Notre Dame, Sam spent a short time at Jacksonville....then Hawaii Hilo(where he averaged 26 pts)...then to the U of Hawaii for his final season....an all too typical shooting star that faded off the radar in time(though the Internet remembers him)

Always played in places off the radar....I would have liked to have seen him play just once

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1997-03-16/sports/9703160322_1_fenwick-oak-park-school-parade-all-american

[tornado]

capecod- at any time if that happens to you again...(and it has happened to me)
just hit the back-page or backspace button and return to the previous page (or click on the back arrow at the top of your browser page)
and almost all computers will re-display that previous page with all the text you had entered - if not, click again and it'll be there!

even if you click ahead a few more pages, you can still almost always re-click the backspace button several times until you get back to the page you were typing and recover all that you had typed.
It has worked for me -

[Da Coach]

That works for many browsers, but not all.

[Chico]

Mike Harrell playing time was shortened during his varsity playing time. One of my all time favorites.

[Vent]

Mike Harrell playing time was shortened during his varsity playing time. One of my all time favorites.

Mike Harrell was a very highly recruited player out of Shreveport, LA. He just never seemed to get much better after his sophomore year. That was a fun bunch of kids to watch. Doug Shank was a human floor burn. Seymour Reed from Lincoln, IL was a tremendous defensive player and nicknamed the Lincoln Continental and the Secretary of Defense. He was also a pretty good leaper. Klobucher was as solid on fundamentals as you could get. Tim Althoff had a brother that played for the Bears.

[capecod]

These teams 4 years later

Mike Harrell was a very highly recruited player out of Shreveport, LA. He just never seemed to get much better after his sophomore year. That was a fun bunch of kids to watch. Doug Shank was a human floor burn. Seymour Reed from Lincoln, IL was a tremendous defensive player and nicknamed the Lincoln Continental and the Secretary of Defense. He was also a pretty good leaper. Klobucher was as solid on fundamentals as you could get. Tim Althoff had a brother that played for the Bears.

As mentioned above, Harrell played a lot as a soph & less as his career went on(passed by a few underclassmen-Mark Dohner and Greg Smith). Seymour Reed was the only member of the BU frosh class of 1970-71 to start all 3 seasons on the BU varsity.

Still, this group as seniors helped the Braves to a 20-8 record and 2nd place in the Commissioners Tourney. Reed, Harrell, Klobucher, Shank and Pomatto were all members of that team.

As for the team the Papooses beat (badly) that evening (the Notre Dame frosh)- as seniors they were ranked #1 in the Nation for awhile after ending UCLA's 88 game winning streak. Both seniors Gary Novak and John Shumate started on that squad (with a little help from a couple of underclassmen & future 1st rd draft choices-Adrian Dantley & Gary Brokaw). Peoria's Ken Wolbeck was also on that squad as a senior that finished 26-3

EDIT:the year before as juniors the ND group finished 2nd in the NIT-losing the championship on a last second shot

The Bradley Papooses really pounded a pretty good team that evening 44 years ago

[Da Coach]

I remember Harrell well. As great a player as he was as a freshman, I think his limited ball-handling skills, and size (about 6'4"), and the fact that Coach Stowell played him full time at the forward position, made it much harder for him to score and defend other bigger forwards.

Harrell was a bright guy, as were nearly all the guys on the team. Mike, as well as Doug Pomatto and Henry Thomas all became successful lawyers. Thomas became a professional sports agent.

Henry Thomas-

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20090817005114/en/Top-Basketball-Agent-Henry-Thomas-Joins-CAA#.VPEbAfnF-So

Mike Harrell is a successful oil & gas lawyer in dallas, texas-

http://www.texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Find_A_Lawyer&template=/Customsource/MemberDirectory/MemberDirectoryDetail.cfm&ContactID=170941

Doug Pomatto-

http://www.heylroyster.com/attorneys/details.cfm?pageID=4&attorneyID=25

Gil Pacey became a PhD. Chemist who had a distinguished career in research and teaching. Unfortunately, he passed away a year ago at the young age of 61-

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/hamilton/obituary.aspx?pid=169444016

Tim Althoff became a very successful businessman, but unfortunately, he also passed away several years ago.

Doug Shank got his degree in business administration, and has been a long time high school business education teacher in Oregon, Illinois, just a few miles from his hometown of Mount Morris. He has also done some coaching.

http://www.zoominfo.com/CachedPage/?archive_id=0&page_id=337224850&page_url=//www.saukvalley.com/276084387781972.bsp&page_last_updated=2002-10-14T19:44:19&firstName=Doug&lastName=Shank

If anyone knows followup on Seymour Reed or any of the other players, let us know.

[Vent]

When that group was sophomores, the Braves were lead in scoring by Sam Simmons and Rich Schultz. Simmons was a prolific shooter from the wing, out of Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was unbelievable at using the backboard on jump shots. Schultz was a genuine power forward/center out of Springfield Lanphier.

The highlight of this group's senior season, was shell shocking they put on the Univeristy of Illinois at the Chicago Stadium 105-88. It cost Illinois coach Harv Schmitt his job. Coach Joe Stowell had his bench cleared early in the game and the Illini were never in it.

[capecod]

Rich Schultz and Sam Simmons

When that group was sophomores, the Braves were lead in scoring by Sam Simmons and Rich Schultz. Simmons was a prolific shooter from the wing, out of Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was unbelievable at using the backboard on jump shots. Schultz was a genuine power forward/center out of Springfield Lanphier.

The highlight of this group's senior season, was shell shocking they put on the Univeristy of Illinois at the Chicago Stadium 105-88. It cost Illinois coach Harv Schmitt his job. Coach Joe Stowell had his bench cleared early in the game and the Illini were never in it.

As was typical of the Braves back then, Rich Schultz spend most of the 1971-72 season playing center at 6'5(averaged 16.1), and Sam Simmons(21.3) sometimes found himself playing forward at 6'3 (the Braves always seem to have to play small)......that team finished 17-9....I no longer remember why Rich Schultz never played on a Bradley frosh team-I believe he was enrolled in school as a frosh-but he didn't play on the 1968-69 Bradley Papooses

EDIT: the 1968-69 Bradley Papooses that played without Rich Schultz were led by Sam Simmons and a 6'2 jumping jack forward from Memphis named Willie Fort (yet another in the collection of BU small jumping jack forwards-Ernie Thompson, Cal Criddle, Lamonia Barksdale) Fort averaged 17.7 pts for the frosh and then proceeded to flunk out of school(as did the 6'2 Barksdale a couple years later)