Short History Lesson - 1950

[Stryker]

I've been medicating my depression from no March Madness via youtube videos on college basketball. I came across a short video today. The video covers the 1950 point shaving scandal that several players on CCNY's team were a part of. Many younger fans like myself may enjoy learning a bit more about this as gambling seems to be making a comeback recently, at least in professional sports:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggexXxBCGZI

CCNY was the NCAA & NIT tournament champions that year, while Bradley was the runner up in both tournaments. The point shaving scandal absolutely destroyed the CCNY basketball program and it turned into an irrelevant program almost overnight. While Bradley was implicated in the scandal I don't recall how much it impacted the program (Not much based on a lot of success in the program the following year and later over the next 15 years) or if any players on Bradley were implicated.

I also recently watched a 30 for 30 ESPN film titled Requiem for the Big East. In that film they mention how there was a period of time of over 30 years when no college basketball was played at Madison Square Garden in NY City. This occurred mostly because CCNY was permanently banned from playing at the Garden and the point shaving scandal put such a tarnish on college basketball in NY that no one thought to even try to play games at the Garden until the Big East decided to move their conference tournament there in the 1980s.

It is just incredibly interesting how big of an impact the fallout from this scandal had on college basketball, especially in the northeast.

I was a student during the sweet 16' run in 06' and I remember my dad offering to pay for me to go to Madison Square Garden if Bradley got that far in the NIT in 07' after they beat Providence. I've always wanted to see a college basketball game there.

Other Note: The last time we had no college basketball postseason was 1943-1945 due to WWII. Those players gave up a lot more than today's players, as there wasn't even a season, let alone a post season.

Edit: I also found this older documentary on CCNY and the scandal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8JOYJTWzr4

[Da Coach]

... While Bradley was implicated in the scandal I don't recall how much it impacted the program (Not much based on a lot of success in the program the following year and later over the next 15 years) or if any players on Bradley were implicated.

Bradley was implicated, but to a lesser degree than was CCNY. But there were several other colleges involved. In all, 32 players from seven different colleges who fixed 86 games between 1947 and 1950 were arrested in the point-shaving scheme.


Bradley players from the 1950-51 season Gene Melchiorre, Bill Mann, Bud Grover, Aaron Preece and Jim Kelly admitted to taking bribes from gamblers to hold down scores against St. Joseph's in Philadelphia in 1951 and against Oregon State in Chicago. Two other Bradley players were later implicated- Mike Chianakas and Fred Schlictman. Only 3 players were indicted- Melchiorre, Mann, and Chianakis, and no charges were pursued against Grover, Preece, Kelly, and Schlictman.
In early October, 1951 Melchiorre, Mann and Chianakas pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in New York. Though they faced up to three years in jail, the assistant District Attorney Vincent A.J. O'Connor praised the threesome for their cooperation, and they were given a suspended sentence.

Here is a pretty good summary of the point-shaving scandal-
https://www.espn.com/classic/s/baske...explosion.html

CCNY deemphasized its athletic program and dropped down to what is now Division III. LIU shut down its entire athletic program from 1951 to 1957, and did not return to Division I until the 1980s. Kentucky was forced to cancel their 1952-53 season. Bradley got away relatively unscathed, and only the guilty players were punished by banning them from playing again.

[Stryker]

Thanks for the additional information Coach!

[houstonbrave]

One other note on the scandal was that Gene Melchiorre (Squeeky) was the first player taken in the 1951 NBA draft by Baltimore but the NBA blocked him from ever playing in the NBA due to his involvement.

[Mikovio]

The NIT was held at Madison Square Garden every year. It's the NCAA Final Four which avoided New York for 46 years --returning in 1996, in which coincidentally Bradley played.

[bradleyfan124]

This is ironic!! The NCAA does not want to go to New York because of corruption. Look who is calling the kettle black. How fast can you say Bill Self and Kansas or how about Rick Pitino and Louisville?

[Tommy]

This is ironic!! The NCAA does not want to go to New York because of corruption. Look who is calling the kettle black. How fast can you say Bill Self and Kansas or how about Rick Pitino and Louisville?

hahahahah! Classic, and so true!

[Chico]

Starting during the Versace era we used to go to many Bradley games on the road. My favorite all time game, besides the NIT Championship game against Purdue, was the game at Drake when Jim Les threw an inbounds pass which Hersey caught in mid air and put it in just as the clock went off for the win. Hersey made a last second shot from near mid court. 2 nights later at Dayton for another win. The Hawk is my favorite all time basketball player. Great guy and a great player.

[PhiAlphaBoy]

One other note on the scandal was that Gene Melchiorre (Squeeky) was the first player taken in the 1951 NBA draft by Baltimore but the NBA blocked him from ever playing in the NBA due to his involvement.

I work with a guy in his 80s and from New York who said Squeaky was the best player he ever saw.