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Georgetown Basketball History: Historical Narrative A narrative of the season-by-season story of Georgetown University is part of this historical project. Below is a work in progress on this narrative. | |
| 1911-12 | Coach / Roster / Statistics / Schedule |
The era of Maurice Joyce may have passed in the fall of 1911, but his replacement was quite able to continue Mr. Joyce's winning tradition. The University selected James Colliflower (C'06, L'10), a three year starter from 1907 through 1910, to coach the team. With leading scorer Frank Schlosser back for one more year, hopes were high that the Blue and Gray could continue their winning ways in the absence of the team's founder. Colliflower's family came to Washington in the 1880's from western Maryland to build the family's thriving coal business. With federal Washington dependent on coal to heat buildings, the Colliflower Fuel Company was a local power supplier well into the mid-20th century. In fact, a train still delivered coal into lower Georgetown for coal-powered federal buildings once a week well into the 1980's. Sports were a family interest as well. James' father, William F. Colliflower, was a frequent official at area sporting events. James' brother George was a Georgetown alumnus and also referred games. James received his undergraduate degree in 1906, his law degree in 1910. Settling after school to a home on the corner of 37th and Reservoir Road, Colliflower tended to his coal interests while assisting as head coach at the Hilltop. Colliflower welcomed a veteran crew to continue the team's success, chief among them Frank Schlosser. He continued the varsity's practice of a game or two on campus, with the majority of games still off-campus. Opening the season for the first time at Ryan Gym, the Hilltoppers dispatched Baltimore Medical College, 28-11, behind Frank Schlosser's 14 points. But for Georgetown's next game versus St. John's College on Dec.16, 1911, there was a "dispatching" problem of another kind. Shortly before tipoff on the night of the 16th, as Georgetown prepared to meet its Annapolis rivals for the first time on Washington soil, St. John's telegraphed the Hilltop that they would not be able to come to the game. (While such a last minute cancellation would certainly be a shock in today's game, the non-availability of travel and/or the meager funds available to intercollegiate basketball made such cancellations altogether common.) Hoping not to disappoint the crowd, a game was quickly arranged with a squad known as the "All-Collegians", or "College All-Stars". The All-Stars were not an out of town team, but members of Georgetown's undergraduate College. The roots for this name undoubtedly stretch to the "Collegians" team of 1909, but it is unclear whether this was strictly an intramural aggregation versus an organized squad. In any event, the match drew a big campus turnout and was a grudge match of sorts, owing that many of the College's finer athletes (including 1911 varsity men Roy Waldron and Bill Martin) were passed over for those in the professional schools when the selection of the varsity was made. The Varsity took a comfortable 14-10 lead into halftime of this game, but the scrappy All- Stars gave the experienced Hilltoppers quite a game in the final period. Led by an eight point run by Martin late in the game, the score was deadlocked at 24-all at the end of regulation, and five minutes later the Varsity had been humbled, 31-28. Schlosser led a lackluster Varsity squad with 20 of his team's 28 points, while the starting five of Bill Martin, Roy Waldron, Billy Cogan, James Fury, and Dutch Lamberton (all of whom would later join or rejoin the Varsity) led a truly "all-star" performance. With the exception of a game with a club team from the medical School in 1918, this is the only intercollegiate game in Georgetown annals featuring both teams from the same University. A loss to NYU at the Arcade Rink further complicated things for the Hilltoppers, 15-6, as the new year arrived. But as the holiday passed, Colliflower's men began to come together. Maryland was defeated, 30-13, in the first meeting between the two schools since the 58-3 rout of December 1907. A well respected unit from Loyola was next, and their bid to capture local basketball honors fell just short min a 20-18 overtime win for the Blue and Gray. A pair of losses soon interrupted the Georgetown record. St. John's of Brooklyn (before they moved to Queens) made its first visit to Washington and prevailed, 34-17, while a Georgetown road trip to New York resulted in only one game--a loss-- at the hands of Army, 28-13. The game was notable in local press accounts for a career low of two field goals for Frank Schlosser. Sporting a mediocre 3-4 mark nearing the midpoint of the season, Colliflower found a workable solution to the Hilltoppers' offensive woes in the same group that was responsible for the team's first loss: the men of the College. Calling up five members of the College All-Stars to the roster, Colliflower showcased a little of the new and the old in a critical clash with Virginia in mid- January of 1912. Before a vociferous Arcade Rink crowd, Georgetown evened its season mark and gained some bragging rights in its 35-16 win over the boys from Charlottesville. The key was Ronayne (Roy) Waldron, late of the All-Stars, who took over for forward Lemoyne Graham to pour in 17 of the Hilltoppers' 35 points in the contest. But while a new face controlled the offense, an older one helped with ball control and expert defense for the rejuvenated Hilltoppers: his brother, George Colliflower. Despite being 10 years removed from his graduation from the College, the elder Colliflower had an extra year of remaining from his eligibility as a law student from 1908-1911. For George, who later became a head coach at george washington, the Virginia game earned him the dual distinction of being the oldest college athlete in the University's history, and the only player to play under a coach who was his younger brother. Next for Georgetown was a basketball game versus Catholic University, but it might have been more appropriate to call it a prize fight. 41 fouls and an assorted donnybrook later, Georgetown prevailed, 29-17. The Washington Post of Feb. 12, 1912 recounted: "In fact, [the play] got so warm that [Georgetown's] Foley and [Catholic's] McDonnell were ordered to the bench about the middle of the second period for furnishing an added attraction: a bout of short duration." Foul shooting was the difference in this contest--with GU hitting seven of nine versus CU's one of eleven. Two nights later, again at Arcade Rink, the Blue and Gray handled Dickinson College, 29-25, in a hard-fought exchange between the clubs. George Colliflower continued his fine play with 12 points, but another Colliflower find from the ranks of the College--guard Gene Whalen-- added eight points late in the game to seal the win. Winners of three straight, the confident Hilltoppers traveled to Charlottesville, Va. to meet a Virginia team they had soundly beaten two weeks earlier. But to everyone's surprise, the Wahoos ambushed the Blue and Gray, building up a 19-2 halftime lead en route to a 34-12 upset. Future Baseball Hall of Famer Eppa Rixey led the 'Hoos with 18 points. Continued troubles for the 1912 Hilltoppers lay waiting at Annapolis, where due to a scheduling conflict, two games were scheduled in one day. In the morning encounter, Navy took its third straight over the Hilltoppers, 40-20, while holding Schlosser without a field goal the entire contest. The Hilltoppers made haste to return to Washington that afternoon, where a team from Franklin & Marshall were waiting. Georgetown held off a 20-4 rally by the Statesmen late in the game, turning a comfortable 29-11 Georgetown lead into a 33-31 near upset at the hands of the Pennsylvanians. The win over F&M saved Georgetown's chances of competing for South Atlantic Association honors, as Georgetown, Virginia and Washington and Lee were considered prime contenders. W&L was taken handily, 23-11, before a spirited home crowd at the Arcade. Later that week, before the largest crowd (over 1,000) since the Convention Hall days, the Blue and Gray held off a stubborn Virginia five, 21-16. The game earned Georgetown their third South Atlantic crown in the last five years. Following the game, three home games were then added to the schedule of the Hilltoppers, perhaps to please the fans' wishes to see their championship team. Unfortunately, the G-men could do no better than a split, defeating Pitt 21-17 while falling to Bucknell, 41-32. The final home game of the season was canceled by Catholic University over a scheduling dispute. Overall, the 1911-1912 Hilltoppers finished 11-7, while posting a fine 11-4 mark at Ryan Gym and the Arcade Rink. Following the South Atlantic title, the program graduated its scoring leader in Frank Schlosser. Schlosser, a four year standout who led the team in scoring since his first game with the Blue and Gray in 1908, concluded his final season with 183 points for a career total of 624 points in 55 games. In the pre-World War II history of the Hoyas, he ranks second among all players for most points scored, and fourth in terms of scoring average. His 247 points in 1910-1911 was a scoring record that stood for 31 years, and his contributions to the early days of Georgetown basketball have certainly stood the test of time. | |
| 1912-13 | Coach / Roster / Statistics / Schedule |
Armed with a successful 11-7 mark in James Colliflower's first year at the helm, the 1912-1913 season was one of great anticipation and promise for local fans. Manager James Madigan's 27 game schedule was the lengthiest schedule yet seen in local circles, with Georgetown to meet opponents ranging from one coast (Navy) to another (Oregon State). Numerous cancellations reduced the schedule to an average sized campaign for schools of this day, but it was clear that Georgetown was determined to meet the finest possible competition in the new season. The starting five also featured a blend of promise and experience. Captain Roy Waldron assumed the scoring and team leadership vacated by the graduated Frank Schlosser. Bill Martin would be back for a final year, adding depth and experience. High hopes were placed on first year men Bill Campbell at center, Harry (King) Kelly at guard, and Kelly Wetzell at the other guard. The Blue and Gray opened the season with a pair of victories, topping Maryland State of College Park (another division of what is known today as the University of Maryland), 20-18, and St. Joseph's, 44-14. But upon traveling north towards New York, GU was upset by Loyola, 33-16, one of the few victories the Baltimore school would claim over the Blue and Gray in the sixty-plus years of that rivalry. The annual New York road trip had for years been a source of frustration and disappointment to the club, as any claims of Georgetown's championship caliber nationally were ignored after dispiriting to New York-area teams. Facing St. John's, the Hilltoppers turned in their first Gotham-area win since 1908, surprising the Redmen, 29-16. Similar good fortunes were had against NYU, 16-4, as the Violets were held without a field goal the entire game. Only four free throws prevented a shutout, as Georgetown's defense set a record for fewest points that will never ne equalled. The game was the first "sweep" of New York area teams in the program's history, and the last such sweep until 1943. Returning to Washington with a surprising 3-1 record, the Hilltoppers met their toughest test of the season in Princeton. "Old Nassau" promptly defeated the G-men, 34- 22, which led off a five game homestand in January 1913 with decidedly mixed results. The Blue and Gray overcame VMI 26-11 before losses to Virginia (22-16) and Pitt (32-26), the first two back-to-back home court losses in the team's seven years of intercollegiate play. The homestand was salvaged in a 33-14 walloping over Duke University's predecessor school, Trinity College. Trinity, who suffered on the road as much as Georgetown, arrived in Washington after a horrifying 90-15 loss to Washington and Lee at Lexington, so a 19 point loss was certainly more respectable. Throughout the season, the emerging play of Waldron and Campbell was consistent and noteworthy. Campbell, in his first year with the team, became known as one of the South's finer centers, handling opponent after opponent with skill and finesse. Waldron continued to score when it counted, leading the team in difficult situations. Unfortunately, neither could avert the massacre of February 22, 1913. The perpetrators were, as can be guessed, the United States Naval Academy, the great nemesis of Georgetown basketball during the first half century of the program. Before a large crowd at Dahlgren Hall, Navy handed the Blue and Gray what remains to this day the worst defeat ever suffered by a Georgetown team: Navy 67, GU 18--a margin of forty-nine points. In spite of this setback, Georgetown returned to form to capture the final four games of the season. Virginia was upended, 22-16, behind the work of Bill Campbell and Jack Martin, brother of the sidelined veteran Bill Martin. The Virginia clash was the last regularly scheduled contest between the two schools, as a melee during the 1913 Georgetown-Virginia football game ended all athletic relations between the two schools. Returning to regular coverage of the team after a two year absence the College Journal lamented a now-familiar criticism of Georgetown "home away from court" sites: the lack of any college atmosphere. Wrote the College Journal after the Virginia clash: "The Blue and Gray did not have the least advantage over its opponents...from the fact that it uses the Arcade when playing its games, [and] does all of its practicing at Ryan Gym. To a visiting team the Arcade is one of the best floor in the South, as the advantage given the home team is so slight." However slight, the Hilltoppers completed their 1912-1913 schedule by capturing their final three home contests, topped by a win over Franklin & Marshall, an upset of Princeton, 23-18 and a 34-23 win over Bucknell. Scoring honors for the 11-5 Hilltoppers were divided between forward Roy Waldron ad first year center Bill Campbell. Campbell led all scorers with 65 field goals through 15 games, but Waldron's free throw shooting earned him the scoring title with 163 points, to Campbell's 151. Still, Campbell's 10.0 scoring average places him among only two other pre-war Georgetown players who averaged over ten points per game in their first year of eligibility. Unfortunately for Georgetown, Campbell left the University for unknown reasons and no other information is known about this once-promising player in GU basketball history. No mention was made in local sources as to Georgetown's attempt at the South Atlantic Intercollegiate Association title, leading to speculation that such a title was no longer considered among the larger number of colleges now playing the game. The Navy loss notwithstanding, it can be fairly said that after seven years of intercollegiate action, Georgetown continued to be one of the premier teams in the region. | |
| 1913-14 | Coach / Roster / Statistics / Schedule |
After two seasons lacking a genuine "big man" in the middle, the arrival of Jim Tormey in the fall of 1913 was a welcome sight at the Hilltop. Tormey, a lanky six footer from Baltimore, transferred to GU from Loyola College, making him only the second transfer to join the starting five since Fred Rice transferred from George Washington in 1907. Tormey, who Hall of Fame coach John O'Reilly would later call the greatest center he ever coached, would prove crucial to the success of the 1913-1914 team. The new season opened with a 25-8 rout of Mt. St. Joseph's H.S. of Baltimore. It is unclear exactly why MSJ, a high school team, was scheduled annually between the years of 1913 and 1918 to play Georgetown, but such matches were common in this era due to the lack of local teams available to play. This game was soon forgotten, however, amidst a four game road swing through New York that saw GU drop four straight. In each of the games the G-men proved incapable of scoring from the field. Meeting Seton Hall in the opener, the Hilltoppers could manage only five field goals in forty minutes of play and yet still lost only by a 24-20 count. Similar misfortunes were wrought at the hands of Fordham, 35-19, and St. John's, 26-24. Wrote the College Journal after this bitter two point loss: "Georgetown had several chances to tie the score and win out at the close of the game as several shots rolled around the rim of the basket but time found Georgetown one basket short." In the finale, NYU coasted to a 38-18 victory. Returning to the friendly confines of the Arcade, Colliflower's men began to rebuild the season with a number of more impressive performances. First on the list was St. John's College of Annapolis, as Jim Tormey and Roy Waldron combined for 18 points in a hard-fought 30-23 win. Next, Maryland State was overtaken in what the College Journal euphemistically called a "slow and rather uninteresting" contest", 28-12. On Jan. 31, 1914, Georgetown was scheduled to meet Virginia. But as athletic relations were severed following the 1913 GU-Virginia football game, an all-star YMCA quint was substituted in place of the wahoo non grata. In the end, it was the old veteran Billy Martin, who won back the admiration of GU fans who remembered his poor performance the year before, by hitting a last second basket to defeat the "Y", 23-22. The Association evened the series a week later, 16-12, but not before Jim Tormey turned in 12 points to beat Mt. St. Joseph's in Baltimore, 32-20 in a rare "road" win for the Blue and Gray in this era. The Hilltoppers could do no better than a split in their four remaining games, conquering the YMCA, 19-16; losing to NYU, 31-25; beating Washington and Lee, 19-10, and finishing on a sour note in Annapolis, falling to Navy 40-12. Roy Waldron finished his career for the Blue and Gray with just under six points a game, with Jim Tormey and Harry Kelly close behind. The 9-6 record was not quite up to previous years, but still respectable among contemporary sources. The 1913-1914 season also marked the final year of coaching for James Colliflower, who opted to return to his family's local coal distribution business in Washington. Colliflower bade farewell to coaching duties, but not to the game, as he would serve faithfully as an official for the next ten years in local circles, and received an honorary degree from Georgetown in 1964.
Narrative © 1987, 2003. All rights reserved. | |