Georgetown Basketball History: Historical Narrative
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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.

James Colliflower's successor was track coach John D. O'Reilly, beginning the first of what would be a seventeen year career with athletics at the Hilltop. The selection of a track coach to govern a basketball team might be considered odd, but given the financial conditions of the day, and the ever increasing cost of major college football at the school, O'Reilly seemed a logical choice. In addition to track and basketball, O'Reilly also coached the school's baseball team; and for three such diverse sports and their appropriate time restraints, O'Reilly handled each with skill and, ultimately, great success.

1914-1915 was in many ways, a rebuilding year of sorts. There was only one senior on the squad, reserve guard Sam Foley, and O'Reilly's best player, Jim Tormey, only had one year of eligibility remaining as a result of his transfer from Loyola in 1913. Junior "King" Kelly continued to improve, but whether these three men could carry the team was difficult to predict.

Last year's Hilltoppers opened the season by defeating a high school team before dropping four straight to New York collegiate competition. This season's results were no different. After disposing of Mt. St. Joseph's, 34-18, four losses were summarily registered at the hands of Seton Hall, Fordham, Army, and NYU.

The 38-13 setback to the Setonians was not entirely unexpected, as the team learned that Harry Kelly, their high scoring guard, missed the game due to a final exam required of him at the University. Kelly rejoined the team to score 13 points to lead the Hilltoppers, but a 22 point effort by Fordham's Jack Walsh turned a 16-14 halftime deficit into a 31-28 Maroon victory. The Army encounter represents a low point in Georgetown basketball history which (hopefully) will never be seen again. In that game, held at West Point on December 19, 1914, the Blue and Gray went forty minutes without a field goal, relying on three free throws as their only defense against the Cadets. The final score, 20-3, was and remains as the lowest point total, excluding forfeits, in the University's basketball history. Finally, if a humiliating three point performance was not enough, NYU romped en route to a 38-21 win.

Returning home after the holidays, a 25-21 win over Virginia Polytechnic was a sign of better things to come. But in uncharacteristic fashion, the Blue and Gray lost another three more, falling to lowly Mt. St. Joseph's, 28-21; Washington and Lee, 32-23; and in one of the worst defeats in the series, a 47-6 walloping at the hands of Navy.

Facing its worst season ever at 2-7, Georgetown returned to Washington to meet an old rival, George Washington University. Georgetown and GWU had not met on the court in eight years, after the two schools had severed athletic relations during the 1908 academic year. However, before each coach left their respective posts, James Colliflower and then-GW coach Frank Schlosser (the former Georgetown player) helped bring the two colleges back to regular competition. Before 500 Foggy Bottom rooters and an equal number of Georgetown partisans ringing Ryan Gym inside and out, the two schools battled to a 10-all halftime score, in scenes reminiscent of the battles between these two schools in 1907. In spite of a spirited effort by the Hatchetites, the play of reserve forward Johnny Shugrue paced Georgetown to a 21-15 victory.

Another encouraging performance was turned in by Bob O'Lone, the only freshman on the Georgetown roster. O'Lone scored twice from the field and exhibited the same tenacious defense of the man whose position O'Lone inherited, that of Roy Waldron. Shugrue and O'Lone's encouraging play was tempered somewhat by the play of team leaders Jim Tormey and Harry Kelly, as they shot a combined 2 for 12 from the free throw line and scored only six points between them.

The emotional win over this crosstown foe propelled the Blue and Gray to capture the next six games in a row, the longest win streak to this time for the University's team. In another thrilling come from behind performance, the G-men upset Fordham, 31-16, during the Maroon's annual trip to Washington. Again, it was Johnny Shugrue, whose 10 points led all scorers. And in perhaps the biggest upset of the year, "King" Kelly's 8 for 11 free throw shooting propelled the Hilltoppers past a superior NYU squad, 20-16, at Ryan Gym.

The momentum continued to build, as Georgetown combined the newly found talents of Shugrue and O'Lone with the experience and leadership of Tormey and Kelly. George Washington was subdued once more, 39-18; Gallaudet College was beaten in the resumption of another old rivalry, 29-18; and the visiting squad from West Virginia Wesleyan was overtaken, 27-24. Only the absence of Jim Tormey in the season finale prevented a seven game win streak and a truly winning season, as Penn State rolled out of town with a 36-27 win despite a career high 13 points from Johnny Shugrue in his last game as a Hilltopper.

Jim Tormey, in his final year for the Blue and Gray, averaged just under seven points per game to lead the team in scoring. Harry Kelly finished second in points while Johnny Shugrue, who spent most of his undergraduate years in the intramural ranks, finished with a late flourish to take third honors in scoring. While the Blue and Gray could do no better than an 8-8 mark, the six late season wins against such highly regarded foes as Fordham and NYU was undoubtedly a source of admiration and hope for better things to come.

With the exception of a disastrous road swing through New York, last season's Blue and Gray turned in a noteworthy performance. The 1915-1916 season would be no different.

The traditional opener versus Mt.St.Joseph's was much closer than expected, as Harry Kelly paced the G-men to a 36-35 victory. Kelly shot 13 for 24 from the free throw line to set a school record for most free throws attempted in a game, a record that stood until 1992. O'Reilly used nine different men in the contest, which was highly unusual for the Hilltoppers. Only Kelly and Bob O'Lone, easily the two most talented men on the team, were left to their starting roles throughout the game.

Once again, the ominous "Northern trip" loomed on the horizon. And while hopes soared after the Blue and Gray's 21-19 upset of Brooklyn Polytechnic, such hopes were short lived. As had been the case last season, Georgetown ran into a string of losses on foreign soil, falling to Seton Hall, 26-12; NYU, 47-15;, and St. John's, 26-16.

New York teams continued their hex on the Hilltoppers even as GU returned home, as NYU pinned a stinging 43-22 beating on the G-men at the conclusion of the holiday break of 1915. Reversing their fortunes, O'Reilly turned to newcomer Mike Berardini at center. Berardini and Harry Kelly combined for fifteen points in a 27-23 win over George Washington to begin the new year, and the tandem followed up their effort in a similarly close 26-23 win over Loyola at Baltimore. But as the Hilltoppers journeyed east to Annapolis, the results were by this time quite predictable. Even after holding the Midshipmen to a 12-all tie at halftime, Navy coasted to a 29-15 decision.

A year ago, the Blue and Gray won six of their last seven to salvage a .500 season. This year, it was five of six to earn a winning mark.

The streak began, oddly enough, against a New York team. But Brooklyn Polytechnic was not of the same caliber as other Georgetown foes such as NYU, St. John's, and Seton hall, and as such the Hilltoppers took their second of the year from Tech, 20-17. Following this win to even its record at 5-5, the Hilltoppers traveled across town to the Washington YMCA hall, to meet George Washington, a school which did not play a home game on its own campus until 1975. The surroundings seemed not to bother Harry Kelly in the least, as the ace shooter canned 11 of 12 free throws in a foul-plagued 29-19 decision. George Colliflower, former Blue and Gray varsity man from 1907 through 1912, assumed the GWU coaching job days before the contest and the contest was his first game as a head coach. In this foul-plagued contest, Colliflower received no special treatment from the referee, either--the official was none other than hiss younger brother James.

The win streak was interrupted by a 30-27 loss at home to Virginia Polytechnic. Harry Kelly and Bob O'Lone once again led the Hilltoppers with a combined 14 points, but could not overcome one of the better Hokie teams of the decade to come through the Washington area.

As the season wound down, the spirited play of Bob O'Lone came to the forefront like none other for the Hilltoppers. The sophomore forward scored 14 points in a 35-21 conquest over West Virginia Wesleyan, then combined with Mike Berardini for 29 in a 45-12 rout of Randolph- Macon College. In the season finale, with another winning season already assured, O'Lone helped the Blue and Gray overcome a pesky Gallaudet squad, 31-24. Only Harry Kelly's lackluster finish in his valedictory performance for the Hilltoppers (no field goals, 3 for 10 free throws) spoiled an otherwise satisfying ending for the season.

With only one returning starter, O'Reilly must have realized that the team was in desperate need of a player who could succeed and help draw other talented players to the team. Such a player, they say, was just a year away.

Over the first two years of coaching the Hilltoppers, John O'Reilly had posted respectable records for the varsity basketball program, but without the "stars" of the past. While previous GU teams were led by such notables as Frank Schlosser, Roy Waldron, and Jim Tormey, individual talent was somewhat lacking among the last two Hilltop teams. This situation would change in 1916 with the arrival of a 5'6" law student named Fred Fees.

Over his four years, Fees became perhaps the greatest Georgetown player that later generations knew nothing about.

Fees, a native of the coal mining region of eastern Pennsylvania, completed his undergraduate work at St. Francis College in Loretto, Pa. and enrolled at Georgetown's law school that autumn. The lack of consistent eligibility rules at colleges at this time allowed Fees, who had played for St. Francis, to continue play as long as he was enrolled as a law student at Georgetown. Joined by another newcomer in freshman Jim McNulty at center, coach O'Reilly had two suitable players to complement Bob O'Lone in the Hilltopper attack.

Early results from the new lineup were not overly encouraging. After a 32-15 win over Mt. St. Joseph's en route to New York, the Blue and Gray suffered stinging losses on the road once again; Seton Hall and St. John's were victorious by scores of 18-17 and 38-24, respectively. But Fees would begin to assert himself as the leader of the team soon afterward, and with his leadership the fortunes of the stagnant Georgetown program would begin to change.

On Jan. 10, 1917, Georgetown entertained Gallaudet College before a crowd the College Journal referred to as "a representative audience of the 'fair ones beyond the wall' [a reference to women from nearby Visitation College] and the student body". On this afternoon, the Blue and Gray came alive. The Hilltoppers stunned the men of Kendall Green, 52-10, the most points scored by a GU aggregation in many years. Jim McNulty and Fred Fees combined for 28 points in the rout. Following Gallaudet, Johns Hopkins was beset a similar fate, 46-12, behind 14 points from Fees and a combined 22 from a pair of "O's"--reserve guard Hank O' Boyle and forward Bob O'Lone. Finally, the homestand was completed in a 36-25 decision over Mt. St. Joseph's in which Fees set a new record for free throw shooting with 12 free throws in 14 attempts.

The 4-2 Hilltoppers succumbed to Navy following the Mt.St. Joseph's contest, 31-23. The continued mastery of Georgetown by Navy was not without a point of optimism for GU fans, however. Fees continued to shine from the line, as a contemporary account of the game praised Georgetown's "midget" for a 9 for 9 free throw shooting performance and 13 points overall to lead all scorers.

With all due respect to Derrick Jackson, whose 52-59 shooting over the entire 1977-78 season is the current GU shooting record, it can be said without much disagreement that by the midway point of the 1916-1917 season, Fred Fees was on his way to becoming the most prolific free throw shooter in Georgetown basketball history. At this point in the evolution of college basketball, the rules allowed a team to designate free throw shooters, no matter who was fouled. Since basketball remained a rough and tumble sport through the mid 1920's, an accurate free throw shooter could make the difference between victory and defeat. In Fees, Georgetown had one of the nation's best.

Fees' 17 for 21 free throw shooting performance against George Washington on Jan. 17th was a record which would stand for 65 years as the most free throw points scored by a GU player. Fees' accuracy helped preserve a 31-24 win that day over George Washington, returning the G-men to their winning ways. Even more impressive was Fees' performance against St. John's, a traditionally tough foe. The newcomer hit seven field goals and 12 for 15 free throws to stun the Redmen, who were unceremoniously dumped 44-26 by the streaking Hilltoppers.

In the season finale versus George Washington, Fees was somewhat off his usual form, if 75% can be considered poor form for a foul shooter. Fees hit 9 of 12 foul shots and 21 points overall in a 45-23 win over the Hatchetites at Ryan Gym. Jim McNulty and Bob O'Lone, ever steady at their respective positions, continued to provide the defensive skill in the frontcourt while Fees mastered the offense for the team.

With three impressive wins behind them, the confident Georgetown team could not have expected an upset loss to Trinity, but this is exactly what befell them. The North Carolinians completely shut down the Georgetown offensive machine before the Ryan Gym home crowd, displaying teamwork and pinpoint accuracy in their shooting. Fred Fees' scored twelve from the foul line but was held without a field goal, as the future Blue Devils marched to a 36-24 victory. "Our club," wrote a disconsolate College Journal, "was off form and missed many shots which are usually easy for them, but [we] are not editing an alibi and admit being outplayed and out shot...The result was 36-24. May it rest in peace." The Trinity win is important today in one respect: it was the last loss at home by a Georgetown team for the next six years, an amazing skein of 52 consecutive home court wins over six seasons--a record that stands to this day.

Georgetown closed its 1916-1917 season on a positive note, vanquishing Bucknell by a 43-31 count. Jim McNulty and Fred Fees each scored six field goals, but the diminutive law student took three foul shots to earn scoring honors with 15 points. Hank O'Boyle, ending a largely unheralded career for the University, caged 10 points for the winning team.

The season ended with a strong 8-4 mark, as the Hilltoppers won seven of their last nine after the New York trip. As expected, Fred Fees led the team in scoring, accounting for 195 of the team's 450 points, a remarkable performance for a first year player and a sign of greater things to come for the team. Jim McNulty earned runners-up honors with 94 points (7.8 ppg) while captain Bob O'Lone contributed 82 points overall (6.2 ppg).

All signs for a stellar 1917-1918 campaign looked promising. The team's three top scorers would be back, as well as a host of capable reserves. But the growing specter of war in Europe would cast a shadow on college athletics and an entire nation.

By December of 1917, America had entered the World War and its effects were being felt on colleges and universities across the nation. Nowhere was the loss of able-bodied men felt more acutely than on athletic teams. By the start of the season, Coach O'Reilly had lost five of his eight man varsity roster, possibly destroying the potential of last season's 8-4 club.

Fortunately for O'Reilly, however, leading scorers Fred Fees, Jim McNulty, and Bob O'Lone were not among those who left school for the armed forces. The rest of the roster was filled with reserves coming largely from freshmen and upperclassmen from the intramural ranks.

On the local scene, a significant development in the college game was announced on Dec. 2, 1917, in the formation of a four team "Intercollegiate League" among the major Washington schools who participated in college basketball. The league was formed by teams from George Washington, Catholic, Maryland State, and Gallaudet, though Georgetown failed to join the new circuit.

The G-men opened the season with a convincing 44-10 rout of Mt. St. Joseph's at Ryan; the traditional game in Baltimore en route to New York was cancelled because of the war. MSJ was held to two points in the first half and never posed a serious challenge, behind a combined 30 from Fred Fees and Jim McNulty. A similar verdict was registered over the Georgetown medical school quint, a late replacement for a cancellation by a now-unknown foe. In a scene reminiscent of the intra-University battle with the College All-Stars in 1910, the final score was anything but reminiscent. The Hilltoppers crushed the Medicos, 46-10, behind 22 from Fred Fees. Two former varsity players now enrolled in the medical school led the professional men: Johnny Shugrue, (C'14) and Matt Donnelly (C'16).

Deadlocked 16-all at the half, Fred Fees' 23 points helped the Hilltoppers steer past Lehigh, 37-23, while the Hilltoppers also passed Randolph-Macon, 34-11, prior to the team's annual battle with Navy. The results were no different this year than the previous eight: Navy laid siege to the Hilltopper attack and won easily, 49-17. Fred Fees accounted for all but two of the GU points, as former GU player and coach James Colliflower, recently hired by the Academy following the call to service of their previous coach, guided the Midshipmen.

The effects of the war continued to be felt at Georgetown as well. Senior center Jim McNulty left school for the Aviation Corps, the forerunner of the U.S. Air Force. Roster players Don Keresey, Fred Devereaux, and James Coughlin soon followed, leaving O'Reilly with only six men including the freshmen recently called to the team. Nonetheless, the season continued.

Three freshmen assumed starting roles alongside Fees and Bob O'Lone in the next clash, a 36-8 trouncing of George Washington at the Washington YMCA hall. Newcomers Bill Dudack, Joe Longshak, and Alexander (Pat) Finnegan saw action for the first time, but it was up to Fred Fees to provide the offensive punch. Fees led the G-men with 22 points to personally outscore the GWU team almost three to one. Especially noteworthy for the second year law student was another perfect streak (10 for 10) at the foul line. Finnegan soon was called up to duty, and he died in battle later that year.

Not a week had passed since Georgetown's 36-8 trouncing of GWU, but when they met on Feb.2, the results were no better for the Foggy Bottom five. Led by newcomer Joe McNulty (the brother of Jack McNulty), Georgetown coasted to a 51-18 win, behind Fred Fees' 18 points, and McNulty's 12 points.

O'Reilly's men headed north through Pennsylvania on the weekend of Feb. 7-9, and were besieged by a serious injury to their star player early into the series. Facing the United States Army Ambulance Corps (USAAC) in Allentown, Pa. on the 7th, Fred Fees was put out of the game as a result of a football like "scrimmage" which sandwiched the Hilltoppers' star and, in what may have basketball's version of the flying wedge, caused Fees to suffer a dislocated knee. The roughhouse USAACs prevailed, 32-27, escaping only in the fact that they put Fees "out of commission" with their dirty play. Without him, Georgetown's young squad fell easily in losses to Lafayette and Lehigh by scores of 38-26 and 28-26, respectively. Returning home still without Fees, Camp Meade's all-star quint finished the Hilltoppers' road swing, crushing the college men 33-24.

Fees led the 1917-1918 Blue and Gray with 201 points over 11 games, an average of 18.3 points per game. Fees' 1963 obituary claimed that he led the nation in scoring, and one prominent history of the game, Alexander Weyand's "Cavalcade of Basketball", notes Fees' national standing as well. However, the haphazard nature of record keeping during this time make such a claim difficult to verify, specially without a governing body of college athletics like the NCAA at this time in basketball history. It is certain, however, that his 18.3 ppg average was a marvel for the early era of the game, and it stood as a Georgetown single season record until 1959.

Narrative © 1987, 2003. All rights reserved.
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