GEORGETOWN ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME

Had Andy Kostecka played three full seasons, he would surely have become Georgetown's first 1,000 point scorer. As it was, he didn't reach the 1,000 point milestone but set a high standard of scoring proficiency.

Kostecka was a tough-minded forward who played basketball in Bloomfield, NJ and was later named to the Newark Star-Ledger's all-decade team. Various bios noted that he played at Bloomfield through 1939, but he did not enroll in Georgetown until 1941, playing on the 1941-42 freshman team that went 16-1 and lost only to a group of former professional players stationed at the military base at Aberdeen, MD. Kostecka's height and experience was a perfect fit for the 1942-43 varsity, which started a freshman and three sophomores.

In a season of superlatives, Kostecka was a big part of the success of the 1942-43 Hoyas. He scored a season high 22 in the Hoyas' 105-39 rout of American, a margin of victory not matched for 44 years. Similar strong scoring efforts followed in games with Temple, Catholic, Syracuse, and Penn State, and by mid-season Kostecka led the team in scoring with a 15 point average. In February, Kostecka was called to military service, leaving the team with a 16-3 record, and he finished second to John Mahnken for scoring at season's end. Hindsight can only speculate as to the Hoyas' chances in the NCAA final had Kostecka been in uniform; in the championship game, the Hoyas trailed by three in the final two minutes but its defense simply gave way, allowing Wyoming to score the final nine points of the game.

John Mahnken had turned pro and Billy Hassett had transferred, but the remaining nucleus of the 1942-43 team returned three years later to varsity play in 1946-47. Kostecka took the scoring reins of the team and held it all season, scoring a school record 35 against Niagara and leading the team in scoring for nearly two thirds of the games that season. An eye injury sidelined Kostecka briefly, but for the season he posted 28 against Catholic, 22 against Nevada, and 20 against Penn State. He turned in one of his biggest games of the season with 16 against Duquesne, breaking the Dukes' 19 game win streak.

The Hoyas won eight of nine down the stretch to finish 19-7, but Kostecka again would miss the season's conclusion, having fractured his arm in a game late in the season at Villanova. For the season, Kostecka averaged 17.8 points a game, the highest average in 29 years.

Hopes were high in Kostecka's third and final season for a return to the NCAA tournament. All five starters from the 1946-47 team had returned, and the 26 year old Kostecka was counted upon to lead the Hoyas to better things. Andy did not disappoint, averaging 22 points over the Hoyas' first four games, including an big overtime win over St. John's at Madison Square Garden, Georgetown's only win over the Redmen in 17 games between 1931 and 1973.

More injuries followed. Kostecka missed two games following an leg injury suffered against Virginia Tech, but had little time to recover as the Hoyas began a six game road trip stretching from Ohio west to Missouri.

The Midwest road trip was a controversial move for its day. Head coach Elmer Ripley saw the trip as an opportunity for Georgetown to receive some national recognition against such schools as St. Louis, Notre Dame, and Louisville, but the trip took players away from home over Christmas and forced the team to play four games in five nights over a 300 mile distance. Like many players, Kostecka was worn down by the two week trip, and his prior injury was still an issue. His average during the trip dropped to just half his 17 point average as the Hoyas dropped all six games.

Following the road loss, a Washington Times-Herald article suggested dissension between Kostecka and Ripley over the losing streak. Kostecka was dismissed from the team following the article.

With his last 11 points against Notre Dame, Andy Kostecka broke the school scoring record, although Tom O'Keefe would pass him two seasons later. Kostecka's 15 point scoring average was second best all time in 1948 and still ranks in the top 20 for scoring average.

Following graduation, Kostecka played a season in the NBA with the Indianapolis Jets, but the Jets folded at season's end. Instead of an NBA career, he was recalled to active duty in Korea and later went on to a long career in the federal government, including positions in the Central Intelligence Agency and later the Commerce Department.

Andy Kostecka died in 2007 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.