Centennial Season Look Back: Falcon Legends are Born – 1945-55 - Bowling Green State University Athletics

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Bowling Green, Ohio – Throughout the 2015-16 Bowling Green State University men's basketball season, the BGSU athletics department will take a look back at each decade over the men's basketball program's history as part of the Centennial Season celebration leading up to the Centennial Game on Jan. 23, 2016 versus Kent State.

Falcon Legends are Born
A number of Falcon legends would be born in BGSU's fourth decade of men's basketball history from 1945-55 in Don Otten, Mac Otten, Charles Share, James Gerber, Al Bianchi, and Stanley Weber.

A 1945-46 Converse Second Team All-American, Don Otten led the Falcons in scoring in 1945-46 (14.7 ppg), after leading the Falcons in scoring in each of the two previous seasons. Tabbed the 1945-46 BGSU Team MVP, Don Otten reached 1,000 career points in his senior season and finished his career with 1,312 points, which still ranks 20th all-time in BGSU men's basketball history.

Mac Otten continued the Falcon All-American trend when he was named a Helms Foundation Second-Team All-American in 1948-49, in which he helped lead the Falcons to a third-place finish in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Named the BGSU Team MVP in both 1946-47 and again in 1947-48, Mac Otten was the team captain for the Falcons that earned a national top-10 ranking for seven weeks in 1948-49.

Charles Share became the Falcons' all-time scoring leader and only the third ever Falcon to surpass 1,000 career points when he wrapped up his BGSU career with 1,730 points in 1949-50, which still ranks sixth all-time in BGSU men's basketball history. Share, who led the Falcons in scoring all four years while at BGSU from 1946-50, including a career-best 19.9 points per game in his senior season, was recognized as an All-American Third-Team selection by the AP, UPI and BWAA associations in 1950. A two-time Team MVP in 1948-49 and 1949-50, Share was named to the 1950 NABC All-District First-Team. A key member of the Falcons' 28 wins in 1946-47, 27 wins in 1947-48, 24 wins in 1948-49 and 19 wins in 1949-50, Share was part of one of the most winning times in BGSU history. Share scored a career-high 39 points versus Loyola (Calif.) on Dec. 22, 1949 in Madison Square Garden. His 596 points in the 1949-50 season is tied for the 10th most points in a single season by a Falcon in BGSU history.

A 1953-53 Converse Honorable Mention All-American, James Gerber totaled 1,495 career points as a Falcon which still ranks 12th all-time in BGSU history. His career scoring average of 19.4 points per game ranks fifth all-time in BGSU history, as he led the Falcons in scoring in both 1950-51 with 17.3 points per game and in 1951-52 with 20.6 points per contest. An NABC All-District Honorable Mention selection in 1952, Gerber was named to the MAC All-Conference First-Team in 1953-54. The two-time Team MVP in 1950-51 and 1951-52, he scored 41 points at Baldwin-Wallace on Feb. 28, 1952, 39 points against Western Kentucky in the NIT at Madison Square Garden on Mar. 8, 1954 and 38 points versus Marshall on Feb. 6, 1954.

A 1953-54 INS, UPI and Colliers First Team All-American, Al Bianchi averaged 19.1 points per game over just three years at BGSU which ranks seven all-time in BGSU history. Bianchi, who scored 1,487 career points as a Falcon, which ranks 13th all-time, totaled 600 points in 1953-54 which ranks as the eighth-most in school history and posted a season scoring average of 25.0 that year which is still third all-time in BGSU's history. Bianchi also still ranks 10th all-time with 596 points in 1952-53, in which he led the team with 22.1 points per game. A 1953-54 NABC All-District First-Team honoree, Bianchi was also named to the MAC All-Conference First-Team in 1953-54. The two-time BGSU Team MVP, he scored a career-high 41 points versus Western Michigan on Mar. 1, 1954. He also poured in 40 points against Loyola of Chicago on Mar. 2, 1953.

Stanley Weber joined the 1,000 career points club in 1949-50, in which he totaled 1,036 career points over his four years at BGSU from 1946-50. A member of three BGSU teams to make it to the NIT postseason tournament, Weber was consistent over his four-year career as a Falcon scoring 243 points or more each season.

NIT Appearances
Following back-to-back NIT appearances in 1943-44 and 1944-45, the Falcons went to the NIT Championship event four times during the decade of 1945-55. BGSU made its third straight NIT appearance in 1945-46, falling to Rhode Island 82-79 in overtime in the first round at Madison Square Garden.

The Falcons then returned to the NIT in 1947-48, falling to St. Louis in the first round 69-53 again in Madison Square Garden. Coach Harold Anderson's squad then returned to the 1948-49 NIT and picked up a third-place finish. The Falcons defeated St. John's 77-64 in the first round, before defeating St. Louis 80-74 in the second round. In the semifinals, BGSU was defeated by San Francisco 49-39, but went on to finish the season with an 82-77 win over Bradley in the consolation game.

Bowling Green returned to the NIT in 1953-54 and picked up a first round 88-84 win over Wichita State before falling in the second round of play to Western Kentucky 95-81.

A String of 20-plus win seasons
After posting back-to-back 20 win seasons in 1943-44 and 1944-45, head coach Harold Anderson's squad continued its 20-win streak with 27 wins in 1945-46, a new BGSU record 28 wins in 1946-47, 27 wins in 1947-48 and 24 wins in 1948-49 to give the Falcons six straight 20-plus win seasons. That streak still stands as the longest 20-plus win streak in BGSU's 100-year history.

The 28 wins for the Falcons in 1946-47 still stands as the most wins in a single season in BGSU's history.

Falcons Join the Mid-American Conference
BGSU joined the Mid-American Conference in 1953-54, in which the Falcons went 10-3 in league play to finish second overall. In their second season in the MAC, the Falcons went 5-9 in conference play in 1954-55 to finish in a tie for fifth overall.

Two Falcons were named to the MAC All-Conference First-Team in 1953-54 in Al Bianchi and James Gerber, while Bill Rogers earned second-team accolades in 1945-55.

Falcons that moved on to the Pros
A number of Falcons from 1945-55 moved on to play in the ABA, BAA or NBA after their playing days at BGSU.

Leo Kubiak was the first-ever Falcon to be drafted, as he was selected in the 1948 BAA Draft by the Rochester Royals. He played for the Waterloo Hawks of the National Basketball League in 1948-49 and again in 1949-50 when the Hawks moved to the National Basketball Association. He wrapped up his professional career with the Denver Refiners of the National Professional Basketball League in 1950-51.

Emerson Speicher was drafted by the Boston Celtics in the 1949 BAA Draft, while Mac Otten was picked 26th overall in the third round by the Indianapolis Olympians. Otten went on to play for the Tri-Cities Blackhawks in 1949-50 before being traded to the St. Louis Bombers later that season where he would end his BAA/NBA career.

Charles "Chuck" Share was the first draft pick in NBA history when he was selected by the Boston Celtics as the number one pick in 1950. Share, however, never played for the Celtics, as he started his NBA career with the Fort Wayne Pistons and played nine years in the league for the Pistons, Milwaukee Hawks, St. Louis Hawks, and the Minneapolis Lakers. He was the captain of the 1958 NBA Champion St. Louis Hawks team.

Stanley Weber was drafted in the third round of the 1950 draft by the New York Knicks. He went on to play for the Waterloo Hawks, before traveling with the Harlem Globetrotters.

In the 1953 draft, James "Jim" Gerber was selected by the Rochester Royals, while one year later Al Bianchi was picked in the second round overall by the Minneapolis Lakers in 1954.

After serving in the U.S. Army Medical Corp from 1954 to 1956, Bianchi suited up for the Syracuse Nationals of the NBA in 1956. He moved with the team to Philadelphia when they became the 76ers for the 1963-64 season. He would later be drafted in 1966 by the Chicago Bulls in the NBA expansion draft, but he never played in a game for them and retired as a player. He went on to coach for the Seattle SuperSonics (1967-69), before coming both the coach and general manager of the Washington Caps (1969-70) and the Virginia Squares (1970-75). He was named the ABA Coach of the Year in 1971. In 1976, he re-entered the NBA to work for head coach John MacLeod as assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns, from 1976-1987. He then moved to the front office as general manager for the New York Knicks from 1987 to 1991. Returning to Phoenix in 1991, he scouted college players for the Suns. In 2004 he became a consultant-scout for the Golden State Warriors, where he stayed through the 2008-09.

Don Otten went on to play for the Buffalo Bison and the Tri-Cities Blackhawks of the NBL after his time at BGSU, before moving on to play for the Washington Capitals, Baltimore Bullets, Ft. Wayne Pistons and the Milwaukee Hawks of the NBA.

John Payak went undrafted, yet spent five years playing professionally for the Philadelphia Warriors, the Waterloo Hawks, the Milwaukee Hawks and the Toledo Mercurys, while Bob Long spent three seasons with the Toledo Mercurys from 1952-55.

Hall of Famers from the Era
Perhaps the largest number of BGSU Hall of Famers came from the 1945-55 era, as a total of 17 Falcons – including Harold Anderson, Don Otten, Wyndol Gray, Charles Buckenmeyer, and Dewey Johnson were part of the BGSU men's basketball program during that time period.

Otten, Gray, Buckenmeyer and Johnson all concluded their hall of fame careers at BGSU in 1945-46, and thus were highlighted as part of the BGSU Hall of Famers from the 1935-45 era since they spent most of their careers at BGSU during that decade.

Anderson, who coached the Falcons for 21 years from 1942-63, was inducted into the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1966, after finishing his career as the all-time wins leader in BGSU history with a record of 362-185 overall.

Alfred "Al" Bianchi was a graduate of Long Island City High School in 1950, where he earned three basketball letters as an All-Queens forward. Bianchi came to Bowling Green in 1950, and moved into the starting lineup in the middle of the 1951-52 season. Bianchi took over as a regular forward the following season, and would go on to score 1,487 points in his career. Bianchi was named All-Ohio and honorable mention All-America for his efforts that season. As a senior, Alfred Bianchi finished eighth in NCAA scoring with 600 points. He was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers, while also playing with the Syracuse Nationals and the Philadelphia 76ers during his career. Bianchi was inducted into the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1965.

Like many of his classmates, Wayne Bordner's college career was interrupted by service in World War II. An All-Ohio selection at the end in 1942 and 1943, Bordner returned to Bowling Green three years later and captained the 1946 team (he was also a captain in 1943), being named team MVP for the second time (1942), and again earning All-Ohio honors. Also a member of the basketball and track teams, Bordner was inducted to the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1980.

A Northern High School graduate near Barberton, Ohio, Vernon Dunhma was a two sport letterman at BGSU in the mid-to-late 1940s. He earned four monograms in football under Coach Robert Whittaker and two more in basketball under Coach Harold Anderson. In basketball, he lettered his freshman and sophomore seasons, as the Falcons compiled a two-year record of 55-12. Dunham was a reserve guard on BG's 1945-46 NIT squad his first year. As a sophomore, Dunham played 15 of BG's 35 games, scoring 13 points. In football, he earned a first team AP All-Ohio honors for his junior and senior seasons, after earning honorable mention all-state honors as a freshman guard. He led the undefeated 1948 Falcons (8-0-1) in scoring with 42 points, with three of his six touchdowns keying a 33-28 win over Baldwin-Wallace. Dunham was an All-Midwest selection by the Chicago Tribune. BG's four-year record with Dunham on the roster was 22-11-1, including that 8-0-1 mark in 1948. Dunham was inducted into the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989.

James Gerber was honorable mention All-America on the Converse Team in 1954, and finished his career at BG with 1,495 points. Gerber's career scoring average of 19.4 points per game ranks him fifth all-time. Gerber played for head coach Harold Anderson, where he was the leading scorer on the 1951-52 team that finished 17-10. In 1953-54, Gerber finished second in scoring behind All-American Al Bianchi, as the Falcons went 17-7 and finished second in the MAC with a 10-3 record. Gerber sat out his junior season with a knee injury, but was still an All-America mention twice during his career. James Gerber was inducted into the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992.

A 1948 graduate of the university, James Knierim earned All-Ohio honors as an end on the 1945 football team, and was part of the supporting cast on Harold Anderson's hoops teams that featured Donald and Mac Otten and Charles Share. In his four years on the basketball squad, the Falcons lost just two games at home. Knierim also earned varsity letters as a member of the baseball team. He was inducted to the BG Athletics Hall of Fame in 1970.

Leo Kubiak came to BGSU after a fine athletic career at Toledo Macomber High School. He earned four letters in basketball, captaining the 1947-48 team. He played in three National Invitation Tournaments. He also was a member of many all-star teams during his time as a Falcon. Kubiak was an outstanding jump shooter, and Harold Anderson referred to him as a great fast break ball-handler. Kubiak was also the shortstop for Warren Steller for three seasons, but an injury kept him off the diamond for his senior year. He played professional basketball for two season in the ABL, and also spent two seasons in the Cleveland Indians organization for their minor league team at Green Bay. He was elected to the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1974.

James Ladd set a new NCAA pass receiving record in 1953 with 11 touchdowns as he finished second in the nation in receiving with 43 catches for little All-America fame. His BG receiving records of 90 catches and 1,341 yards stood for 14 years. His professional football career was cut short by a leg injury while with the Chicago Cardinals. He also was a member of the 1953-54 NIT basketball team and won a track award as a shot and discus thrower. Ladd was elected to the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1969.

Robert Long was a four-year basketball letterman, as well as a three-year track award winner. He was selected as a "Little All-American" (5'10" or under) in 1949. He went on to play three years for the Toledo Mercurys from 1952-55. Long was elected to the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1977.

With the selection of Mac Otten in 1979, a pair of brothers became members of the Hall of Fame for the first time; Mac's older brother Don was inducted in 1966. With Otten at center, the Falcon basketball team compiled a 79-20 record from 1946 to 1949 and twice competed in the prestigious NIT Tournament in New York. He was selected to the All-Ohio team three times and received All-American recognition. He was picked 26th overall in the third round by the Indianapolis Olympians in the 1949 BAA Draft and went on to play for the Tri-Cities Blackhawks in 1949-50 before being traded to the St. Louis Bombers later that season where he would end his BAA/NBA career. Mac Otten was elected to the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1979.

John Payak entered Bowling Green State University after an outstanding career at Toledo Woodward. He made the starting lineup mid-season as a freshman, and was a starter on the 1945 team that went to the NIT finals. Payak entered the U.S Navy at the end of his freshman year, but returned in time for the 1946-47 season. After his career as a Falcon, Payak joined the Tri-Cities team in the ABL, and then moved to Milwaukee in the NBA. Payak also played with a team out of Toledo, serving as the opponent for the Harlem Globetrotters. He was inducted to the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1974.

Charles "Chuck" Share was another of Harold Anderson's center protégés who gained All-American honors after coming to college with only one year of high school experience. He set individual game, season and career marks at BG while helping make the Falcons one of the nation's top teams during his time at BGSU. He was a 10-year performer in the NBA with Ft. Wayne and St. Louis. He was captain of the Hawks in 1957-59 when they were the world champions. The first ever NBA draft pick in 1950 to the Boston Celtics, Share was inducted to the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1964.

Joseph Siegferth came to Bowling Green under Harold Anderson in 1942. He captained the 1943-44 team to a 22-3 regular season and BGSU's first National Invitational Tournament bid, losing 44-40 to eventual champion, St. John's. He returned to lead the 1944-45 team, but only played in 10 games before being called to the U.S. Navy. He came back to campus in 1946, but only appeared in 21 games because of injuries. Siegferth was inducted to the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1972.

Year-by-Year Breakdown

YEAR	RECORD	HEAD COACH	CAPTAIN	LEADING SCORER
1945-46	27-5	Harold Anderson	Donald Otten	Donald Otten – 14.7 ppg
1946-47	28-7	Harold Anderson	Howard Martin	Charles Share – 9.1 ppg
1947-48	27-6	Harold Anderson	Leo Kubiak	Charles Share – 11.1 ppg
1948-49	24-7	Harold Anderson	Mac Otten	Charles Share – 16.8 ppg
1949-50	19-11	Harold Anderson	Charles Share	Charles Share – 19.9 ppg
1950-51	15-12	Harold Anderson/George Muellich	Eli Joyce & Robert Long	James Gerber – 17.3 ppg
1951-52	17-10	Harold Anderson	Jerry Kempter & Steve Galleti	James Gerber – 20.6 ppg
1952-53	12-15	Harold Anderson	James Gerber	Al Bianchi – 22.1 ppg
1953-54	17-7	Harold Anderson	Al Bianchi & James Gerber	Al Bianchi – 25.0 ppg
1954-55	6-16	Harold Anderson	William Rogers	Jim Tucker – 15.4 ppg

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Centennial Season Look Back: Falcon Legends are Born – 1945-55

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