Part One - The team.
Daniel Ochefu said after the Championship Game that " We play for those who came before us". He repeated it at the postseason banquet. "We stand on the shoulders of giants who came before us" has always been a motto of Jay. Well, this thread will look at one of those giants whose retired jersey hangs in the rafters of the Pavilion and played 50 years ago. After his graduation from Villanova, he was drafted by the 76ers and played with Wilt Chamberlain and won the NBA championship in '66-'67 setting a record for the most wins in a season.
Our "giant", of course, is Billy Melchionni.
Billy averaged 27.6ppg his senior season and was only the 2nd player in Villanova's history to score over 800 points in one season. Although the Cats would go 0-4 in the Big Five that year, Billy walked away with the Geasey Award as the MVP of the Big Five. He had two games scoring more than 40 points and the 44 points scored against St. Bonaventure set a Palestra record.
The team finished 18-11 that year and was invited to play in the N.I.T. making it to the semifinal game. They opened with a 63-61 win over St. John's, who was breaking in a new coach named Lou Carnesecca. Next up was Boston College where Melchionni dropped 30 points to lead the Cats to a 86-85 win. In the semis, NYU played a box-and-one on Melchionni and won 83-69. In the 3rd place game Billy led the Cats to a 76-65 win over Army in Bob Knight's 1st year as coach. As the leading scorer in the Tournament, Billy was selected as the MVP.
The Team in 1965-66 was (1st 5 were the starters):
Frank Gadjunas 6-9/JR/C - from LaSalle High School
Bernie (not Bob) Schaffer 6-5/F - from Haverford High
Joe Crews 6-4/SO/F - from Bishop McDevitt - only player to make the varsity from the freshman team and would average 11.6ppg/6.6rpg over his 3 year career.
Charlie Coleman 6-0/SR/G - a Parade All American from Darby-Colwyn H.S. (Charlie always comes back for the "Alumni Walk" at our last home game before Christmas).
Billy Melchionni 6-2/SR/G - from Bishop Eustace Prep - played 2 years with the 76ers and 7 years with the N.Y. Nets in the ABA.
Kevin Traynor 6-0/SR/G - from Monsignor Bonner
Joe Turk 6-2/G-F - from LaSalle H.S.
Terry McGuire 6-4/F - from Cleveland, Ohio
Larry Livers 6-2/SR/F - from Norristown H.S. - he was "on loan" from Jumbo Elliot's track team. Larry was the IC4-A Hurdling Champion that year.
Head Coach - Jack Kraft in his 5th year. Kraft had gone 21-7, 19-10, 24-4 and 24-4 in his 1st 4 years.
Head recruiter - George Raveling
Trainer - Jake Nevin
Daniel Ochefu said after the Championship Game that " We play for those who came before us". He repeated it at the postseason banquet. "We stand on the shoulders of giants who came before us" has always been a motto of Jay. Well, this thread will look at one of those giants whose retired jersey hangs in the rafters of the Pavilion and played 50 years ago. After his graduation from Villanova, he was drafted by the 76ers and played with Wilt Chamberlain and won the NBA championship in '66-'67 setting a record for the most wins in a season.
Our "giant", of course, is Billy Melchionni.
Billy averaged 27.6ppg his senior season and was only the 2nd player in Villanova's history to score over 800 points in one season. Although the Cats would go 0-4 in the Big Five that year, Billy walked away with the Geasey Award as the MVP of the Big Five. He had two games scoring more than 40 points and the 44 points scored against St. Bonaventure set a Palestra record.
The team finished 18-11 that year and was invited to play in the N.I.T. making it to the semifinal game. They opened with a 63-61 win over St. John's, who was breaking in a new coach named Lou Carnesecca. Next up was Boston College where Melchionni dropped 30 points to lead the Cats to a 86-85 win. In the semis, NYU played a box-and-one on Melchionni and won 83-69. In the 3rd place game Billy led the Cats to a 76-65 win over Army in Bob Knight's 1st year as coach. As the leading scorer in the Tournament, Billy was selected as the MVP.
The Team in 1965-66 was (1st 5 were the starters):
Frank Gadjunas 6-9/JR/C - from LaSalle High School
Bernie (not Bob) Schaffer 6-5/F - from Haverford High
Joe Crews 6-4/SO/F - from Bishop McDevitt - only player to make the varsity from the freshman team and would average 11.6ppg/6.6rpg over his 3 year career.
Charlie Coleman 6-0/SR/G - a Parade All American from Darby-Colwyn H.S. (Charlie always comes back for the "Alumni Walk" at our last home game before Christmas).
Billy Melchionni 6-2/SR/G - from Bishop Eustace Prep - played 2 years with the 76ers and 7 years with the N.Y. Nets in the ABA.
Kevin Traynor 6-0/SR/G - from Monsignor Bonner
Joe Turk 6-2/G-F - from LaSalle H.S.
Terry McGuire 6-4/F - from Cleveland, Ohio
Larry Livers 6-2/SR/F - from Norristown H.S. - he was "on loan" from Jumbo Elliot's track team. Larry was the IC4-A Hurdling Champion that year.
Head Coach - Jack Kraft in his 5th year. Kraft had gone 21-7, 19-10, 24-4 and 24-4 in his 1st 4 years.
Head recruiter - George Raveling
Trainer - Jake Nevin
