Owls' 1969 NIT champs to be honored
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Owls' 1969 NIT champs to be honored
At halftime of Sunday afternoon’s game at the Liacoruas Center against Rhode Island, Temple will honor its 1969 NIT championship team, which beat Bob Cousy’s Boston College squad in the finals in New York.
Seven members of the late, great Harry Litwack’s team will join assistant coaches Don Casey and Jay Norman at the ceremony. Litwack, whose name adorns center court along with that of fellow Hall of Famer John Chaney, will be represented by members of his family.
Players who’ll be in attendance are current assistant athletic director and radio color analyst John Baum, Joe Cromer, Bill Strunk, Tom Wieczerak, Pat Cassidy, Gordon Mulava and John Richardson. Managers Doug Verb and longtime Inquirer sports writer Mel Greenberg are also being recognized.
Also, Dionte Christmas has been named as one of 10 finalists for the Lowe’s Senior Class Award given annually to recognize outstanding senior basketball student-athletes.
Joining Christmas as finalists are A.J. Abrams (Texas), Jimmy Baron (Rhode Island), Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina), Lester Hudson (Tennessee-Martin), Curtis Jerrells (Baylor), Jerel McNeal (Marquette), Andy Wicke (Belmont), Terrence Williams (Louisville) and Sam Young (Pittsburgh).
seriously this team cemented a life long love for temple owls basketball— malco49
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I went to the Garden for two of the four great wins in '69. JB, Cromer, Mast (RIP)et al. Baum is a class act to this day, a great spokesperson for Temple. But where is Tony Brocchi now (who gutted the '69 NIT out on a sprained ankle as I recall)? GO OWLS!!— Tempmike
