In the 1950s, it was Adolph Rupp and Kentucky that ruled college basketball
In the 1950s, it was Adolph Rupp and Kentucky that ruled college basketball
FILE - Kentucky basketball coach Adolph Rupp talks to players, from left, Cliff Hagan, Lou Tsioropoulos and Frank Ramsey (30) in Lexington, Ky., Jan. 16, 1954. (AP Photo/John Wyatt, File)
FILE - University of Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp gestures from the bench in Lexington, Ky., in January 1954. (AP Photo/File)
University of Illinois coach Harry Combes, foreground center, raises a fist with his team after beating North Carolina State in an NCAA Tournament college basketball quarterfinal game in New York in 1951. In street clothes are assistant coach Howie Braun, front right, and trainer Ike Hill, obscured at rear right. Players identified are: Bob Peterson (25), Herb Gerecke (38), Irv Bemoras (26), and Ted Beach (8). Illinois advanced to the national semifinals against Kentucky where they lost 76-74. . (Chicago Tribune via AP)
FILE - City College of New York center Ed Roman leaps past the outstretched arm of Kentucky’s Shelby Linville (11) to score in the second half of a quarterfinal game in the National Invitation Tournament college basketball game at New York’s Madison Square Garden, March 14, 1950. Ma. Kentucky guard Dale Barnstable (18) is at center. CCNY beat Kentucky 89-50. (AP Photo/Matty Zimmerman, File)
FILE - University of Kentucky’s Cliff Hagan sails towards the basket as Temple’s John Kane (7) comes in from the right for the rebound, Dec. 5, 1953. Hagan scored on the play. (AP Photo/H.B. Littlell, File)
FILE - The Kentucky basketball team celebrates winning the NCAA college basketball championship after defeating Kansas State 68-58 in Minneapolis, March 27, 1951. At center right in street clothes is coach Adolph Rupp. (AP Photo/Chet Magnuson, File)
FILE - North Carolina State’s Ronnie Shavlik takes the ball from Wake Forest’s Jack Williams, obscured behind Shavlik, during the Atlantic Coast Conference NCAA college basketball tournament in Raleigh, N.C., March 3, 1956. (AP Photo/Rudolph Faircloth, File)
FILE - University of San Francisco’s star center Bill Russell scores against St. Mary’s College in Richmond, Calif., Feb. 23, 1956. San Francisco won, 74-63. (AP Photo)
FILE - North Carolina players hoist head coach Frank McGuire as they celebrate their 54-53 victory over Kansas in the NCAA college basketball championship final in Kansas City, Mo., March 23, 1957. (AP Photo/William P. Straeter, File)
FILE - Cincinnati’s Oscar Robertson (12) grabs a rebound against Kansas State during an NCAA college basketball regional elimination game in Manhattan, Kan., in March 1959. At far right is Kansas State’s Bob Boozer (30). (AP Photo/File)
FILE - Kentucky basketball coach Adolph Rupp talks to players, from left, Cliff Hagan, Lou Tsioropoulos and Frank Ramsey (30) in Lexington, Ky., Jan. 16, 1954. (AP Photo/John Wyatt, File)
FILE - Kentucky basketball coach Adolph Rupp talks to players, from left, Cliff Hagan, Lou Tsioropoulos and Frank Ramsey (30) in Lexington, Ky., Jan. 16, 1954. (AP Photo/John Wyatt, File)
FILE - University of Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp gestures from the bench in Lexington, Ky., in January 1954. (AP Photo/File)
FILE - University of Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp gestures from the bench in Lexington, Ky., in January 1954. (AP Photo/File)
University of Illinois coach Harry Combes, foreground center, raises a fist with his team after beating North Carolina State in an NCAA Tournament college basketball quarterfinal game in New York in 1951. In street clothes are assistant coach Howie Braun, front right, and trainer Ike Hill, obscured at rear right. Players identified are: Bob Peterson (25), Herb Gerecke (38), Irv Bemoras (26), and Ted Beach (8). Illinois advanced to the national semifinals against Kentucky where they lost 76-74. . (Chicago Tribune via AP)
University of Illinois coach Harry Combes, foreground center, raises a fist with his team after beating North Carolina State in an NCAA Tournament college basketball quarterfinal game in New York in 1951. In street clothes are assistant coach Howie Braun, front right, and trainer Ike Hill, obscured at rear right. Players identified are: Bob Peterson (25), Herb Gerecke (38), Irv Bemoras (26), and Ted Beach (8). Illinois advanced to the national semifinals against Kentucky where they lost 76-74. . (Chicago Tribune via AP)
FILE - City College of New York center Ed Roman leaps past the outstretched arm of Kentucky’s Shelby Linville (11) to score in the second half of a quarterfinal game in the National Invitation Tournament college basketball game at New York’s Madison Square Garden, March 14, 1950. Ma. Kentucky guard Dale Barnstable (18) is at center. CCNY beat Kentucky 89-50. (AP Photo/Matty Zimmerman, File)
FILE - City College of New York center Ed Roman leaps past the outstretched arm of Kentucky’s Shelby Linville (11) to score in the second half of a quarterfinal game in the National Invitation Tournament college basketball game at New York’s Madison Square Garden, March 14, 1950. Ma. Kentucky guard Dale Barnstable (18) is at center. CCNY beat Kentucky 89-50. (AP Photo/Matty Zimmerman, File)
FILE - University of Kentucky’s Cliff Hagan sails towards the basket as Temple’s John Kane (7) comes in from the right for the rebound, Dec. 5, 1953. Hagan scored on the play. (AP Photo/H.B. Littlell, File)
FILE - University of Kentucky’s Cliff Hagan sails towards the basket as Temple’s John Kane (7) comes in from the right for the rebound, Dec. 5, 1953. Hagan scored on the play. (AP Photo/H.B. Littlell, File)
FILE - The Kentucky basketball team celebrates winning the NCAA college basketball championship after defeating Kansas State 68-58 in Minneapolis, March 27, 1951. At center right in street clothes is coach Adolph Rupp. (AP Photo/Chet Magnuson, File)
FILE - The Kentucky basketball team celebrates winning the NCAA college basketball championship after defeating Kansas State 68-58 in Minneapolis, March 27, 1951. At center right in street clothes is coach Adolph Rupp. (AP Photo/Chet Magnuson, File)
FILE - North Carolina State’s Ronnie Shavlik takes the ball from Wake Forest’s Jack Williams, obscured behind Shavlik, during the Atlantic Coast Conference NCAA college basketball tournament in Raleigh, N.C., March 3, 1956. (AP Photo/Rudolph Faircloth, File)
FILE - North Carolina State’s Ronnie Shavlik takes the ball from Wake Forest’s Jack Williams, obscured behind Shavlik, during the Atlantic Coast Conference NCAA college basketball tournament in Raleigh, N.C., March 3, 1956. (AP Photo/Rudolph Faircloth, File)
FILE - University of San Francisco’s star center Bill Russell scores against St. Mary’s College in Richmond, Calif., Feb. 23, 1956. San Francisco won, 74-63. (AP Photo)
FILE - University of San Francisco’s star center Bill Russell scores against St. Mary’s College in Richmond, Calif., Feb. 23, 1956. San Francisco won, 74-63. (AP Photo)
FILE - North Carolina players hoist head coach Frank McGuire as they celebrate their 54-53 victory over Kansas in the NCAA college basketball championship final in Kansas City, Mo., March 23, 1957. (AP Photo/William P. Straeter, File)
FILE - North Carolina players hoist head coach Frank McGuire as they celebrate their 54-53 victory over Kansas in the NCAA college basketball championship final in Kansas City, Mo., March 23, 1957. (AP Photo/William P. Straeter, File)
FILE - Cincinnati’s Oscar Robertson (12) grabs a rebound against Kansas State during an NCAA college basketball regional elimination game in Manhattan, Kan., in March 1959. At far right is Kansas State’s Bob Boozer (30). (AP Photo/File)
FILE - Cincinnati’s Oscar Robertson (12) grabs a rebound against Kansas State during an NCAA college basketball regional elimination game in Manhattan, Kan., in March 1959. At far right is Kansas State’s Bob Boozer (30). (AP Photo/File)
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The college basketball landscape in the 1950s was dominated by the Baron of the Bluegrass, Adolph Rupp, who led Kentucky to the last two of his four national championships while putting the finishing touches on a dynasty that remains to this day.
It wasn’t a perfect decade for the Wildcats, though.
The school was embroiled in a point-shaving scandal in 1951, when four of Rupp’s players were accused of taking bribes from gamblers ahead of an NIT game against Loyola during the 1948-49 season. An investigation by the NCAA found several violations, including allowing ineligible players to compete, and that led to the cancellation of its 1952-53 season.
The Wildcats rebounded to go undefeated the following season, but they declined to play in the NCAA Tournament because of an antiquated rule — long since abolished — that made three of their stars ineligible because they had graduated.
That didn’t stop AP Top 25 voters from keeping the Wildcats at No. 1 most of the season.
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Top 25, The Associated Press compiled its weekly polls to crown the all-time No. 1, as well as determine the best programs of each decade. They were awarded points based on how they fared on each ballot, just as they are in weekly rankings today, and the Wildcats led the 1950s with 2,963 points. Here are the other top schools:
NORTH CAROLINA STATE (1,931 points)
Just about the only thing that Everett Case didn’t win with the Wolfpack was a national championship. After helping to form the ACC in 1953, he led North Carolina State to four conference tournament titles.
ILLINOIS (1,790)
The Fighting Illini went to three Final Fours during a four-year stretch under Harry Combes, who went straight from coaching high school ball in Champaign to the Big Ten. But they never reached the national title game.
KANSAS STATE (1,613)
Jack Gardner built the Wildcats into a power before his protégé, Tex Winter, took made them a juggernaut. The innovator of the triangle offense led them to three conference titles during the 1950s and the 1958 Final Four.
BRADLEY (1,454)
The teams of Forddy Anderson were national runner-ups in 1950 and ’54, when Bob Carney starred for them, and continued to have success under Chuck Orsborn. But like Kentucky, the 1951 season was tainted by the same point-shaving scandal.
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