THIS DAY IN GOPHER HISTORY- NOVEMBER 30, 1963

Nomellini

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Minnesota 76 at Kansas State 66
It is the first game together for 3 prize recruits brought in by John Kundla. One just played 2 years at Minnesota, but these 3 ushered in a new era of Gopher basketball, one in which black players would bring huge changes in style and substance.
Can you name them?
In this game, 12 points are scored by a 6'7" lefty from Richfield. He would lead the Gopher baseball team to an NCAA title in 1964 as a first baseman and go on to be a power-hitting AAA terror in the Cleveland system but he never succeeded at the big league level. Can you name him?
 

Bill Davis.

Center was Mel Northway

The three prized recruits were Lou Hudson, Archie Clark and Don Yates.

Also on the team was guard Terry Kunze who averaged 20+ pts per game(previous year) I believe. From Duluth East.

Edit: Make that Duluth Central for Kunze.
 

Leo: Was Eric Magdanz on that team?
Edit: No, he graduated I think the year before.
 

Had it not been for great class Michigan had during the years of Clark, Yates, and Hudson the Gophers would have won a Big Ten Title. The fab 3 from Michigan were Cazzie Russall, Bill Buntin, and Oliver Darden.
 

Man, Archie Clark! Comes out of the military and is able to play basketball AND baseball in the Big Ten. Wow!
 


Bill Davis.

Center was Mel Northway

The three prized recruits were Lou Hudson, Archie Clark and Don Yates.

Also on the team was guard Terry Kunze who averaged 20+ pts per game(previous year) I believe. From Duluth East.

Edit: Make that Duluth Central for Kunze.

Loved watching those guys play together. Unfortunately Kunze was kicked out of school for cheating on a chemistry exam and Yates became academically ineligible. Sad ending for a great team.
 


Ray Cronk lost his academic eligibility a year or two before Kunze. Then there was Hudson's broken hand. The Gophers had a lot of talent during the early Kundla years but also a lot of bad luck.
 




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