Ed Kalafat, former Gophers star and first round pick of the Lakers, dead at 86

BleedGopher

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per the STrib:

Ed Kalafat, a Gophers basketball standout who went on to play three years for the Minneapolis Lakers, died Monday.

Kalafat, who lived in St. Paul, was 86.

The Anaconda, Mont., native was one of the first Gophers basketball players from outside the immediate five-state area. Kalafat was all-state in football and basketball at Anaconda High School and led the basketball team to a state championship in 1948.


The 6-6, 240-pound Kalafat was the Gophers’ starting center for three seasons — 1951-52, 1952-53 and 1953-54. He led the Gophers in scoring in his first two seasons and was captain and MVP of the 1953-54 team, which included future NBA players Dick Garmaker and Chuck Mencel.

The Gophers, coached by Ozzie Cowles, were 46-20 overall and 31-15 in the Big Ten — finishing in third place each season — during Kalafat’s three seasons. One of the highlights was in the 1951-52 season, when Kalafat scored 30 points to lead the Gophers to a 61-57 victory over No. 1-ranked Kentucky, the defending NCAA champion.

Following his senior season, he was selected in the first round (ninth overall) of the 1954 NBA draft by the Minneapolis Lakers. He spent three seasons with the Lakers, averaging 7.1 points and 5.7 rebounds

http://www.startribune.com/ed-kalaf...ound-pick-of-the-lakers-dead-at-86/562682202/

Go Gophers!!
 





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