Rutgers 85 Evansville 78

Evansville Courier - December 29, 1966

Evening Times (Trenton) - December 29, 1966

New Mexico State 80 Rutgers 58

Evansville Courier and Press - December 28, 1966

Evansville Courier Times - December 28, 1966

Evening Times (Trenton) - December 28,1966

Evening Times (Trenton) - December 28, 1966

Rutgers 87 Pitt 68

Pittsburgh Press - December 21, 1966

Pittsburgh Post Gazette - December 22, 1966

Rutgers 1919-20 Basketball Team 

Some of the pre-game articles in the Pittsburgh newspapers mention this was the first meeting between the two teams since 1920 - there's more than a little irony in that.  Above is a picture of the 1919-20 Rutgers basketball team which I found in the University archives while researching the commemorative NIT booklet.  The picture was taken shortly after they defeated Princeton by one point in overtime, the first Rutgers victory ever over Princeton in basketball and only the second Rutgers win over Princeton in any sport since the first football game in 1869.  That Rutgers team defeated Pitt in the second half of a swimming - basketball doubleheader, just to show that such events like this year's wrestling - football doubleheader are nothing new.  Admission to the swimming meet was 25 cents while tickets to the basketball game at Ballantine Gym cost $1.

The irony is that while it's often said the 1966-67 team was the first Rutgers basketball team to play in a post season tournament, that honor belongs to the 1919-20 team.  Long before there was an NCAA tournament there was a national AAU tournament which included college and amateur teams.  Rutgers was invited to the 1920 tournament played in Atlanta and proceeded to defeat Utah, Georgia, an AAU team from Detroit before losing to NYU (and Howard McCann) in the championship game - four games in four nights.  Rutgers went to the tournament without its coach, Frank Hill because he couldn't get off from his day job (nor related to basketball).  In addition to being the Rutgers coach, Hill was simultaneously the coach at Seton Hall.

Pittsburgh Post Gazette - December 23, 1966

Pittsburgh Post Gazette - December 23, 1966

Pittsburgh Press - December 23, 1966

Pittsburgh Press - December 23, 1966

Georgetown 90 Rutgers 87

Courier News - December 20, 1966

Neil and I had a lot of experiencing fill out this form after each game ended up calculating a plus/minus score for every player

Rutgers 92 Delaware 73

New Journal (Delaware) - December 19, 1966

Jim would have loved the above headline

The Morning News (Delaware) - December 19, 1966

Rutgers Daily Targum - December 19, 1966

Rutgers 83 Missouri 73 (Overtime)

Note how far fewer regular season college games were played at the "Garden," compared to the Palestra - interesting that we got to play there twice.  Also note upper left the Midtown Motor Inn where we stated during the NIT.

Passaic Herald News - December 16, 1966

Democrat Chronicle (Rochester) - December 16, 1966

Lincoln Star (Nebraska) - December 16, 1966 - The "Greek" rates headlines in Nebraska

Poughkeepsie Journal - December 16, 1966 - Jim finally gets some respect from the media.

An Internet search for newspaper articles about the Missouri game produced almost 200 hits, an illustration as how important Madison Square Garden was to college basketball at the time. Newspapers throughout the country picked up wire service accounts of the game.

Sometimes, however, the final word comes from a source, more private and personal, but no less important. The following is the text of a letter sent by Ron Reisler, Rutgers Class of 1965 to Coach Foster from a military hospital in Vietnam a few days after the Missouri game.  It was posted on the bulletin board in the Rutgers locker room and a photo copy of the letter is in the Rutgers University archives.

"Dear Coach Foster," 

Unbeknownst to you, I graduated with the Class of 1965.  It was only then that some of us began to appreciate what you were doing for Rutgers - and her basketball fortunes.  This afternoon I had the opportunity of listening to RU's outstanding victory, of great individual and team play, over the University of Missouri.

I had been admitted to the hospital earlier in the week with dysentery, but the team's wonderful victory made me feel 100% better and you can be sure that my pride was noticed by everyone in sight.  I want to extend my best wishes to you and the team over the holiday season and the remainder of the competitive season.

I hope to be home on leave during the post season tournaments, and though I live in Illinois, you can bet I'll be where the action is.

Thanks from all of us who are here.

Ronald A. Resiler,

1st Lieutenant"

Rutgers 69 Columbia 62

The New York Times - December 14, 1966

Rutgers Daily Targum - December 14, 1966

Rutgers 118 Colgate 75

30 points from old "D'v'o"of Rutgers - Jim still not getting any respect!

Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester) - 12-11-1966

Who is the hidden Scarlet Knight?  Picture from Rutgers Daily Targum - December 12, 1966

Rutgers Daily Targum - December 12, 1966

Rutgers 102 - Glassboro 53

Remember the Dunkel ratings, note that they were originated in 1929, hard to believe.

Philadelphia Inquirer - December 8, 1966

When I first looked at this box score, I thought for a minute that Jimmy didn't play, but then realized he was "Balzona,"  supported by "Bitesa" and "Erittelle," talk about not getting any respect!

Rutgers Daily Targum - December 8, 1966