Fifty years after winning Guilford's first national championship, members of the Quakers men's basketball team are being honored at a reunion Feb. 17-18.
“Fifty years ago tiny Guilford shocked the basketball world by winning the NAIA title. I think the only people who thought they could win were the ones who counted – the team itself. Festivities we have planned for this 50th anniversary are designed for fans who want to relive the incredible accomplishments of that team.”
One of the biggest moments in Guilford College athletics history will be celebrated Feb. 17-18 when the College honors the 1972-73 men’s basketball team that won the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) championship.
The team – players, managers and assistant coach Buzz Dunning – will be honored at a dinner Friday, Feb. 17, in the Carnegie Room of the Hege Academic Commons (library) on campus. On Saturday, Feb. 18, the team will be recognized at halftime of a 4:30 pm game between the nationally ranked Quakers (20-4) and defending NCAA Division III champion Randolph-Macon College at Ragan-Brown Fieldhouse.
Athletic director Bill Foti says it’s an honor bringing the team back together to mark the 50th anniversary of the title, Guilford’s first national championship.
“Fifty years ago tiny Guilford shocked the basketball world by winning the NAIA title. I think the only people who thought they could win were the ones who counted – the team itself,” says Bill. “Festivities we have planned for this 50th anniversary are designed for fans who want to relive the incredible accomplishments of that team.”
The Quakers, coached by the late Jack Jensen and with three future NBA players in M.L. Carr '73, Greg Jackson '74 and World Free '76 on the team, won five games in six days at the NAIA national tournament in Kansas City to win the title. Guilford was also the first unseeded team to win the tournament and remains the only North Carolina college or university to ever win the NAIA basketball championship.
Friday’s dinner is open to the public. Tickets are $50 per person. Groups can reserve a table for seven for $1,000, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Quaker Club. Anyone interested purchasing a ticket or reserving a table should contact Athletic Director Bill Foti at wfoti@guilford.edu.
On Friday at 3 pm, the new women’s basketball locker room will be dedicated with a reception to follow in Forbes Sports Center. The locker room was made possible by a generous gift from Rich and the late Bev Ulmer in memory of his mother, Audrie Gardam ’41. The women’s basketball team (20-4) plays the next day at 2 pm at home against Randolph-Macon College.