Of halls of fame in general and Ohio State’s Joe Roberts in particular

This tale is something about Joe Roberts, a decorated basketball player who went from East Large to the NBA by means of Ohio Point out, and is the only starter from Ohio State’s 1960 NCAA countrywide championship group not in the school’s athletic corridor of fame.

But the tale commences with Tom Beck, who died Could 8 at age 89, and who gained tribute in this area. Beck was a instructor and coach in the Columbus Town Faculties process. He received the Whetstone Superior soccer system up and functioning after the university opened in 1961 and, as we pointed out, he could begin a track system anyplace.

On Veteran’s Day, my thoughts ended up with Beck – who was born the exact same calendar year as my late father, a fellow Korean War veteran. You know the style: assistance to one’s place is a duty and there’s no need to talk about it.

Beck’s athletes knew him as an constantly-beneficial mentor and motivator. Beck’s colleagues had been informed that the person put up figures. And he did it the “correct way.”

Beck received additional than 200 twin- and tri-meets at Whetstone and Briggs. He experienced a condition runner-up group at Briggs. He coached multiple specific point out champions and was tapped for many regional and countrywide invitationals.

Upon Beck’s passing, previous New Albany coach Roy Alt was prompted to write a letter to The Dispatch athletics editor. Alt is nonetheless hoping the Ohio Affiliation of Track and Cross State Coaches Corridor of Fame will but enshrine Beck, who has twice been nominated.

“In Korea on a night time mine-sweeping soirée, Tom’s squad was lit up by mortars,” Alt wrote. “Two Marines have been killed, numerous poorly hurt, and Tom wore a band of shrapnel around his neck for a life time. That alone was more than enough to punch his ticket.”

Lately, there was in this place a piece about Chuck Ealey – who in the 1960s and ‘70s hardly ever misplaced a activity in large school (Portsmouth Notre Dame) or college (Toledo). I wrote about about Ealey’s far too-very long-delayed enshrinement in the Higher education Soccer Hall of Fame, and best justice.

Tale carries on

Just one of Ealey’s schoolboy coaches was Dr. Chet Corbitt – who, not incidentally, was a contemporary of Joe Roberts at Ohio Condition. Corbitt has his missions. One particular of them was recognition for Ealey. Another is recognition for Roberts.

Roberts turned 86 on May possibly 18, the working day in advance of Tom Beck’s wake.

Roberts was, with perpetually underrated Dick Furry, the co-captain of the 1960 Buckeyes, who went 25-3 and conquer Cal by 20 points in the NCAA ultimate. Roberts was a cerebral, functional, athletic and physical energy ahead. He experienced 19 details and 9 rebounds in the regional closing and 10 factors and 5 boards in the championship recreation.

Roberts averaged 8.6 details and 8.6 rebounds over 3 decades. While he, like the rest of coach Fred Taylor’s charges, wore a tie to class and graduated with honors, you did not want to provide that weak stuff within. Roberts, 6 toes 6 and 235 lbs ., would not have it.

The Tremendous Sophs of 1959-60 – Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek (RIP), Mel Nowell, Bobby Knight and Gary Gearhart – produced it to 3 consecutive NCAA championship games. They received the title as sophomores, the initially year they were suitable. They lost to Cincinnati (with no Oscar!) in the 1961 and ‘62 finals.

It is really frequently speculated why Lucas, who dominated his period, did not insert yet another one or two titles to his amazing university vocation. Accidents had been a factor. Yet a more substantial aspect may well be this: As authors Lee Caryer and Bob Hunter have pointed out, graduations in 1960 and ’61 sapped crucial expertise from those people groups.

After the championship yr of 1960, the Buckeyes were without having their captains – Furry, a ferocious rebounder who subjugated himself to a sixth-male position, and Roberts, whose brains and sinew sure together the starting off lineup. (And after 1961, they ended up without the need of Larry Siegfried, RIP, an ice-cold scorer who went on to acquire five NBA titles with the Celtics.) Irreplaceable.

Like the 4 other starters in the championship yr of 1960, Roberts was drafted into the professional ranks. He performed four years in NBA, a 12 months in the ABA and was a participant-coach in the semi-specialist leagues (like for the Columbus Comets of the old Jap League).

And this is great:

The 1975 NBA Finals was the 1st to characteristic two Black coaches, Al Attles of the Golden Condition Warriors and K.C. Jones of the Washington Bullets, the prohibitive beloved. Attles bought ejected early in Game 4 for charging the courtroom to protect his star (Rick Barry) – and Attles’ prime assistant, a Black child from the East Aspect by the identify of Joe Roberts, was abruptly tasked with completing what is continues to be as the largest upset sweep in NBA heritage. Which Roberts did.

The Warriors overcame an eight-stage deficit in the fourth quarter and won the first main trophy for the Bay Place. It was 40 yrs before the Warriors won yet another ring.

Ohio Point out has nonetheless to earn an additional basketball title.

marace@dispatch.com

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This write-up originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State basketball: Roberts key to staff with Lucas, Havlicek