Herm Schaefer began playing basketball in the fourth grade in Fort Wayne, Indiana where he and his best friend, Curly Armstrong , began a stretch that saw them play sixteen straight years together. Schaefer attended Central High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana and then went to the University of Indiana. He was starter on the Hoosiers’ 1940 NCAA Championship team. Schaefer joined the the Fort Wayne Pistons in 1941, the same year the team entered the National Basketball League. He played for the Pistons for two seasons before he departed for military service during World War II. Schaefer returned to play for Fort Wayne late in the 1945-46 season.In the late 1940’s, Schaefer played on three straight championship teams with the Minneapolis Lakers. Schaefer was hired to coach the Indianapolis Olympians for the 1951-52 season. The team was devastated just weeks before the season began, when the two best players, Alex Groza and Ralph Beard, were implicated in college point-shaving scandal and permanently banned from professional basketball. Despite the loss of the two stars, Indianapolis improved its record over the season before but the franchise had been irrevocably damaged by the scandal and folded after one more season.
| HERM SCHAEFER |
Height: |
6:00 |
|
Weight: |
175 |
|
|
College: |
Indiana’41 |
| Herman Henry Schaeffer |
Born: Dec 20, 1918 |
Died: Mar 21, 1980 |
|
Hometown: |
Fort Wayne, In. |
|
|
|
|
|
REGULAR SEASON RECORD |
|
|
| Year |
Team |
League |
GA |
FGM |
FTM |
FTA |
PCT. |
AST |
PTS |
AVG |
|
| 1937-38 |
Indiana (Frosh) |
College |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1938-39 |
Indiana |
College |
11 |
19 |
9 |
16 |
.563 |
|
47 |
4.3 |
|
| 1939-40 |
Indiana |
College |
23 |
77 |
30 |
53 |
.566 |
|
184 |
8.0 |
|
| 1940-41 |
Indiana |
College |
20 |
42 |
27 |
40 |
.675 |
|
111 |
5.6 |
|
| 1941-42 |
Fort Wayne |
NBL |
24 |
85 |
37 |
|
|
|
207 |
8.6 |
|
| 1942-43 |
Fort Wayne |
NBL |
21 |
36 |
12 |
|
|
|
84 |
4.0 |
|
| 1943-45 |
U.S. Navy |
Military Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1944-45 |
Washington |
ABL |
1 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
|
6 |
6.0 |
|
| 1944-45 |
Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons |
Indep |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1945-46 |
Fort Wayne |
NBL |
15 |
10 |
3 |
|
|
|
23 |
1.5 |
|
| 1946-47 |
Indianapolis |
NBL |
44 |
147 |
65 |
90 |
.722 |
|
359 |
8.2 |
|
| 1947-48 |
IIndianapolis–Minneapoli |
NBL |
57 |
110 |
78 |
96 |
.813 |
|
298 |
5.2 |
|
| 1948-49 |
Minneapolis |
BAA |
58 |
214 |
174 |
213 |
.817 |
185 |
602 |
10.4 |
|
| 1949-50 |
Minneapolis |
NBA |
65 |
122 |
86 |
101 |
.851 |
203 |
330 |
5.1 |
|
|
Major League Totals |
|
285 |
726 |
457 |
|
|
|
1909 |
6.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PLAYOFF RECORD |
|
|
|
| Year |
Team |
League |
GA |
FGM |
FTM |
FTA |
PCT. |
AST |
PTS |
AVG |
|
| 1941-42 |
Fort Wayne |
NBL |
6 |
13 |
5 |
|
|
|
31 |
5.2 |
|
| 1941-42 |
Fort Wayne |
WBT |
1 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
1.000 |
|
10 |
10.0 |
|
| 1942-43 |
Fort Wayne |
NBL |
5 |
6 |
3 |
|
|
|
15 |
3.0 |
|
| 1942-43 |
Fort Wayne |
WBT |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
1.000 |
|
11 |
2.8 |
|
| 1944-45 |
Fort Wayne |
WBT |
3 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
|
8 |
2.7 |
|
| 1945-46 |
Dayton Mickeys |
WBT |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
.000 |
|
6 |
6.0 |
|
| 1946-47 |
Indianapolis |
NBL |
5 |
22 |
14 |
18 |
.778 |
|
58 |
11.6 |
|
| 1946-47 |
Indianapolis |
WBT |
3 |
15 |
9 |
9 |
1.000 |
|
39 |
13.0 |
|
| 1947-48 |
Minneapolis |
NBL |
11 |
52 |
33 |
40 |
.825 |
|
137 |
12.5 |
|
| 1947-48 |
Minneapolis |
WBT |
3 |
16 |
3 |
3 |
1.000 |
|
35 |
11.7 |
|
| 1948-49 |
Minneapolis |
NBL |
10 |
48 |
28 |
32 |
.875 |
|
124 |
12.4 |
|
| 1949-50 |
Minneapolis |
NBA |
12 |
16 |
19 |
22 |
.864 |
|
51 |
4.3 |
|
|
Major League Totals |
|
64 |
202 |
121 |
|
|
|
525 |
8.2 |
|
Joseph “Joey” Schaaf was named a Helms Foundation All-American at the University of Pennsylvania in 1928 and 1929. Schaaf led the Eastern Intercollegiate League in scoring and Penn to the conference championship both seasons. After college, Schaaf served as freshmen basketball coach at Penn and coached high school basketball in Philadelphia. In the mid 1930’s , SChaaf began teaching and coaching at Reading Central Catholic High School. His team won the the 1949-50 Class-A State Championship. Schaaf played professional basketball for three and half seasons. In his rookie season, 1930-31, he led the Eastern Basketball League in scoring. Schaaf, without a doubt, had the ability to star in the pro game, but voluntarily bowed out after just a few years.
| JOEY SCHAAF |
Height: |
5:11 |
|
Weight: |
165 |
|
|
College: |
Pennsylvania’29 |
| Joseph George Schaaf |
Born: Aug 5, 1906 |
|
Died: Jun, 1979 |
Hometown: |
Shenandoah, Pa. |
|
|
|
REGULAR SEASON RECORD |
|
|
|
| Year |
Team |
League |
GA |
FGM |
FTM |
FTA |
PCT. |
AST |
PTS |
AVG |
|
| 1925-26 |
Pennsylvania |
College |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1926-27 |
Pennsylvania |
College |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1927-28 |
Pennsylvania |
College |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1928-29 |
Pennsylvania |
College |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1929-20 |
Pennsylvania AC |
AAU |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1930-31 |
Wilmington |
EBL |
35 |
99 |
146 |
|
|
|
344 |
9.8 |
|
| 1931-32 |
Wilmington–Bridgeton |
EBL |
22 |
50 |
67 |
|
|
|
167 |
7.6 |
|
| 1932-33 |
Bridgeton–Philadelphia WPEN |
EBL |
23 |
41 |
53 |
|
|
|
135 |
5.9 |
|
| 1932-33 |
Paterson |
MBL |
3 |
2 |
0 |
|
|
|
4 |
1.3 |
|
| 1933-34 |
Philadelphia Turners |
EBL |
6 |
20 |
21 |
|
|
|
61 |
10.2 |
|
|
Major League Totals |
|
48 |
93 |
120 |
|
|
|
306 |
6.4 |
|
Ben Schadler went to Benton Harbor, Michigan High School. He was the star of the state champion basketball team and the starting quaterback on the state champion football team. He was also senior class president. Schadler attended Western Michigan University where he payed varsity football, basketball and baseball. In his senior year, he was named a basketball All-American. Scadler played professional basketball for two seasons.
| BEN SCHADLER |
Height: |
6:02 |
|
Weight: |
185 |
|
College: |
Northwestern’47 |
| Bernard R. Schadler |
Born: Mar 9, 1924 |
Died: |
Jan 30, |
2015 |
|
Hometown: |
Benton Harbor, MI. |
|
|
|
REGULAR SEASON RECORD |
|
|
|
|
| Year |
Team |
League |
GA |
FGM |
FTM |
FTA |
PCT. |
AST |
PTS |
AVG |
|
| 1947-48 |
Chicago |
BAA |
37 |
23 |
10 |
13 |
.769 |
|
56 |
1.5 |
|
| 1948-49 |
Detroit–Waterloo |
NBL |
53 |
150 |
58 |
89 |
.652 |
|
358 |
6.8 |
|
|
Major League Totals |
|
90 |
173 |
68 |
102 |
.667 |
|
414 |
4.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PLAYOFF RECORD |
|
|
|
|
| Year |
Team |
League |
GA |
FGM |
FTM |
FTA |
PCT. |
AST |
PTS |
AVG |
|
| 1947-48 |
Chicago |
BAA |
4 |
5 |
0 |
2 |
.000 |
|
10 |
2.5 |
|
|
Major League Totals |
|
4 |
5 |
0 |
2 |
.000 |
|
10 |
2.5 |
|
Ted Scalissi played professional football for the Chicago Rockets of the All-American Football Conference in 1947.
| TED SCALISSI |
Height: |
5:08 |
|
Weight: |
165 |
|
College: |
Ripon’47 |
| Theodore Glenn Scalissi |
Born: Oct 26, 1921 |
Dead: Jan 6, 1987 |
Hometown: |
Madison, Wi. |
| Played Professional Football |
|
REGULAR SEASON RECORD |
|
|
|
| Year |
Team |
League |
GA |
FGM |
FTM |
FTA |
PCT. |
AST |
PTS |
AVG |
|
| 1944-46 |
US Army |
Military Service |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1946-47 |
Ripon |
College |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1946-47 |
Oshosh All-Stars |
Indep |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1947-48 |
Oshkosh |
NBL |
7 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
1.000 |
|
0.7 |
|
|
| 1947-48 |
Beaver Dam (Wi) Olo Soap |
Indep |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Major League Totals |
|
7 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
1.000 |
|
0.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
POST SEASON RECORD |
|
|
|
| Year |
Team |
League |
GA |
FGM |
FTM |
FTA |
PCT. |
AST |
PTS |
AVG |
8 |
| 1946-47 |
Oshkosh All-Stars |
WBT |
4 |
12 |
2 |
2 |
1.000 |
|
26 |
6.5 |
|
|
Major League Totals |
|
4 |
12 |
2 |
2 |
1.000 |
|
26 |
6.5 |
|
Rusty Saunders was the son of an early pro basketball player, Jack Saunders, who appeared briefly in the National Basketball League before the turn of the century. By the time he was 15 years old, the young Saunders was a strapping six-footer who weighed over 200 pounds and was prominent in the Trenton city basketball league that was dotted with tough ex- professional players. Saunders made his major league debut with his hometown Trenton club in 1924. The next year, he signed with Brooklyn entry in the new American Basketball League. Early in the season, he was traded to Washington. The 19-year-old Saunders was the surprise sensation of the 1925-26 ABL season. He led the league in points scored and then repeated the feat again in 1926-27. He was sold to Fort Wayne in the middle of 1927-28 season, were he starred for the next three and half years. The Hoosiers got to the ABL finals in 1928 and 1929, but were crushed both times by the New York Celtics. They made it to the finals once again in 1931, but lost to the Brooklyn Visitation. In the early 1930s, Saunders returned to his hometown for two seasons. He led Trenton to the Eastern Basketball League title in 1932-33. Trenton moved into the reconstructed ABL for the 1933-34 season. Trenton won 14 of 15 games to capture the first half of the split season. Saunders led all scorers in the playoffs, but the Moose succumbed to the SPHAS in six games. Saunders remained in the ABL for three more seasons, before he signed with the barnstorming New York Celtics for three seasons in the late 1930’s. In 1940, Dutch Dehnert signed Saunders to National Basketball League contract with Detroit Eagles, but injuries and age had robbed him of his skills and he was released at mid-season. Saunders left behind a legacy of hard work and unbridled determination to win, and the memories of his contemporaries that rated him behind only Dehnert as a master of the pivot play.
Saunders also played professional baseball from 1927 through 1933. He appeared in five major league with the Philadelphia Athletics late in the 1927 season, but never returned to the big leagues.
| RUSTY SAUNDERS |
Height: |
6:02 |
|
Weight: |
215 |
|
College: |
None |
| Russell Collier Saunders |
Born: Mar 12, 1906 |
Died: Nov 24, 1967 |
|
Hometown: |
Trenton, NJ |
| Son of Jack Saunders |
|
REGULAR SEASON RECORD |
|
|
|
|
| Year |
Team |
League |
GA |
FGM |
FTM |
FTA |
PCT. |
AST |
PTS |
AVG |
|
| 1924-25 |
Trenton–Kingston |
MBL |
9 |
3 |
12 |
|
|
|
18 |
2.0 |
|
| 1925-26 |
Trenton |
EBL |
4 |
11 |
0 |
|
|
|
22 |
5.5 |
|
| 1925-26 |
Brooklyn–Washington |
ABL |
34 |
73 |
92 |
|
|
|
238 |
7.0 |
|
| 1926-27 |
Washington |
ABL |
42 |
119 |
161 |
|
|
|
399 |
9.5 |
|
| 1927-28 |
Washington/Brooklyn–Fort Wayne |
ABL |
50 |
127 |
76 |
|
|
|
330 |
6.6 |
|
| 1928-29 |
Fort Wayne |
ABL |
42 |
104 |
50 |
|
|
|
258 |
6.1 |
|
| 1929-30 |
Fort Wayne |
ABL |
53 |
88 |
42 |
|
|
|
218 |
4.1 |
|
| 1930-31 |
Fort Wayne |
BAA |
40 |
67 |
35 |
|
|
|
169 |
4.2 |
|
| 1931-32 |
Toledo Red Men |
Indep |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1932-33 |
Brooklyn Visistation–Yonkers |
MBL |
27 |
56 |
17 |
|
|
|
129 |
4.8 |
|
| 1932-33 |
Trenton |
ESBL |
31 |
72 |
66 |
|
|
|
210 |
6.8 |
|
| 1933-34 |
Trenton |
ABL |
43 |
140 |
76 |
|
|
|
356 |
8.3 |
|
| 1933-34 |
Wilkes-Barre |
PSL |
16 |
29 |
24 |
|
|
|
82 |
5.1 |
|
| 1934-35 |
Boston–New Britain Mules |
ABL |
39 |
58 |
40 |
|
|
|
156 |
4.0 |
|
| 1934-35 |
Wilkes-Barre |
PSL |
4 |
9 |
4 |
|
|
|
22 |
5.5 |
|
| 1935-36 |
Paterson/Trenton/Passiac |
ABL |
34 |
68 |
38 |
|
|
|
174 |
5.1 |
|
| 1935-36 |
Atlantic City |
EBL |
6 |
9 |
8 |
|
|
|
26 |
4.3 |
|
| 1935-36 |
Pittston |
PSL |
7 |
11 |
11 |
|
|
|
33 |
4.7 |
|
| 1936-37 |
Atlantic City–Kingston |
ABL |
32 |
61 |
17 |
|
|
|
139 |
4.3 |
|
| 1937-38 |
Kingston–New York Jewels |
ABL |
4 |
4 |
1 |
|
|
|
9 |
2.3 |
|
| 1937-38 |
Original Celtics |
Indep |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1938-39 |
Original Celtics |
Indep |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1939-40 |
Original Celtics |
Indep |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1940-41 |
Detroit |
NBL |
14 |
7 |
9 |
14 |
.643 |
|
23 |
1.6 |
|
| 1941-42 |
Trenton |
ABL |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
0.0 |
|
| 1942-45 |
U.S. Navy |
Military |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1945-46 |
Indianapolis |
NBL |
5 |
0 |
3 |
|
|
|
3 |
0.6 |
|
| 1946-47 |
Newark |
NYNJ |
7 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
0.0 |
|
|
Major League Totals |
|
504 |
1058 |
735 |
|
|
|
2851 |
5.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
PLAYOFF RECORD |
|
|
|
|
| Year |
Team |
League |
GA |
FGM |
FTM |
FTA |
PCT. |
AST |
PTS |
AVG |
|
| 1924-25 |
Kingston |
MBL |
2 |
1 |
3 |
|
|
|
5 |
2.5 |
|
| 1927-28 |
Fort Wayne |
ABL |
6 |
18 |
6 |
|
|
|
42 |
7.0 |
|
| 1928-29 |
Fort Wayne |
ABL |
4 |
3 |
2 |
|
|
|
8 |
2.0 |
|
| 1930-31 |
Fort Wayne |
ABL |
6 |
9 |
2 |
|
|
|
20 |
3.3 |
|
| 1932-33 |
Trenton |
EBL |
4 |
9 |
4 |
12 |
.333 |
|
22 |
5.5 |
|
| 1933-34 |
Trenton |
ABL |
6 |
26 |
14 |
|
|
|
66 |
11.0 |
|
|
Major League Totals |
|
28 |
66 |
31 |
|
|
|
163 |
5.8 |
|