Albersheim's 2014 Winter Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/20/2014
In 1952, under the guidance of legendary HOF basketball coach, Phog Allen; the Kansas Jayhawks won the national title with a 80–63 victory in the final game over St. John's. Dick Harp was Phog Allen’s assistant coach. Although Kansas was already on the map as a basketball power, Allen managed to bring Wilt the Stilt out to Lawrence for a visit his basketball factory. With a little prodding from Wilt’s high school coach, Cecil Mosenson (who was offered a position as an assistant coach if he could deliver Wilt to the Jayhawks – this promise was never fulfilled by KU), Wilt ended up on the Kansas campus in 1955. In 1956, Coach Allen was forced into mandatory retirement (KU regulation was that all employees had to retire by the age of 70) and the program was taken over by Phog’s protégé and former KU star player, Dick Harp. Harp had played basketball at KU, lettering from 1938–1940 and was one of the starting guards on the 1940 team that lost to Indiana University in the NCAA finals. In 8 seasons (1956-64) Harp compiled a 121-82 record in those eight seasons and led the Jayhawks to two conference titles (one Big Seven, one Big Eight Conference) and two NCAA tournament berths. In 1957, the Jayhawks captured the Midwest Regional and made it to the finals, only to be stopped by the University of North Carolina in a memorable 54-53 loss in triple overtime in Kansas City, Mo. Harp is one of only five people to have played and coached in an NCAA title game. He served as an assistant coach at North Carolina for Dean Smith from 1986-1989. According to Dean Smith, the legendary U of North Carolina (think Michael Jordan) basketball coach and one of the winning-est coaches in NCAA history, “Dick [Harp] is one of the most brilliant basketball minds I have ever known.” Harp, who remains one of a handful of men to both coach and play in an NCAA basketball tournament championship game, spent nearly three decades of his life connected to the tradition-rich basketball program at KU.
This period display piece celebrates the successful season of 1957 in Kansas, which concluded with a Big 7 Championship and a second-place finish in the NCAA tournament. At dead center of the team photo we see a legend on the rise, the great Wilt Chamberlain. This 10” x 8” wooden plaque award was given to members of this extraordinary team and features a team photo of the Jayhawks that includes: Wilt Chamberlain, Maurice King, and Coach Dick Harp. The display is comprised of a photo and engraved plaque. A local Lawrence, Kansas maker's sticker is on the verso.
COA from Dick Harp’s son.