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Buchan Bakers
The Buchan Bakers was an amateur basketball team located in Seattle, Washington and competed in the National Industrial Basketball League. The Bakers were one of the most popular teams of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), rising to fame in 1957 when they beat the Phillips 66ers in the AAU tournament final. The team was sponsored by the Buchan Baking company, thus they adopted their name. During the 1955-56 season, the Buchan Bakers traveled to Asia, playing teams from Japan, China and they were the first AAU basketball team to play against Eastern European teams during the Cold War.
The Buchan Bakers were active for 13 seasons winning the National AAU Championship, the Northwest AAU title six times, representing the United States in trips to Asia, Europe and behind the Iron Curtain. In addition, the Bakers, with their three years in the National Industrial Basketball League, had been Seattle's first national sports franchise.
The Buchan Bakers were founded in 1948, when Warren Bud Howard convinced George Buchan and his Buchan Baking Company to sponsor his basketball team in the Northwest AAU League. The three first seasons until 1951 were not successful and coach Howard decided to recruit higher-quality players with college experience for the 1951-52 season.
The Buchan Bakers that year were led by 6-foot, 8-inch center Rod Gibbs from College of Puget Sound and 5-foot, 7-inch guard Dar Gilchrist from Long Island University. Other members of the team included Jack Ward and Louis Soriano, both from the University of Washington. The Bakers breezed through Northwest League competition and went to the National AAU Tournament in Denver for the first time. Although they lost in the first round, for the Buchan Bakers the season had been a success.
In the 1952-1953 next season, the University of Washington basketball team, led by All-American center Bob Houbregs, made it to the NCAA Final Four, and Howard began recruiting all five Husky starters. Houbregs agreed to play for the Bakers, and both he and his father were given jobs at the bakery. Shortly after Houbregs received his first paycheck, he signed a contract with the Milwaukee Hawks of the NBA. Howard did manage to sign up his supporting cast from the UW Charlie Koon, Joe Cipriano, Mike McCutcheon and Doug McClary, and he enlisted Bill Morris, the UW freshmen coach, to take over coaching. Howard became business manager of the team.
In the 1953-54 season, the Buchan Bakers unveiled their new team of former UW players, along with Chet Noe, a 6-foot, 7-inch center from the University of Oregon. The Bakers won the Northwest League crown, and although once again they traveled to Denver for the National AAU Tournament, once again they were defeated in the first round.
In 1954, Morris returned to the UW, and former high school coach Frank Fidler was hired to coach the Buchan Bakers. Although the Bakers lost center Chet Noe to the Ada Oilers, the team was strengthened by the additions of Hartley Kruger, a 6-foot, 8-inch center from the University of Idaho, and forward Ed Tucker, a former Stanford star, who was taking pre-med classes at the University of Washington. Unfortunately, the two newcomers werent always available to play Kruger had work obligations and Tucker had military obligations—and the team was not able to develop the consistency to win the National AAU Tournament. The Bakers won their opening round game, but fell to the Peoria Caterpillars in the second round, 81-79 in overtime.
For their championship run in 1955-56, the Buchan Bakers brought in several key players, including Phil Jordon, a 6-foot, 10-inch center, who would play in the NBA for several years, and George Swyers, the NAIAs leading scorer from West Virginia Tech. Dean Parsons, a 6-foot, 8-inch power forward from Washington and Stan Glowaski, a 6-foot, 5-inch guard from Seattle U also joined the Bakers full-time after playing with the team in the AAU tournament the year before But the Bakers season was almost derailed by a new team to the Northwest AAU League which featured Elgin Baylor, a Seattle University recruit sitting out the season to gain eligibility. Baylor's team beat the Bakers twice and the two teams finished the regular season in a tie for first. A wild playoff game to determine the league championship resulted in a victory for the Buchan Bakers.
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Buchan Bakers
The Buchan Bakers was an amateur basketball team located in Seattle, Washington and competed in the National Industrial Basketball League. The Bakers were one of the most popular teams of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), rising to fame in 1957 when they beat the Phillips 66ers in the AAU tournament final. The team was sponsored by the Buchan Baking company, thus they adopted their name. During the 1955-56 season, the Buchan Bakers traveled to Asia, playing teams from Japan, China and they were the first AAU basketball team to play against Eastern European teams during the Cold War.
The Buchan Bakers were active for 13 seasons winning the National AAU Championship, the Northwest AAU title six times, representing the United States in trips to Asia, Europe and behind the Iron Curtain. In addition, the Bakers, with their three years in the National Industrial Basketball League, had been Seattle's first national sports franchise.
The Buchan Bakers were founded in 1948, when Warren Bud Howard convinced George Buchan and his Buchan Baking Company to sponsor his basketball team in the Northwest AAU League. The three first seasons until 1951 were not successful and coach Howard decided to recruit higher-quality players with college experience for the 1951-52 season.
The Buchan Bakers that year were led by 6-foot, 8-inch center Rod Gibbs from College of Puget Sound and 5-foot, 7-inch guard Dar Gilchrist from Long Island University. Other members of the team included Jack Ward and Louis Soriano, both from the University of Washington. The Bakers breezed through Northwest League competition and went to the National AAU Tournament in Denver for the first time. Although they lost in the first round, for the Buchan Bakers the season had been a success.
In the 1952-1953 next season, the University of Washington basketball team, led by All-American center Bob Houbregs, made it to the NCAA Final Four, and Howard began recruiting all five Husky starters. Houbregs agreed to play for the Bakers, and both he and his father were given jobs at the bakery. Shortly after Houbregs received his first paycheck, he signed a contract with the Milwaukee Hawks of the NBA. Howard did manage to sign up his supporting cast from the UW Charlie Koon, Joe Cipriano, Mike McCutcheon and Doug McClary, and he enlisted Bill Morris, the UW freshmen coach, to take over coaching. Howard became business manager of the team.
In the 1953-54 season, the Buchan Bakers unveiled their new team of former UW players, along with Chet Noe, a 6-foot, 7-inch center from the University of Oregon. The Bakers won the Northwest League crown, and although once again they traveled to Denver for the National AAU Tournament, once again they were defeated in the first round.
In 1954, Morris returned to the UW, and former high school coach Frank Fidler was hired to coach the Buchan Bakers. Although the Bakers lost center Chet Noe to the Ada Oilers, the team was strengthened by the additions of Hartley Kruger, a 6-foot, 8-inch center from the University of Idaho, and forward Ed Tucker, a former Stanford star, who was taking pre-med classes at the University of Washington. Unfortunately, the two newcomers werent always available to play Kruger had work obligations and Tucker had military obligations—and the team was not able to develop the consistency to win the National AAU Tournament. The Bakers won their opening round game, but fell to the Peoria Caterpillars in the second round, 81-79 in overtime.
For their championship run in 1955-56, the Buchan Bakers brought in several key players, including Phil Jordon, a 6-foot, 10-inch center, who would play in the NBA for several years, and George Swyers, the NAIAs leading scorer from West Virginia Tech. Dean Parsons, a 6-foot, 8-inch power forward from Washington and Stan Glowaski, a 6-foot, 5-inch guard from Seattle U also joined the Bakers full-time after playing with the team in the AAU tournament the year before But the Bakers season was almost derailed by a new team to the Northwest AAU League which featured Elgin Baylor, a Seattle University recruit sitting out the season to gain eligibility. Baylor's team beat the Bakers twice and the two teams finished the regular season in a tie for first. A wild playoff game to determine the league championship resulted in a victory for the Buchan Bakers.