The University of Akron Athletics
Team of Distinction: 1963-64 Men's Basketball
INAUGURAL TEAM OF DISTINCTION [2014]
The 1963-64 University of Akron basketball team, according to head coach Tony Laterza, was not supposed do especially well despite coming off an exceptional 22-3 campaign the previous season.
“We have lost four starters, our top three scorers and top three rebounders,” said Laterza.
Obviously, Laterza, in his fifth year of directing the UA basketball program, underestimated the talent of his returnees and the newcomers. This team achieved greatness while bringing more national exposure to the University’s athletic program than ever before.
What did this team accomplished to become the first team to be recognized by the Hall of Fame?
First, this group of overachievers won 24 games, the most in UA basketball history at that time, surpassing the 22 victories in 1962-63. En route UA captured the Ohio Conference Tournament Championship to earn a berth in the NCAA College Division Championship and went on to win its first NCAA Mideast Regional crown. As a result, Akron, for the first time, was one of eight teams to advance to the NCAA National Tournament in Evansville, Ind., where it continued to win until losing to host Evansville, 72-59, in the championship to earn national runners-up honors.
Leading the 1963-64 squad, that featured 14 Akron area players and nine from the city, were seniors 6-6 Randy Berentz, who netted 432 points for a 14.4 average, 5-9 playmaking guard Bill Stevens, who scored 410 points for a 13.2 average and 6-0 guard Terry Marsh with 351 points for an 11.7 scoring average.
For Berentz, who also hauled down 7.4 rebounds a game, and Stevens, it was first time in UA basketball history that two teammates had scored 400 points or more in a season.
Rounding out the starters were 6-6 sophomore Frank Thompson and 6-5 freshman Don Williams, who each averaged nine points and 11 rebounds. Also contributing to UA’s outstanding season were 6-3 senior Rich Williams; juniors 6-5 Horace “Junior” Carroll, 6-1 Dave Evans, and 6-2 Paul Heilman; sophomores 6-8 Roger Johnson, 6-3 Ron Brown, 6-2 Frank Williams, and 5-11 Terry O’Hare; and freshmen 6-3 Rich Turner and 6-0 Ken Mackovic.
It should be noted that four players off this team– Berentz, Stevens, Thompson and Don Williams– are already in the Hall of Fame as individuals. Two other team members, Turner and O’Hare, are also in the HOF for their performances in track. Dr. Ron Brown received the Mike Krino Varsity “A” Achievement Award in 2000.
En route to their 24-7 record, the Zip cagers won 15 of the 16 games they played on their home court in the now demolished Memorial Hall. After that lone, 65-60, loss to Otterbein, UA teams went on to capture the next 52 home games that was not ended until a 49-point performance by Earl “The Pearl” Monroe as Winston Salem College defeated the Zips in the 1967 NCAA Mideast Regional Championship, 88-80.
After 10 consecutive losses over six seasons and four straight losses in the Ohio Conference Tournament Championship over the four previous seasons to UA’s arch nemesis, Wittenberg, there was no home court win more important than the one that brought home the OC Championship. That victory on March 3, 1964, before a packed house, the Zips downed the Tigers by the narrowest of margins, 52-51, behind an 18-point effort by Stevens and two critical free throws by Marsh at the end.
Of note and, unfortunately for Akron, due to a then-NCAA rule that forbid freshmen from playing in NCAA Tournament games, Don Williams, an extremely valuable starter who had hauled down 19 rebounds in one game and was UA’s top rebounder in 12 games, Turner, who averaged 6.7 points in 17 games, and Mackovic, were not able to participate.
Burdened with the loss of key players, it makes what this team accomplished even more impressive as UA hosted the NCAA Mideast Regional and defeated Ithaca, 94-77, and Le Moyne (N.Y.), 62-38, to capture the title sparked by 23 and 17 point performances from Berentz. Over the three-day tournament in Evansville, UA continued its solid play to knock off Hofstra, 77-58, and North Carolina A & T, 57-48. Led by future NBA Hall of Famer 6-6 Jerry Sloan, who’s play would help Evansville win back-to-back NCAA Championships, the Aces dominated UA with their outside shooting, rebounding and depth of talented players before nearly 11,000 partisan fans.
The Zip cagers returned to be greeted by a raucous crowd at the Akron-Canton Airport and on the UA campus before being presented a “key to the City”, proving finishing number two is not too shabby ... For our 2014 Team of Distinction, not too shabby, indeed!
1963-64 Akron Men’s Basketball Team
22-7 overall, 11-3 OAC
National Runner-up
OAC Tournament Champion
Name Pos. Ht. Yr. Hometown / High School
Randy Berentz F 6-6 Sr. Akron, Ohio / Hower
Ron Brown F 6-3 So. Kent, Ohio / Roosevelt
Junior Carroll* C 6-5 Jr. West Carrollton, Ohio / Dayton Carrollton
Floyd Easterling G 6-1 So. Akron, Ohio / Kenmore
Dave Evans G 6-1 Jr. Akron, Ohio / South
Paul Heilman F 6-3 Jr. Akron, Ohio / Garfield
Roger Johnson C 6-8 So. Akron, Ohio / South
Ken Mackovic G 6-0 So. Barberton, Ohio / Barberton
Terry Marsh* G 6-0 Sr. Akron, Ohio / South
Terry O’Hare G 5-11 So. New Lexington, Ohio / St. Aloysius
Bill Stevens G 5-11 Sr. Akron, Ohio / Central
Frank Thompson* F 6-5 So. Akron, Ohio / East
Rich Turner* G 6-3 Fr. Akron, Ohio / Central
Don Williams C 6-4 Fr. Canton, Ohio / Canton Catholic
Frank Williams F 6-2 So. Akron, Ohio / East
Rich Williams F 6-3 Sr. Rittman, Ohio / Rittman
Head Coach: Tony Laterza*
Assistant Coaches: Russ Pastuck*, Alex Adams*
Captains: Terry Marsh, Bill Stevens
Managers: Tom Floyd, Bill Spratt
* deceased
The 1963-64 University of Akron basketball team, according to head coach Tony Laterza, was not supposed do especially well despite coming off an exceptional 22-3 campaign the previous season.
“We have lost four starters, our top three scorers and top three rebounders,” said Laterza.
Obviously, Laterza, in his fifth year of directing the UA basketball program, underestimated the talent of his returnees and the newcomers. This team achieved greatness while bringing more national exposure to the University’s athletic program than ever before.
What did this team accomplished to become the first team to be recognized by the Hall of Fame?
First, this group of overachievers won 24 games, the most in UA basketball history at that time, surpassing the 22 victories in 1962-63. En route UA captured the Ohio Conference Tournament Championship to earn a berth in the NCAA College Division Championship and went on to win its first NCAA Mideast Regional crown. As a result, Akron, for the first time, was one of eight teams to advance to the NCAA National Tournament in Evansville, Ind., where it continued to win until losing to host Evansville, 72-59, in the championship to earn national runners-up honors.
Leading the 1963-64 squad, that featured 14 Akron area players and nine from the city, were seniors 6-6 Randy Berentz, who netted 432 points for a 14.4 average, 5-9 playmaking guard Bill Stevens, who scored 410 points for a 13.2 average and 6-0 guard Terry Marsh with 351 points for an 11.7 scoring average.
For Berentz, who also hauled down 7.4 rebounds a game, and Stevens, it was first time in UA basketball history that two teammates had scored 400 points or more in a season.
Rounding out the starters were 6-6 sophomore Frank Thompson and 6-5 freshman Don Williams, who each averaged nine points and 11 rebounds. Also contributing to UA’s outstanding season were 6-3 senior Rich Williams; juniors 6-5 Horace “Junior” Carroll, 6-1 Dave Evans, and 6-2 Paul Heilman; sophomores 6-8 Roger Johnson, 6-3 Ron Brown, 6-2 Frank Williams, and 5-11 Terry O’Hare; and freshmen 6-3 Rich Turner and 6-0 Ken Mackovic.
It should be noted that four players off this team– Berentz, Stevens, Thompson and Don Williams– are already in the Hall of Fame as individuals. Two other team members, Turner and O’Hare, are also in the HOF for their performances in track. Dr. Ron Brown received the Mike Krino Varsity “A” Achievement Award in 2000.
En route to their 24-7 record, the Zip cagers won 15 of the 16 games they played on their home court in the now demolished Memorial Hall. After that lone, 65-60, loss to Otterbein, UA teams went on to capture the next 52 home games that was not ended until a 49-point performance by Earl “The Pearl” Monroe as Winston Salem College defeated the Zips in the 1967 NCAA Mideast Regional Championship, 88-80.
After 10 consecutive losses over six seasons and four straight losses in the Ohio Conference Tournament Championship over the four previous seasons to UA’s arch nemesis, Wittenberg, there was no home court win more important than the one that brought home the OC Championship. That victory on March 3, 1964, before a packed house, the Zips downed the Tigers by the narrowest of margins, 52-51, behind an 18-point effort by Stevens and two critical free throws by Marsh at the end.
Of note and, unfortunately for Akron, due to a then-NCAA rule that forbid freshmen from playing in NCAA Tournament games, Don Williams, an extremely valuable starter who had hauled down 19 rebounds in one game and was UA’s top rebounder in 12 games, Turner, who averaged 6.7 points in 17 games, and Mackovic, were not able to participate.
Burdened with the loss of key players, it makes what this team accomplished even more impressive as UA hosted the NCAA Mideast Regional and defeated Ithaca, 94-77, and Le Moyne (N.Y.), 62-38, to capture the title sparked by 23 and 17 point performances from Berentz. Over the three-day tournament in Evansville, UA continued its solid play to knock off Hofstra, 77-58, and North Carolina A & T, 57-48. Led by future NBA Hall of Famer 6-6 Jerry Sloan, who’s play would help Evansville win back-to-back NCAA Championships, the Aces dominated UA with their outside shooting, rebounding and depth of talented players before nearly 11,000 partisan fans.
The Zip cagers returned to be greeted by a raucous crowd at the Akron-Canton Airport and on the UA campus before being presented a “key to the City”, proving finishing number two is not too shabby ... For our 2014 Team of Distinction, not too shabby, indeed!
1963-64 Akron Men’s Basketball Team
22-7 overall, 11-3 OAC
National Runner-up
OAC Tournament Champion
Name Pos. Ht. Yr. Hometown / High School
Randy Berentz F 6-6 Sr. Akron, Ohio / Hower
Ron Brown F 6-3 So. Kent, Ohio / Roosevelt
Junior Carroll* C 6-5 Jr. West Carrollton, Ohio / Dayton Carrollton
Floyd Easterling G 6-1 So. Akron, Ohio / Kenmore
Dave Evans G 6-1 Jr. Akron, Ohio / South
Paul Heilman F 6-3 Jr. Akron, Ohio / Garfield
Roger Johnson C 6-8 So. Akron, Ohio / South
Ken Mackovic G 6-0 So. Barberton, Ohio / Barberton
Terry Marsh* G 6-0 Sr. Akron, Ohio / South
Terry O’Hare G 5-11 So. New Lexington, Ohio / St. Aloysius
Bill Stevens G 5-11 Sr. Akron, Ohio / Central
Frank Thompson* F 6-5 So. Akron, Ohio / East
Rich Turner* G 6-3 Fr. Akron, Ohio / Central
Don Williams C 6-4 Fr. Canton, Ohio / Canton Catholic
Frank Williams F 6-2 So. Akron, Ohio / East
Rich Williams F 6-3 Sr. Rittman, Ohio / Rittman
Head Coach: Tony Laterza*
Assistant Coaches: Russ Pastuck*, Alex Adams*
Captains: Terry Marsh, Bill Stevens
Managers: Tom Floyd, Bill Spratt
* deceased
