Iowa History Daily: On March 23, 1956, the Iowa Hawkeyes fell in the NCAA men’s basketball championship to Bill Russell and the Dons of San Francisco. Capping back-to-back trips to the Final Four for the Hawks, the team stands as one of the greatest in the state’s history.
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Known as the ‘Fabulous Five,’ Sharm Scheuerman, Bill Logan, Carl Cain, Bill Seaberg, and Bill Schoof led Iowa to their second consecutive Big Ten title with a 20-6 (13-1) record. Playing in the Iowa Field House, Bucky O’Connor’s team racked up 17 straight wins after starting the season 3-5.
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Rising to No. 4 in the AP poll, Iowa opened the tournament with back-to-back wins in Iowa City over Morehead State and Adolph Rupp’s Kentucky team. Heading to McGaw Hall in Evanston, Illinois, the Hawkeyes dispatched Temple in the Final Four 83-76 to meet San Francisco in the championship.
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Featuring two future Boston Celtics greats Bill Russell and KC Jones, the defending champion Dons came in a perfect 28-0 and ranked No. 1 in the country. Although Iowa’s ‘Fabulous Five’ put up a valiant effort against Phil Woolpert’s Dons, the Hawkeyes ultimately fell 83-71. #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryCalendar
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