1945 Legendary Phog Allen Addresses Streaks Elite 8 Team

Coach Phog Allen

When I think of famous people from Kansas University coming to Galesburg, I immediately think about George Burgland and Brad Bennewitz. When I was going thru old newspapers, I was surprised to find out another Jayhawk,  just as famous as George and Brad came to Galesburg in 1945. 

The legendary basketball coach of Kansas University, Phog Allen was brought to speak at a post season banquet to the Galesburg HS and Corpus Christi HS basketball teams. The had a private banquet and then Allen spoke at the GHS auditorium, which was open to the public. 

1945 Silver Streaks- Elite 8

Galesburg HS had just finished the 1945 season making it to the Elite 8 before losing to the eventual state champs, Decatur. The Streaks lost in overtime in what some have described as the “best game in IHSA tourney history. 

Galesburg had two future GHS teachers/coaches on the 10 man tourney roster. George Lundeen came off the bench, and Bob Johns was the starting center as a sophomore. 

Phog Allen was Kansas coach from 1907-1909 and then from 1919-1956. During that time, his teams had won 24 conference championships and 3 National championship. 

James Naismith and Phog Allen

Allen had the distinction of playing for James Naismith as a Kansas player. Naismith invented the game of basketball but ironically Naismith is the only coach in Kansas history to have had a losing record. 

Coach Allen is referred to as the “Father of Basketball Coaching.” In part that is because of some of the players he coached. He coached Adolph Rupp, Ralph Miller, and Dean Smith. All of them went onto be Hall of Fame coaches. Allen, Rupp, and Smith combined for 2,501 career wins. 

Roy Williams, Dean Smith with Michael Jordan

In addition, it was Phog Allen who is credited for the following basketball strategies:

** Fastbreak basketball- While there were teams who tried to run, Allen was the first to make it a point of emphasis and to develop an organized plan to fast break.

** Motion Offense- Up until Allen’s time most offenses were stationary in nature. He developed system of motion and of screening. 

** Man to Man Offense- While some teams played man to man, Coach Allen turned it into a pressure defense. 

** Screen and Roll- It is claimed that he developed the concept of the screen and roll.

Phog Allen is also considered to have been instrumental in getting basketball to be an Olympic sport and the development of the NCAA tourney. 

Phog Allen finished his career with 746 wins with 590 at Kansas. Even today he is still the all-time leader in wins at Kansas, although Bill Self will probably pass him this year. 

In 1954, Kansas named their field house- Allen Fieldhouse. 

So all of this is to illustrate that Galesburg HS had a great team, the Galesburg community loved basketball, and brought the number one coach in America to Galesburg to speak!!