1936–37 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team

The 1936–37 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team represented the University of Michigan in intercollegiate basketball during the 1936–37 season. The team compiled a 16–4 record, and 9–3 against Big Ten Conference opponents. The team scored 741 points in 20 games for an average of 37.1 points per game – the highest point total and scoring per game in school history up to that time. Michigan finished in third place in the Big Ten.

1936–37 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
1936–37 record16–4 (9–3 Big Ten)
Head coachFranklin Cappon
CaptainJohnny Gee
Home arenaYost Field House
1936–37 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L PCT  W L PCT
Illinois102 .833  144  .778
Minnesota102 .833  146  .700
Michigan93 .750  164  .800
Purdue84 .667  155  .750
Ohio State75 .583  137  .650
Indiana66 .500  137  .650
Northwestern48 .333  119  .550
Iowa39 .250  119  .550
Wisconsin39 .250  812  .400
Chicago012 .000  416  .200
Rankings from AP Poll

The team opened the season with a 61–12 victory over Michigan Normal (now known as Eastern Michigan University), setting a new scoring record at Yost Field House. During the winter break, the team traveled to Seattle, Washington, to play three games against the University of Washington.[1][2] Team captain Johnny Gee (who later played professional baseball and basketball), was unavailable to play during the west coast trip due to a broken nose. Michigan won two out of the three games in Seattle.[1]

Franklin "Cappy" Cappon was in his sixth year as the team's coach. Cappon had played basketball and football at Michigan from 1919 to 1923.[3] As a senior, he was awarded the Western Conference Medal for all-around excellence in both athletics and academics.[4] After seven seasons as Michigan's head coach, Cappon served as the head basketball coach from 1938 to 1961 at Princeton University, where he mentored Butch van Breda Kolff, Bill Bradley and Frank Deford. He compiled a combined record of 340–242 at Michigan and Princeton and was inducted into the Helms Foundation College Basketball Hall of Fame in 1957.[5]

John "Jake" Townsend, a six-foot, four inch center from Indiana, was the team leading scorer for three straight seasons. He scored 154 points during the 1935–36 season, 191 points during the 1936–37 season, and 226 points during the 1937-38 season. Townsend's 191 points during the 1936–37 season broke the school's single season scoring record of 181 points set by Arthur Karpus in the 1918–19 season. His career total of 571 points also broke Karpus's career scoring record of 338 points. Townsend was selected as a unanimous All-Big Ten player at the end of the 1936–37 season and later played professional basketball in the National Basketball League for the Indianapolis Kautskys, Oshkosh All-Stars and Rochester Royals.[6]

Schedule

DateOpponentScoreResultLocation
Dec. 7, 1936Michigan Normal61–12WinYost Field House, Ann Arbor, MI
Dec. 12, 1936Michigan State34–21WinYost Field House, Ann Arbor, MI
Dec. 21, 1936Washington40–23LossSeattle, Washington
Dec. 22, 1936Washington34–32WinSeattle, Washington
Dec. 23, 1936Washington39–33WinSeattle, Washington
Jan. 1, 1937Toledo41–33WinToledo, Ohio
Jan. 5, 1937Butler36–27WinIndianapolis, IN
Jan. 9, 1937Purdue37–26LossLafayette, IN
Jan. 11, 1937Northwestern34–31WinYost Field House, Ann Arbor, MI
Jan. 16, 1937Wisconsin41–31WinMadison, WI
Jan. 18, 1937Chicago35–29WinHenry Crown Field House, Chicago, IL
Jan. 23, 1937Ohio State37–32LossYost Field House, Ann Arbor, MI
Jan. 25, 1937Chicago32–19WinYost Field House, Ann Arbor, MI
Feb. 13, 1937Michigan State38–31WinEast Lansing, MI
Feb. 15, 1937Indiana55 31WinYost Field House, Ann Arbor, MI
Feb. 20, 1937Northwestern34–32WinEvanston, IL
Feb. 22, 1937Purdue31–16WinYost Field House, Ann Arbor, MI
Feb. 27, 1937Ohio State38–24WinColumbus, OH
March 1, 1937Indiana31–27LossBloomington, IN
March 6, 1937Wisconsin41–27WinYost Field House, Ann Arbor, MI

Scoring statistics

PlayerGamesField goalsFree throwsPointsPoints per game[7]
John "Jake" Townsend206561-961919.6
Johnny Gee186030-491508.3
Herman Fishman195123-381256.6
William Barclay203228-41924.6
Matt Patanelli203318-29844.2
Edmund Thomas19203-15432.3
Daniel Smick13111-8231.8
Leo Beebe1645-9130.8
Manuel Slavin430-161.5
Richard Long1121-250.5
Payne111-233.0
Louis Levine110-022.0
Richard Joslin110-022.0
Ferris Jennings1010-120.2
William Lane400-000.0
Totals20285171-29274037.1

Coaching staff

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References

  1. 1937 Michiganensian, page 282.
  2. "Michigan Victor In Yule Series: Wins Final Game from Huskies in Overtime Period Wednesday". The Daily News, Ludington, Michigan. December 24, 1936. p. 6.
  3. "University of Michigan Basketball Record Book" (PDF). University of Michigan. p. 12.
  4. "Frank Cappon Gets Place On Michigan Staff". The Evening Independent. February 25, 1925.
  5. "Cappon Has Heart Attack". Holland Evening Sentinel. January 19, 1961.
  6. "John Townsend Sr. had been attorney, former professional basketball player". The Indianapolis Star. December 6, 2001. p. C10.
  7. "University of Michigan Basketball Record Book" (PDF). University of Michigan. p. 24.


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