110 YEARS OF KANSAS BASKETBALL
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SPENCER RESEARCH LIBRARY
Above: Workers continue construction of Allen Fieldhouse, which was completed in 1955.
Below: Kansas players practice in Robinson Gymnasium in 1907. Early teams also practiced in the basement of Snow Hall
Early teams fared well despite playing in cramped quarters of'Horrible Hoch'
BY WHITNEY HAMILTON
For 53 years, Allen Fieldhouse has stood at the corner of Naismith Drive. Inside the walls of the massive building lies tradition.
To be more specific, four national championships, fifty conference championships and some of the best Kansas players to ever step foot on James Naismith court.
It's hard to imagine life without Allen Fieldhouse. But there was a time when the men's basketball team played elsewhere.
Before 1927, the team played
in the basement of Snow Hall and Robinson Gymnasium during James Naismith's era. But from 1927 to 1955, the Jayhawks played in Hoch Auditorium.
Hoch Auditorium fit only 3,500 people into its tight quarters. The small capacity and awkward basketball court of the auditorium led to the development of Allen Fieldhouse, where the men's and women's basketball teams now play.
During the years that Kansas basketball played in Hoch Auditorium, it developed nicknames such as "The House of Horrors" or "Horrible Hoch."
STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
1933-1934: The Jayhawks went 16-1 for the season and were declared Big 6 champions for the fourth consecutive year.
1934-1935: Coach "Phog"
Allen led the Jayhawks to a 15-5
record for the season.
1935-1936: The Jayhawks had an impressive 21-2 season and went undefeated in Big 6 play.
1936-1937: The Hawks went 15-4 and were the Big 6 Champions for the sixth time in history.
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN