The actual worst MU team of all time: 1965-66

Posted on: February 29, 2024 at 06:19:06 CT

In Bob Vanatta’s second to last season at MU we went 3-21. Senior Charlie Rudd, a 6 foot even guard, jumped center on a team that had no players taller than 6'5. Only 2 Tigers would avg > 7 ppg for a team that lost by an avg of 15 ppg over the course of the season, thanks to 37.3% shooting from the field for the season. The Tigers were out-rebounded by more than 12 rebound margin per game. It was the equivalent of fielding a junior varsity squad.

The only 3 games we won were:
- against Rice (who went 1-22 that year) thanks to 34 points by Ron Coleman
- an overtime victory in the Big 8 holiday tourney against OSU (who went 4-21 that year)
- a one point win on a 20 foot buzzer beater against Colorado (who also was below .500 that year)

So 3 of the weakest wins you can imagine. In fact, in one of our losses tiny Loyola Chicago outrebounded the Tiger 58-26 en route to scoring 108 points against us. We lost at home to something called the Pamex Oilers. ku beat us 98-54. In total we were out scored by opponents by 14.8 ppg, a negative scoring margin that is by far the outlier in program history. Just totally not competitive and other than Ron Coleman absent of talent.

That is the benchmark for futility and lack of talent to compare against when claiming this is the worst.

Edited by FIJItiger at 06:31:45 on 02/29/24