Hall of Fame
To give due recognition to previous outstanding men's basketball teams, the Hall of Fame Selection Committee voted to include all previous non-modern-day teams which had made it to a national tournament. The following is a short recap of each year:
The 1938 team finished its season with a 16-3 record after losing to now NCAA Division I Marshall (W.V.) 67-60 in what was the highest-scoring game of the tournament.
The 1940 team finished its season with a 19-5 mark after going 1-1 in the national tournament. The Bobcats defeated Augustana (Ill.) 49-45 in the first round before losing to Northwest Missouri in the second round 43-41.
Although their season record was not the best, a young Peru State team in 1942 finished 11-9 after losing to another now NCAA Division I team Evansville (Ind.) in the national tourney.
Once again, it was a now NCAA Division I team which would oust the 1945 Peru State national tournament team. Pepperdine (then called George Pepperdine) finished off the Bobcats who ended their season with a 6-8 record. This tournament was during World War II.
The Blue and White made it to the national tournament again in 1946 but lost to Southeastern Oklahoma 50-36 in the first round. Peru State finished the year 16-6.
The 20-3 Peru State 1948 team finished with a first-round loss to Marshall 72-53.
The following season, the Bobcats had another 20-win season headed into the national championship where they lost 74-44 to St. Thomas (Minn.). There was some apparent controversy whether the team would even go to the tournament even after having won the NCC crown. The coaches and sports writers did eventually select the team to participate.
Peru State would be in the national tournament again in 1950 after having won 25 games prior to the trip to Kansas City. However, Central Methodist stopped the ‘Cats 68-59 in the first round.
It would be 11 years before the ‘Cats would make it back to the big stage. In 1961, heading into the tourney with a 16-6-mark, Peru State would top Oglethorpe (Ga.) 72-65 before falling to a tall and talented Grambling squad 80-60.
1963 would be the third-straight trip to Kansas City. The young Bobcats won the NCC title to gain the ticket but were topped by Pan American of Texas in the first round 83-48.
The final trip to the national tournament for these Hall of Fame Bobcats team was in 1966 which resulted in Peru State winning the NCC title for the sixth time in ten years. The ‘Cats took on #15 Morris Harvey (W.V.) in the first round and nearly pulled off an upset before falling 110-103 in overtime.
