The flyers were everywhere: “Come support the men’s basketball team, and recreate the fun Cracker Box atmosphere from years ago!” To the current students at the college, the term “Cracker Box” probably makes no sense, but to many alumni, it is something that can only be experienced. In the 1960s and 70s, basketball here was big.

“We played in national tournaments in 1966 through 1970, as well as 1973, 1976 and 1989,” said Jack Jensen, who coached the basketball team from 1965 to 1999. In 1973, the team won the national championship. Four of the players from that era, Bob Kaufmann ’68, M.L. Carr ’73, World B. Free ’77, and Greg Jackson ’74, went on to the National Basketball Association (NBA).

“It was a tremendous advantage to play on our home court,” Jensen said. “During one run, we won 55 of 56 games played in Alumni gym.”
In the times before cable TV and ESPN, students and community members attended events like this with a vigor that is not as common today.

“Playing and watching a game in a small gym is much louder and more electric than watching in a larger environment,” said Randy Doss ’82, Vice President for Enrollment.

Jensen agreed. “There were times when it got so loud that the players couldn’t hear instructions during time-outs,” he said. Back then, even with a seating capacity of 933 people, the gym was standing-room-only for all games.

“Archie Andrews, who took up tickets, was a fire marshal, and he had a counter,” Jensen said. “When it got to 933, no more people were admitted.”

No one meant no one, not even the president.

“On some of those occasions, our president, Grimsley Hobbs, arrived 15-30 minutes prior to the game and he was turned away,” Jensen said.

To make sure they got into the gym, many people would arrive early, sometimes even an hour and a half before the tip-off.

“There were games with High Point and Elon when it was full at 6:30 for an 8 p.m. game,” said Jensen. “You couldn’t get in even if you arrived 30 minutes before game time.”

Although most games are currently held in the Ragan-Brown Field House, the athletic department chose to have Wednesday’s game against the Italian Junior National Team in the Alumni Gym out of respect for its past and the many great players who played there.

“It (was) an opportunity for the community to come back if they wished to see a game in this special place,” Doss said.

Current basketball head coach Tom Palombo agreed. “I think it (was) great for students and faculty members, especially those faculty that attended games in the ’70s,” he said.

The game also introduced the newly renovated Alumni Gym, with new windows, paint, and floor surfacing.

The Italian Junior National Team was the first international team to ever play against the college’s men’s basketball team. Adding to the list of unforgettable moments occurring in the Alumni Gym, the game in the “Cracker Box” was expected to bring back the electric atmosphere of the past.