Glen Roberts
Encyclopedia
Glen Roberts (October 25, 1912 – May 21, 1980) was an American
National Basketball League
player. In college basketball
, Roberts was one of the first players to put the "jump shot" to practical use.
Glen Roberts' Pound, Virginia
high school did not field a basketball team his first two high school years. Roberts’ team won the state championship his junior and senior years (1930 & 31). The team record for 1930 was 28 wins and 2 losses with 1931 being 35 wins and 0 losses. Roberts was designated captain of the All-State team both years. Roberts played varsity ball 4 years (1931–35) at Emory & Henry College
scoring 2,013 points in 104 games for a per game average of 19.4 points in an era when team scores were seldom over 30 or 35 points per game. His scoring was a new record for that time and still stands for play prior to the 1937 revision of the center-jump rule
which called for walking the ball back to the center-line after every basket made and with the clock still running. (It’s been estimated that this used up 8 to 10 minutes per game.) Roberts scored 1,531 points against college opposition in 80 games and 482 points against pro and semi-pro teams in 24 games. Emory and Henry’s overall team record was 90 wins and 14 losses. His scoring total and per-game average was featured in Ripleys’ "Believe it or Not"
in 1936.
One significant reason for Glen Roberts’ prolific scoring was his use of a jump-shot. Historian and writer Stephen Fox, in his book “Big Leagues,” contends, after exhaustive research, that Glen Roberts was the very first college player to utilize a jump-shot to such a scoring advantage. It was an offensive weapon the opposition had never seen before.
In the 1930s there did not exist the well defined college conferences as today. Consequently smaller schools like Emory & Henry were as likely to play the largest of schools as well as the smaller ones. Emory & Henry regularly played the University of Richmond
, Virginia Tech
, University of Tennessee
, William & Mary, East Tennessee State
, George Washington, University of Virginia
etc.
A game against the much larger University of Richmond Spiders is significant. The only team to have an undefeated season, in the history of Virginia college basketball, was the 1934-35 Richmond team. Richmond's late coach, Malcolm (Mac) Pitt, in a letter to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, describes how Richmond, in its final game of the season, narrowly edged Emory and Henry with their defensive efforts being focused primarily on Roberts. Richmond defeated Emory and Henry, IN OVERTIME, on Richmond's home court in an era when officiating was far less than the high caliber profession it is today. The "home court" was generally considered a 4 or 5 point advantage for the home team.
Upon graduating, Glen Roberts received many professional offers from National Basketball League (NBL)
and other professional teams, but opted for coaching basketball at Norton High
in Norton, Virginia
. He turned the program around and won the district championship in the two years he coached – 1936 and 1937 seasons. He was induced by the Firestone Non-Skids of the NBL
to play for the 1938-39 season. The Firestone team had four All-Americans including Glen Roberts – Art Bonniwell of Dartmouth
and John Moir
and Paul Nowak
, both from Notre Dame
. Firestone won the NBL Easrern Division championship with a 24 and 3 season record. They then won the NBL Championship by beating the Western Division champions (Oshkosh All-Stars) in a best of 5 series. Their .875 winning percentage for the regular season is the highest winning percentage in the history of the NBL and the NBA (National Basketball Association). Ironically, the standout player on the team was a non-collegian, "Soup" Cable, a local Akronite, who averaged 10 points with the other scoring being fairly evenly distributed in the 3 to 6 point range. Glen Roberts played little basketball in the two years after college, yet was able to make a significant contribution to the Firestone teams’ outstanding season. Roberts, knowing that basketball wasn’t going to be his life’s career, took advantage of a job opportunity with Firestone
after the one spectacular season.
Glen Roberts and his six brothers (five of whom were Virginia high school all-state) fielded a team and dominated the Northeast Ohio industrial leagues during the early 1940s. Roberts and his brothers took a leave of absence from Firestone in January 1945 to sell war-bonds
by barnstorming Virginia
, Kentucky
, Tennessee
, North Carolina
and West Virginia
where Glen Roberts' name was still legend. Their opposition was colleges, pro and semi-pro teams. (On March 10, 1945, $50,000.00 was raised in a victory over Milligan College
.)
Five of the seven brothers were exempted from military
service during the war
years because their Firestone jobs were critical to the war effort. The other two did a tour of duty in the navy
and army
respectfully.
Play with his brothers in the mid forties
was the end of Glen Roberts’ involvement with basketball with the exception of two years in the 1960s. He coached Clinch Valley College of the University of Virginia
for two seasons – 1964 through 1966. The team record for the season prior to his arrival was 2 wins and 19 losses. Roberts’ record was 14 wins and 6 losses each of the two years he coached. Until Roberts’ college coaching debut the school had never known a winning season.
Basketball writers and historians have debated where, when and from whom the jump shot came. The consensus conclusion is that no one knows for sure. The first basketball "jump" shot could have been executed in 1918, or any year, by any John Doe in Any Town, U.S.A. The more important consideration is, who was the first in organized basketball to put to use a "jump" style shot with the end result being “increased scoring” for that individual, assuming it was an asset to the team?
In college basketball
, the undisputed first player(s) to put a jump shot to practical use, were Glen Roberts of Emory and Henry College
and John M Cooper of the University of Missouri
. Again, noted historian and writer, Stephen Fox, in his 1994 book, “Big Leagues,” shows that Roberts and Cooper both used a jumper simultaneously in time (early 1930s) and yet totally independent of each other. Both shot a two handed jumper. The greatest difference between the two was their scoring averages. While Cooper’s 11 plus point average was considered great in that era of low scoring games, it paled in comparison to Roberts’ 19 plus average.
Roberts’ high school did not have an indoor gym and therefore had to practice on an outdoor dirt court. Often when the ground was too muddy for dribbling, the players would just pass to each other and shoot when someone was open. Roberts, even when guarded closely, started jumping in the air, with ball in hand, and released the ball at the apex of his jump.
It wasn't until a decade or so later that the "jump shot" started to become more widely used. Four players to be credited with popularizing the jumper in the mid to late 1940s were Bud Palmer, Belus Smawley
, Kenny Sailors and Joe Fulks
.
Glen Roberts' high school and college scoring was considered by many nothing short of spectacular. Compared to today, record keeping in the 1930s was very lacking and it is therefore impossible to give an accurate accounting of his high school scoring totals. Testimony from former high school teammates, via letters submitted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, indicate that Roberts’ high school scoring was well in excess of a 20 point average. Many considered his college scoring as truly “unbelievable” as Ripleys’ "Believe it or Not"
feature indicated. His 2,013 point total stood unmatched until 1949 when Loyola’s
Steve Lacey exceeded 2,000 points.
The closest that any college player, prior to 1935, had come to Glen Roberts’ 19 plus per game average was “Hall of Fame” great and 1930 Montana State
graduate, John "Cat" Thompson, with a 15 plus per game average. Nineteen, of the 100 games Thompson’s team played during his four years, was against non-college opponents with Montana State averaging 77 points per game and winning each game. (Example: Montana State beat Havre All-Stars – 110 to 10). It is therefore obvious that Thompson averaged significantly less than 15 points against bona-fide college teams.
's great “Hall of Famer," Hank Luisetti, voted 2nd greatest player of the first half century, had broken Glen Roberts’ scoring record. They stated that Luisetti had scored 1,596 points in four years as opposed to Roberts’ 1,531 points. What was overlooked by the press was the fact that 305 of Luisetti’s points were scored in 15 games as a freshman against college freshmen and high school teams. It was also in his freshman year that Luisetti attained his highest average (20.3) of any of his four years at Stanford. Also, Hank Luisetti played in 95 games (compared to Roberts' 80 games) in accumulating his 1,596 points for an overall per game average of 16.8 points.
In a letter dated April 27, 1979 and addressed to Carroll Tate of the "Coalfied Progress," Stanford University’s
“Sports Information Director,” Bob Rose, confirms that Luisetti’s scoring total was 1,291 points in 80 games for a 16.1 per game average (sophomore
, junior
and senior years).
Glen Roberts played all 80 games against varsity college competition, including 18 games as a freshman. During his freshman year, Roberts scored 292 points for an average of 16.2 points per game.
Note the following comparison chart summarizing Roberts’ and Luisetti’s college statistics for games played against college teams.
There are several glaring similarities between Roberts’ and Luisetti’s basketball careers. First, both used a revolutionary new shot that accounted for each players’ accelerated scoring – Roberts with a two-handed jump shot and Luisetti with a one-handed running shot. Secondly, the team records for Emory and Henry
and Stanford
were 68-12 during Roberts’ and Luisetti’s 80 varsity
games played against other colleges and universities. Thirdly, Roberts and Luisetti each scored fifty points in a game – Roberts against the "House of David," a non-college team. (Roberts scored 38 points in a college game against Union College of Kentucky]] Luisetti's 50 point performance was against Duquesne University
of Pennsylvania
. Lastly, both Roberts and Luisetti enjoyed a limited post-college professional basketball career.
Luisetti's rise to national prominence was generated by Stanford's good fortune in being invited by Ned Irish to play in Madison Square Garden. After barnstorming across the country playing to capacity crowds in big cities like Cleveland and Philadelphia, Stanford concluded their tour by playing Long Island University (LIU) on Dec. 30, 1936. LIU had won 43 straight games, but was whipped by Stanford as Luisetti had a great night scoring 15 points.
One can only conjecture the result had Emory and Henry and Glen Roberts been invited by Ned Irish
to play in Madison Square Garden
. Would the opposing teams have been able to adjust to and defend the unorthodox and likely never-before-seen two handed jump shot of Glen Roberts? On the other hand, how well would Luisetti's exploits have been remembered had Stanford not made their cross-country trip culminating in the LIU game where he was in the cross-hairs of the powerful Northeast press.
A comparison of Roberts’ and Luisetti’s playing abilities is not the intent here, nor is it an attempt to detract from Luisetti’s greatness. It is intended, rather, to use Luisetti’s great accomplishments as a mirror for Glen Roberts’ individual basketball accomplishments.
Record keeping was also limited in college games of the 1930s and therefore records for field goal
percentages, foul shooting
percentages, assists
etc. were non-existent.
Letters from Emory and Henry teammates Sam Neal, Walter Fielder and Paul Mackey, on file at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, indicate that Roberts field goal percentage was well in excess of 50 per cent. They further state that he rarely missed a foul shot. They also attested to his strong defensive play.
Roberts, in a 1975 interview with Abe Goldblatt for his book, "The Great and the Near Great: A Century of Sports in Virginia," stated that he "took every defensive assignment as a personal challenge to hold my opponent to as few points as possible."
Also, in a letter on file at the Basketball Hall of Fame, Firestone teammate Irv Terjesen testifies to Roberts' all around play.
If one is to believe the testimony of his college and professional teammates, Roberts was more than a prolific scorer, but an all around great player.
and New York City
/New Jersey
area.
Supporting this is the fact that all players, from Glen Roberts' era, inducted into the Hall of Fame are from the Northeast with a few from the Mid-West and, of course, Luisetti from California. As already pointed out, Luisetti had a chance to show his stuff in New York City
.
The geography that Glen Roberts covered during his college days was definitely void of National focus and attention. This fact does not, however, make Glen Roberts exploits and contributions to the game any less real or significant. It would be presumptuous and erroneous to conclude that Glen Roberts' caliber of play was inferior because he was never in the crosshairs of the powerful Northeast press. There is no player in the Hall of Fame from Roberts' era whose accomplishments come remotely close to Roberts' scoring achievements and all-around play.
To say that Glen Roberts and his six brothers were born to humble beginnings, would be an understatement. Few today could visualize sweeping snow out of every room the next morning after a snowfall. Probably no one can remember newspaper as their standard wall paper. It was not an easy life for Charlie and Orlena Roberts and their brood of seven boys.
Children in those agrarian days were viewed as workhands as soon as they were old enough for a hoe to fit their hands. The average summer day on South Fork, located five miles (8 km) from Pound, Virginia, began before dawn with breakfast followed by hoeing, mowing and whatever else was needed on their farm that produced corn, potatoes and the ancillary crops needed for food. A few cows, hogs and lots of chickens rounded out their food sources.
Even though they could have been used full time on the farm, Mommy Roberts vowed her boys were going to get an education even if they had to walk to school; and walk they did. Glen Roberts started his five mile (8 km) trek before daylight with lantern in hand, leaving the lantern on the same barn each morning. There was always time for basketball each day before and after school.
Glen graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1935, where he was in the social fraternity Beta Lambda Zeta. And, rather than take one of the many offers to play professional basketball, opted to coach and teach at Norton High School for two years. Immediately after college he married Helen Joyce Keys and had three children, Glenn Jr., Mary Virginia and Larry Van.
After playing one year of professional basketball with Firestone (1938–39), he went to work full time for Firestone where he enjoyed a successful career, working his way up to being head of Firestone's "Time Study" Department. In 1963 he resigned from Firestone to join his son, Glenn Jr. in their new tire business in Norton, Virginia.
At the time of his 1980 death, this business and the eleven others in Southwest Virginia, Eastern Kentucky and East Tennessee had become the third largest Firestone dealer in the country and the largest consumer of Firestone retread rubber in the country.
Glen was a shy, humble and softspoken person who never had a known enemy. He very seldom showed anger and no one ever heard a single curse word emanate from his lips. In spite of living a healthy life by eating correctly and exercising, he developed colon cancer in 1978 and succumbed to it in 1980.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Basketball League
National Basketball League (United States)
Founded in 1937, the National Basketball League, often abbreviated to NBL, was a professional men's basketball league in the United States. The league would later merge with the Basketball Association of America to form the National Basketball Association in 1949.- League history :The...
player. In college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
, Roberts was one of the first players to put the "jump shot" to practical use.
Overview
Glen Roberts' Pound, Virginia
Pound, Virginia
Pound is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,089 as recorded in the 2000 census.-Geography:Pound is located at ....
high school did not field a basketball team his first two high school years. Roberts’ team won the state championship his junior and senior years (1930 & 31). The team record for 1930 was 28 wins and 2 losses with 1931 being 35 wins and 0 losses. Roberts was designated captain of the All-State team both years. Roberts played varsity ball 4 years (1931–35) at Emory & Henry College
Emory and Henry College
Emory & Henry College, known as E&H, Emory, or the College, is a private liberal arts college located in Emory, Virginia, United States. The campus comprises of Washington County, Virginia, which is part of the mountain region of Southwest Virginia...
scoring 2,013 points in 104 games for a per game average of 19.4 points in an era when team scores were seldom over 30 or 35 points per game. His scoring was a new record for that time and still stands for play prior to the 1937 revision of the center-jump rule
Rules of basketball
The rules of basketball are the rules and regulations that govern the play, officiating, equipment and procedures of basketball. While many of the basic rules are uniform throughout the world, variations do exist. Most leagues or governing bodies in North America, the most important of which are...
which called for walking the ball back to the center-line after every basket made and with the clock still running. (It’s been estimated that this used up 8 to 10 minutes per game.) Roberts scored 1,531 points against college opposition in 80 games and 482 points against pro and semi-pro teams in 24 games. Emory and Henry’s overall team record was 90 wins and 14 losses. His scoring total and per-game average was featured in Ripleys’ "Believe it or Not"
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Ripley's Believe It or Not! is a franchise, founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims...
in 1936.
One significant reason for Glen Roberts’ prolific scoring was his use of a jump-shot. Historian and writer Stephen Fox, in his book “Big Leagues,” contends, after exhaustive research, that Glen Roberts was the very first college player to utilize a jump-shot to such a scoring advantage. It was an offensive weapon the opposition had never seen before.
In the 1930s there did not exist the well defined college conferences as today. Consequently smaller schools like Emory & Henry were as likely to play the largest of schools as well as the smaller ones. Emory & Henry regularly played the University of Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
, Virginia Tech
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
, University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, William & Mary, East Tennessee State
East Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University is an accredited American university located in Johnson City, Tennessee. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents system of colleges and universities, the nation's sixth largest system of public education, and is the fourth largest university in the state...
, George Washington, University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
etc.
A game against the much larger University of Richmond Spiders is significant. The only team to have an undefeated season, in the history of Virginia college basketball, was the 1934-35 Richmond team. Richmond's late coach, Malcolm (Mac) Pitt, in a letter to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, describes how Richmond, in its final game of the season, narrowly edged Emory and Henry with their defensive efforts being focused primarily on Roberts. Richmond defeated Emory and Henry, IN OVERTIME, on Richmond's home court in an era when officiating was far less than the high caliber profession it is today. The "home court" was generally considered a 4 or 5 point advantage for the home team.
Upon graduating, Glen Roberts received many professional offers from National Basketball League (NBL)
National Basketball League (United States)
Founded in 1937, the National Basketball League, often abbreviated to NBL, was a professional men's basketball league in the United States. The league would later merge with the Basketball Association of America to form the National Basketball Association in 1949.- League history :The...
and other professional teams, but opted for coaching basketball at Norton High
John I. Burton High School
John Ira Burton High School is a small high school located in the City of Norton, Virginia which has an enrollment of approximately 330 students.- School Building :...
in Norton, Virginia
Norton, Virginia
Norton is an independent city within the confines of Wise County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 Census, the city population was 3,958, making it the smallest city in the state by population...
. He turned the program around and won the district championship in the two years he coached – 1936 and 1937 seasons. He was induced by the Firestone Non-Skids of the NBL
National Basketball League (United States)
Founded in 1937, the National Basketball League, often abbreviated to NBL, was a professional men's basketball league in the United States. The league would later merge with the Basketball Association of America to form the National Basketball Association in 1949.- League history :The...
to play for the 1938-39 season. The Firestone team had four All-Americans including Glen Roberts – Art Bonniwell of Dartmouth
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
and John Moir
John Moir
John Moir was a professional basketball player between 1938 and 1946 in the United States' National Basketball League.-Early life:...
and Paul Nowak
Paul Nowak
Paul Nowak was an American basketball player. He was a three-time All-American at Notre Dame and was an early professional in the National Basketball League....
, both from Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. Firestone won the NBL Easrern Division championship with a 24 and 3 season record. They then won the NBL Championship by beating the Western Division champions (Oshkosh All-Stars) in a best of 5 series. Their .875 winning percentage for the regular season is the highest winning percentage in the history of the NBL and the NBA (National Basketball Association). Ironically, the standout player on the team was a non-collegian, "Soup" Cable, a local Akronite, who averaged 10 points with the other scoring being fairly evenly distributed in the 3 to 6 point range. Glen Roberts played little basketball in the two years after college, yet was able to make a significant contribution to the Firestone teams’ outstanding season. Roberts, knowing that basketball wasn’t going to be his life’s career, took advantage of a job opportunity with Firestone
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company is an American tire company founded by Harvey Firestone in 1900 to supply pneumatic tires for wagons, buggies, and other forms of wheeled transportation common in the era. Firestone soon saw the huge potential for marketing tires for automobiles. The company...
after the one spectacular season.
Glen Roberts and his six brothers (five of whom were Virginia high school all-state) fielded a team and dominated the Northeast Ohio industrial leagues during the early 1940s. Roberts and his brothers took a leave of absence from Firestone in January 1945 to sell war-bonds
War bond
War bonds are debt securities issued by a government for the purpose of financing military operations during times of war. War bonds generate capital for the government and make civilians feel involved in their national militaries...
by barnstorming Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
where Glen Roberts' name was still legend. Their opposition was colleges, pro and semi-pro teams. (On March 10, 1945, $50,000.00 was raised in a victory over Milligan College
Milligan College
Milligan College is a Christian liberal arts college founded in 1866 and located immediately outside of Elizabethton in Carter County, Tennessee, United States. The school has a student population of just over 1,100 students as well as a campus that is located just minutes from downtown Johnson City...
.)
Five of the seven brothers were exempted from military
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
service during the war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
years because their Firestone jobs were critical to the war effort. The other two did a tour of duty in the navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
respectfully.
Play with his brothers in the mid forties
1940s
File:1940s decade montage.png|Above title bar: events which happened during World War II : From left to right: Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching "Omaha" Beach on "D-Day"; Adolf Hitler visits Paris, soon after the Battle of France; The Holocaust occurred during the war as Nazi Germany...
was the end of Glen Roberts’ involvement with basketball with the exception of two years in the 1960s. He coached Clinch Valley College of the University of Virginia
University of Virginia's College at Wise
The University of Virginia's College at Wise is the liberal arts college of the University of Virginia, and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, located in Wise, Virginia...
for two seasons – 1964 through 1966. The team record for the season prior to his arrival was 2 wins and 19 losses. Roberts’ record was 14 wins and 6 losses each of the two years he coached. Until Roberts’ college coaching debut the school had never known a winning season.
Jump shot
In college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
, the undisputed first player(s) to put a jump shot to practical use, were Glen Roberts of Emory and Henry College
Emory and Henry College
Emory & Henry College, known as E&H, Emory, or the College, is a private liberal arts college located in Emory, Virginia, United States. The campus comprises of Washington County, Virginia, which is part of the mountain region of Southwest Virginia...
and John M Cooper of the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
. Again, noted historian and writer, Stephen Fox, in his 1994 book, “Big Leagues,” shows that Roberts and Cooper both used a jumper simultaneously in time (early 1930s) and yet totally independent of each other. Both shot a two handed jumper. The greatest difference between the two was their scoring averages. While Cooper’s 11 plus point average was considered great in that era of low scoring games, it paled in comparison to Roberts’ 19 plus average.
Roberts’ high school did not have an indoor gym and therefore had to practice on an outdoor dirt court. Often when the ground was too muddy for dribbling, the players would just pass to each other and shoot when someone was open. Roberts, even when guarded closely, started jumping in the air, with ball in hand, and released the ball at the apex of his jump.
It wasn't until a decade or so later that the "jump shot" started to become more widely used. Four players to be credited with popularizing the jumper in the mid to late 1940s were Bud Palmer, Belus Smawley
Belus Smawley
Belus Van Smawley was an American basketball player.A 6'1" guard/forward from Rutherford County, North Carolina, Smawley was one of the first basketball players to regularly use the jump shot. Smawley developed his shot in an abandoned train depot near his home that was fashioned into a basketball...
, Kenny Sailors and Joe Fulks
Joe Fulks
Joseph Franklin "Jumping Joe" Fulks was an American professional basketball player, sometimes called "the first of the high-scoring forwards". He was one of the first players, albeit posthumously, enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978...
.
Basketball observations
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Ripley's Believe It or Not! is a franchise, founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims...
feature indicated. His 2,013 point total stood unmatched until 1949 when Loyola’s
Loyola College in Maryland
Loyola University Maryland is a Roman Catholic, Jesuit private university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Established as Loyola College in Maryland by John Early and eight other members of the Society of Jesus in 1852, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges...
Steve Lacey exceeded 2,000 points.
The closest that any college player, prior to 1935, had come to Glen Roberts’ 19 plus per game average was “Hall of Fame” great and 1930 Montana State
Montana State University - Bozeman
Montana State University – Bozeman is a public university located in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's land-grant university and primary campus in the Montana State University System, which is part of the Montana University System...
graduate, John "Cat" Thompson, with a 15 plus per game average. Nineteen, of the 100 games Thompson’s team played during his four years, was against non-college opponents with Montana State averaging 77 points per game and winning each game. (Example: Montana State beat Havre All-Stars – 110 to 10). It is therefore obvious that Thompson averaged significantly less than 15 points against bona-fide college teams.
Glen Roberts' and Hank Luisetti's records
In 1938, newspapers throughout the South announced that StanfordStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
's great “Hall of Famer," Hank Luisetti, voted 2nd greatest player of the first half century, had broken Glen Roberts’ scoring record. They stated that Luisetti had scored 1,596 points in four years as opposed to Roberts’ 1,531 points. What was overlooked by the press was the fact that 305 of Luisetti’s points were scored in 15 games as a freshman against college freshmen and high school teams. It was also in his freshman year that Luisetti attained his highest average (20.3) of any of his four years at Stanford. Also, Hank Luisetti played in 95 games (compared to Roberts' 80 games) in accumulating his 1,596 points for an overall per game average of 16.8 points.
In a letter dated April 27, 1979 and addressed to Carroll Tate of the "Coalfied Progress," Stanford University’s
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
“Sports Information Director,” Bob Rose, confirms that Luisetti’s scoring total was 1,291 points in 80 games for a 16.1 per game average (sophomore
Sophomore
Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...
, junior
Junior (education)
"Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman...
and senior years).
Glen Roberts played all 80 games against varsity college competition, including 18 games as a freshman. During his freshman year, Roberts scored 292 points for an average of 16.2 points per game.
Note the following comparison chart summarizing Roberts’ and Luisetti’s college statistics for games played against college teams.
Glen Roberts
(Played an additional 24 games against non-college professional and semi-pro teams scoring an additional 482 points for a 2,013 point total in 104 games and an overall 19.4 average.) |
Hank Luisetti
1 Played on Stanford’s freshman team against other college freshman teams and high school teams. 2 Played during first year of “new rule” which eliminated the “center jump” after every basket. This rule change resulted in an estimated additional 8 to 12 minutes of playing time and higher game scores. 3 Played one game each of last three years against the "Olympic Club Olympic Club The Olympic Club is a San Francisco, California, athletic club and private social club with three golf courses located at San Francisco's border with Daly City, California. The club's main "City Clubhouse" is located in downtown San Francisco. The club's "Lakeside Clubhouse" is located just north... ," a non-college team with Stanford winning all 3 games. |
There are several glaring similarities between Roberts’ and Luisetti’s basketball careers. First, both used a revolutionary new shot that accounted for each players’ accelerated scoring – Roberts with a two-handed jump shot and Luisetti with a one-handed running shot. Secondly, the team records for Emory and Henry
Emory and Henry College
Emory & Henry College, known as E&H, Emory, or the College, is a private liberal arts college located in Emory, Virginia, United States. The campus comprises of Washington County, Virginia, which is part of the mountain region of Southwest Virginia...
and Stanford
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
were 68-12 during Roberts’ and Luisetti’s 80 varsity
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
games played against other colleges and universities. Thirdly, Roberts and Luisetti each scored fifty points in a game – Roberts against the "House of David," a non-college team. (Roberts scored 38 points in a college game against Union College of Kentucky]] Luisetti's 50 point performance was against Duquesne University
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Lastly, both Roberts and Luisetti enjoyed a limited post-college professional basketball career.
Luisetti's rise to national prominence was generated by Stanford's good fortune in being invited by Ned Irish to play in Madison Square Garden. After barnstorming across the country playing to capacity crowds in big cities like Cleveland and Philadelphia, Stanford concluded their tour by playing Long Island University (LIU) on Dec. 30, 1936. LIU had won 43 straight games, but was whipped by Stanford as Luisetti had a great night scoring 15 points.
One can only conjecture the result had Emory and Henry and Glen Roberts been invited by Ned Irish
Ned Irish
Edward S. "Ned" Irish was a basketball promoter and one of the key figures in popularizing professional basketball. He was the president of the New York Knicks from 1946 to 1974...
to play in Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. Would the opposing teams have been able to adjust to and defend the unorthodox and likely never-before-seen two handed jump shot of Glen Roberts? On the other hand, how well would Luisetti's exploits have been remembered had Stanford not made their cross-country trip culminating in the LIU game where he was in the cross-hairs of the powerful Northeast press.
A comparison of Roberts’ and Luisetti’s playing abilities is not the intent here, nor is it an attempt to detract from Luisetti’s greatness. It is intended, rather, to use Luisetti’s great accomplishments as a mirror for Glen Roberts’ individual basketball accomplishments.
Record keeping was also limited in college games of the 1930s and therefore records for field goal
Field goal (basketball)
In basketball, the term field goal refers to a basket scored on any shot or tap other than a free throw, worth two or three points depending on the distance of the attempt from the basket. "Field Goal" is the official terminology used by the National Basketball Association in their rule book,...
percentages, foul shooting
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
percentages, assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
etc. were non-existent.
Letters from Emory and Henry teammates Sam Neal, Walter Fielder and Paul Mackey, on file at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, indicate that Roberts field goal percentage was well in excess of 50 per cent. They further state that he rarely missed a foul shot. They also attested to his strong defensive play.
Roberts, in a 1975 interview with Abe Goldblatt for his book, "The Great and the Near Great: A Century of Sports in Virginia," stated that he "took every defensive assignment as a personal challenge to hold my opponent to as few points as possible."
Also, in a letter on file at the Basketball Hall of Fame, Firestone teammate Irv Terjesen testifies to Roberts' all around play.
If one is to believe the testimony of his college and professional teammates, Roberts was more than a prolific scorer, but an all around great player.
Basketball Hall of Fame
There are many people, especially Southerners, who think Glen Roberts should be in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The game of basketball in the 1920s and 30s did not enjoy the national focus of today. It was more provincial in focus and coverage. The only possible national focus was on what would be considered the basketball power structure of the day, the New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
/New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
area.
Supporting this is the fact that all players, from Glen Roberts' era, inducted into the Hall of Fame are from the Northeast with a few from the Mid-West and, of course, Luisetti from California. As already pointed out, Luisetti had a chance to show his stuff in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
The geography that Glen Roberts covered during his college days was definitely void of National focus and attention. This fact does not, however, make Glen Roberts exploits and contributions to the game any less real or significant. It would be presumptuous and erroneous to conclude that Glen Roberts' caliber of play was inferior because he was never in the crosshairs of the powerful Northeast press. There is no player in the Hall of Fame from Roberts' era whose accomplishments come remotely close to Roberts' scoring achievements and all-around play.
Personal life
No one knows for sure whether Glen should be spelled with one or two n's; it's been done equally both ways throughout his life.To say that Glen Roberts and his six brothers were born to humble beginnings, would be an understatement. Few today could visualize sweeping snow out of every room the next morning after a snowfall. Probably no one can remember newspaper as their standard wall paper. It was not an easy life for Charlie and Orlena Roberts and their brood of seven boys.
Children in those agrarian days were viewed as workhands as soon as they were old enough for a hoe to fit their hands. The average summer day on South Fork, located five miles (8 km) from Pound, Virginia, began before dawn with breakfast followed by hoeing, mowing and whatever else was needed on their farm that produced corn, potatoes and the ancillary crops needed for food. A few cows, hogs and lots of chickens rounded out their food sources.
Even though they could have been used full time on the farm, Mommy Roberts vowed her boys were going to get an education even if they had to walk to school; and walk they did. Glen Roberts started his five mile (8 km) trek before daylight with lantern in hand, leaving the lantern on the same barn each morning. There was always time for basketball each day before and after school.
Glen graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1935, where he was in the social fraternity Beta Lambda Zeta. And, rather than take one of the many offers to play professional basketball, opted to coach and teach at Norton High School for two years. Immediately after college he married Helen Joyce Keys and had three children, Glenn Jr., Mary Virginia and Larry Van.
After playing one year of professional basketball with Firestone (1938–39), he went to work full time for Firestone where he enjoyed a successful career, working his way up to being head of Firestone's "Time Study" Department. In 1963 he resigned from Firestone to join his son, Glenn Jr. in their new tire business in Norton, Virginia.
At the time of his 1980 death, this business and the eleven others in Southwest Virginia, Eastern Kentucky and East Tennessee had become the third largest Firestone dealer in the country and the largest consumer of Firestone retread rubber in the country.
Glen was a shy, humble and softspoken person who never had a known enemy. He very seldom showed anger and no one ever heard a single curse word emanate from his lips. In spite of living a healthy life by eating correctly and exercising, he developed colon cancer in 1978 and succumbed to it in 1980.