As fans and students are encouraged to dress in 1950's attire next Tuesday night when USF plays San Francisco State in Kezar Pavilion, USF's players will also get into the spirit of event by wearing throwback uniforms complete with short-shorts, similar to the ones the great Dons teams if the 50's wore in winning back-to-back NCAA Championships in 1955-56.
The Dons recently debuted their throwback home uniforms featuring the traditional block "U.S.F" on the front of the team jerseys, popularized during the Bill Russell and K.C. Jones Era which played out on the Kezar Pavilion hardwood.
The commemorative uniforms are part of the festivities surrounding the Legends of Kezar game, which will also include rolled back concession prices, 1950's music and a dance contest at halftime.
USF will pay tribute to the "Legends of Kezar" by honoring members of its teams which made three consecutive Final Four appearances from 1955-57. Members of those teams will be on hand take photos with fans and the NCAA Championship trophies prior to the start of the men's game.
Kezar Pavilion, located on Stanyan Street at the southeast corner of Golden Gate Park, was the Dons primary home court from 1924-58 until Memorial Gymnasium was opened on Dec. 4, 1958. The Dons used the venerable facility to its advantage en route to winning the 1949 National Invitation Tournament championship along with back-to-back NCAA Championships in 1955 and '56, along with a third consecutive Final Four appearance in the 1956-57 season. The legendary Bill Russell made his collegiate debut for the Dons in Kezar Pavilion on Dec. 1, 1953, scoring 23 points and blocking 13 shots to lead an unranked USF team to a 57-33 victory over 10th-ranked California. Other USF legends such as K.C. Jones, Gene Brown, Mike Farmer, Ross Giudice, Cap Lavin, Don Lofgran and Willie "Woo Woo" Wong, along with coaching greats Pete Newell and Phil Woolpert, all left indelible marks inside Kezar Pavilion.
Sixteen of the Dons' 60 consecutive victories from 1954-56 came on the Kezar Pavilion hardwood, including win No. 59, a 57-52 triumph over Seattle on Dec. 8, 1956. USF last played a game in Kezar Pavilion on March 4, 1958 when the Dons posted a 69-59 win over Pacific.
The USF-San Francisco State game will be preceded by the women's game between USF and San Jose State, which tips off at 6:00 p.m. General admission tickets are priced at $15 and can be purchased on-line at USFDons.com/tickets or at the Kezar Pavilion box office prior to the game.
