Men's basketball 1956 Final Four team captain Krog dies

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Joel Krog, Captain Of The 1956 NCAA Final Four Team, Passed Away On Saturday At The Age Of 79
Krog Helped The Mustangs To The 1955 And 1956 Southwest Conference Championships

Sept. 22, 2014

DALLAS (SMU) --- Joel Krog, captain of SMU's 1956 NCAA men's basketball Final Four team, passed away on Saturday in Houston at the age of 79.

"Joel loved the game of basketball," said Bob Prewitt, who was the SMU assistant coach from 1949-1967 and head coach from 1967-75. "He was a great competitor and a great teammate. He will be missed."

Krog averaged 12.0 points and 9.2 rebounds as the Mustangs went 26-4 and reached the 1956 NCAA Final Four. He had game highs of 22 points and 12 rebounds in the 84-63 regional final win against Oklahoma City.

Krog averaged 10.4 points for his career, helping SMU to the 1955 and 1956 Southwest Conference championships. The Mustangs reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 1955, falling in the regional semifinal before reaching the Final Four a year later.

"He was a guy everyone loved to have as a teammate," continued Prewitt. "He was a good student, he was even keel and he was very consistent."

The Mustangs were 54-24 in his three years on the varsity (1953-56), including a 28-1 home record in the final three seasons at Perkins Gymnasium. Krog came to the Hilltop from Ashland High School in Ashland, Kentucky. In his first year on campus, he helped the freshman squad to an 11-1 record in 1952-53.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Such sad news...

[No Quarter]

Such sad news...

Yes. A nice guy and a good player. A Senior the year I started and what a great time we had watching BB that year - until KU and Wilt and the referee. IIRC Krog went with a girl who lived up the street from me, a Chi O, at one point.