The Toledo Jeeps were a professional basketball team that played in the
National Basketball League from 1946 to 1948. As with many other NBL teams, they owed their name to an industry of their hometown, in this case the
Willys Jeep Plant. They played their games at the
University of Toledo Field House
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which rou ...
.
The 1946–47 team featured players such as
Chips Sobek
George Edward "Chips" Sobek (February 10, 1920 – April 9, 1990) was a player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played with the Sheboygan Red Skins during the 1949-50 NBA season. Sobek had also played in the National Basketball ...
,
Hal Tidrick
Howard Benjamin "Hal" Tidrick (August 4, 1915 – April 2, 1974) was an American professional basketball player. He played for the Indianapolis Jets and the Baltimore Bullets of the Basketball Association of America (BAA). He attended college at ...
,
Jule Rivlin and rookie
Paul Seymour. Rivlin served as the player-coach. It went 21–23 and qualified for the playoffs, where it lost to the
Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons. It would, however, be invited to the 1947
World Professional Basketball Tournament, where it finished 2nd.
In the 1947–48 NBL season, Sobek, Tidrick and Rivlin returned, and were joined by
Dick Mehen
Richard Peter Mehen (May 20, 1922 – December 14, 1986) was an American basketball player.
Career
Mehen played college basketball at University of Tennessee, but his career was interrupted by service in the United States Air Force during World ...
and
Harry Boykoff. The team finished with a record of 22–37 and missed the playoffs.
The 1948 season proved to be the Jeeps' last; they were replaced for the NBL's final campaign with the
Waterloo Hawks, who inherited Mehen and Boykoff.
References
Basketball teams established in 1946
Basketball teams disestablished in 1948
1946 establishments in Ohio
1948 disestablishments in Ohio
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