Heidelberg Athletics Hall of Fame
The 1983-84 Heidelberg men’s basketball team, under the guidance of John Hill, had a season for the record books. The year concluded with a single-season record 24 wins to just seven setbacks, including a 10-3 mark in the Ohio Athletic Conference. It was the first time in the history of the program that Heidelberg eclipsed the 20-win plateau.
Despite falling one game behind Ohio Athletic Conference Regular Season Champion Capital University, the Student Princes fought hard through the OAC Tournament and took home runner-up honors. Its trek through the OAC Tournament earned the team one of just 32 spots in the NCAA Tournament. Heidelberg’s trip to the big dance was a first.
In the opening round of the NCAA Great Lakes Regional in Greencastle, Ind., the team pulled off a 73-69 victory over No. 1 ranked and undefeated Hope College. Lee Harris, a senior forward from Cleveland, led the team with 18 points, while teammate Jerry Buccilla, a senior guard from Groveport, joined him in posting a team-high eight rebounds.
The win over Hope sent the Berg to the Sweet 16 and faced host DePauw University. The Tigers proved to be a tough opponent and took the Berg into overtime, where DePauw pulled off a heartbreaking 54-53 victory. It was Buccilla who led the Berg this time; he sunk 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
Highlighting Heidelberg’s regular season was 20 wins, which is the most wins in the regular season. On the list of victories was a 74-70 win over the defending Division II National Champion Wright State University and a 71-70 victory of the defending Division III National Champion Wabash College. The Berg also posted a win against Fairmont State College, an institution that ranked among the nation’s top NAIA programs.
Harris set the single-game record for blocks with nine against Marietta College and dunks with five against Kenyon College. He also set the single-season record for blocks with 80. Buccilla inked his name in the record books with a single-season record of 197 assists. As a team, Heidelberg made a school record 1,010 field goals, attempted a program-high 2,082 field goals and dished out a record-setting 507 assists.
Post-season honors went to Buccilla, who earned the OAC’s Mike Gregory Award, recognizing the league’s Most Valuable Player, along with a nod on the first team’s for the Great Lakes Region and the OAC. Buccilla was also named the regional MVP. Harris, Claudie Johnson and Greg Mossing joined Buccilla on the All-OAC list with spots on the honorable mention team. Also on the roster for the Berg that season were Barry Kirkwood, Tom Poetter, Fred Neil, David White, Mike Dillard, Bill Slagle, Jon Batt, Marcus Conti (Carey, Ohio), Glen Haas, Ron Eifert, Tom Hilgenberg, Dale Chorba, Shaun Wildt, Mark Frankboner, Mark Sutton, John McDole, and Jim Collins.
Heidelberg 83 Defiance 78
Heidelberg 87 Fairmont St. 70
Heidelberg 94 Mt. Vernon Nazarene 73
Heidelberg 75 Marian 62
Heidelberg 71 Wabash 70
Heidelberg 93 Ohio Dominican 71
Heidelberg 74 Wright St. 70
Heidelberg 75 Grove City 60
Heidelberg 91 Rio Grande 79
Heidelberg 81 John Carroll 85
Heidelberg 73 Denison 81
Heidelberg 94 Findlay 79
Heidelberg 83 Otterbein 68
Heidelberg 92 Mount Union 79
Heidelberg 67 Ohio Wesleyan 56
Heidelberg 80 Capital 76
Heidelberg 82 Denison 100
Heidelberg 77 Baldwin Wallace 76
Heidelberg 96 Oberlin 64
Heidelberg 87 Kenyon 60
Heidelberg 89 Wooster 70
Heidelberg 55 Ohio Northern 53
Heidelberg 69 Wittenberg 98
Heidelberg 65 Muskingum 72
Heidelberg 74 Marietta 71
Heidelberg 87 Kenyon 75
Heidelberg 78 Ohio Wesleyan 77
Heidelberg 71 Wittenberg 70
Heidelberg 59 Capital 69
Heidelberg 73 Hope 69
Heidelberg 53 DePauw 54
(This biography appeared in the 2008 Hall of Fame Banquet Program.)
