Gerson, Rip

Jack Gerson

A guard, Gerson was a member of the notorious “Wonder Five” basketball team at St. John’s University that won 68 of 72 games in a three-year span (1929-1931). The team's defensive specialist, he possessed quick hands and held down the opponents’ best scorer. Along with fellow Jewish teammates Max Posnack (a great passer and scorer), Mac Kinsbrunner (the dribbling king), Allie Schuckman (a quick-shooting offensive machine), and Polish teammate Matty Begovich (6’5” center), the “Wonder Five” dominated their competition and became one of the most influential teams in college basketball history.

Their success and popularity paved the way for a new era of college basketball, with double-headers at Madison Square Garden, and eventually, national post-season tournaments. Their style was deliberate, and at times very slow, but they worked as a team, each player knowing and understanding their role to perfection. By the time they left school to turn professional (still as a team), they made the "City game" the best in the country and Madison Square Garden, the mecca of college basketball for the next 20 years.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. unknown - d. March 3, 1961

Career Highlights:
A graduate of Commerce High School, Gerson was an outstanding prep player before he attended college. After completing a two-year course at the Brooklyn College of Pharmacy, he was convinced to attend St. John’s University for the sole purpose of continuing his basketball career. Along with fellow freshmen Max Posnack and Mac Kinsbrunner, Gerson helped the Redmen win their first eight games of the season in 1927-28. The team eventually finished the season with a record of 18-4. Gerson, who appeared in all 22 games, was the fourth-leading scorer with 70 points (3.2 points per game).

As sophomores in 1928-29, Gerson, Posnack , and Kinsbrunner were joined on the varsity by another Jewish star, Allie Schuckman, who had started his college career at LIU, but transferred to St. John’s. Schuckman, a teammate of Posnack’s at Thomas Jefferson High School, became the team’s best outside shooter and offensive weapon. That year, St. John’s lost an early season game to Providence, led by Jewish All-America Ed Wineapple, but then won their next 18 games and finished the season with a record of 23-2; their 18-game winning streak is still the second longest in school history. Gerson, who started at guard, played in 20 games and scored 59 points (3.2 points per game), sixth on the team.

In 1929-30, the fifth member of the Wonder Five joined the St. John's basketball team. The only non-Jewish member of this famed squad, Matt Begovich was a 6’5” center who played a key role in the St. John’s attack. With Begovich’s ability to win the tap (at this time, a center jump followed every made basket, including free throws), St. John’s was able to control the ball and work it into the position for Schuckman to shoot from the outside. If he could not get a good shot, the team then launched a brilliant passing attack with the ballhandling of Posnack or stalled to find an easy shot with the incredible dribbling of Kinsbrunner.

Without a shot clock, midcourt line, or ten-second rule, St. John’s would sometimes hold the ball for over ten minutes at a time while slowly working the ball toward the basket. This style, which was very effective but also very boring, was not conducive to being an entertaining spectator sport. Nevertheless, the “Wonder Five” went 23-1 as Gerson was named All-Metropolitan honorable mention while playing in 18 games. He was the team’s fifth-leading scorer with 79 points (4.4 points per game). Considered the top team in the East for the second consecutive year, many believed that St. John’s was the best team in the country, although they were ranked behind Pittsburgh, who had finished 23-2.

St. John’s won their final 11 games of the season in 1929-30 and then captured their first 13 games of the 1930-31 season; their 24-game winning streak is the longest in school history. One of the games during the streak was against CCNY (City College of New York) at Madison Square Garden during a triple-header of City schools to benefit the Unemployment Relief Fund, sponsored by the mayor of New York (this was during the Great Depression). Over 15,000 people saw six New York Metropolitan teams (St. John’s, CCNY, NYU, Columbia, Manhattan, and Fordham) square off in the first college basketball games at the famed Garden. The event raised more than $20,000 for the relief fund.

In the CCNY-St. John’s game, City College scored the first basket of the game, but then did not score another field goal until the final minute as St. John’s held them scoreless from the field for 38 minutes of running clock time (the clock was not stopped at this time either, even during free throws, out-of-bounds plays, or center jumps). Gerson scored two points in the game as the “Wonder Five” won the game, 17-9. However, many fans were upset at the deliberate play of St. John’s.

St. John’s lost a mid-season game to NYU (New York University), ending their winning streak, but then won their final eight games of the season to finish 21-1 and win their third consecutive Eastern championship. Gerson, who appeared in 16 games during the season, was the team’s fifth-leading scorer with 71 points (4.4 points per game – his scoring average was third on the team).

Within two weeks of the final regular season game, a scandal broke in the college basketball ranks in New York City. It was discovered that all the members of the “Wonder Five,” as well as players from NYU and other schools, had played professionally under aliases during their college careers, and therefore had forfeited their amateur status. Gerson (who also played on the baseball team) and his teammates were suspended from all athletic competition. Although they all denied the accusations, which had been following them for two years, it was later discovered that they had, in fact, played professionally in New Jersey during their college careers.

The charges of professionalism levied against the “Wonder Five” and other New York City players brought about a change in college basketball rules; no longer could college players participate in organized games with professionals, even if they maintained their amateur status. Although Schuckman and Begovich had eligibility remaining, following the suspension of the players, the “Wonder Five” officially turned professional as a group, calling themselves the Brooklyn Jewels, an independent traveling team. In 1933, they joined the American Basketball League (the top pro league in the East) as the New York Jewels and played five more years together. In 1997, the Wonder Five was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame.

Origin:
New York

Career Dates:
Gerson played guard at St. John's, 1928-1931. He then played professionally for a number of years.

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