Cohen, Lester "Benny"

Cohen played guard for the University of Pittsburgh basketball team in the late 1920s and helped the Panthers capture the national championship in 1928 and 1930.

Birth and Death Dates:
unknown

Career Highlights:
A three-sports star (basketball, football, and track) at Uniontown High School in Pennsylvania, Cohen helped lead the Red Raiders to their first state title in 1925. After graduating, Cohen went to the University of Pittsburgh, where he teamed with fellow Uniontown graduate Charles Hyatt. In 1928, Cohen's sophomore season, the Panthers went undefeated with a record of 21-0 and were declared the consensus National Champions. During the season, they outscored their opponents, 1001-672.

One of the few teams that traveled extensively during this era, Pittsburgh made annual trips to the midwest and western sections of the United States and bridged East with West in a time of regionalism in college basketball. Led by Coach "Doc" Carlson, the Panthers were a disciplined and patient, but high-scoring, squad. During the 1929 season, they played their first four games on the road in the Midwest. Their first game was against Butler (in Indianapolis), where Cohen, who was a starter at guard, scored a team-high 12 points, but the Panthers lost the game, 35-33. The Panthers lost their next two matches, but won 16 of their final 18 games (including the last seven of the season) to a finish the year with a record of 16-5.

In 1930, Cohen was joined on the Pittsburgh varsity by forward Milton Cohen. Led by Lester and All-America player Charles Hyatt, the Panthers won their first 12 games of the season, including contests in the west against Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Montana State. A mid-season loss to Syracuse proved to be only a speed bump, as the Panthers won 11 of their final 12 games to finish the season with a record of 23-2. For the second time in three years, they were declared National Champions.

Origin:
Uniontown, Pennsylvania

Career Dates:
Cohen played guard at Pittsburgh from 1928-1930.

< Previous |  Next >