George Dempsey (born July 19, 1929, Philadelphia, PA) played 34 games for the Nats during the 1958-59 season, wearing jersey #3. In the 1955-56 season, he won an NBA Championship with the Philadelphia Warriors with Joe Graboski, Ernie Beck, & Larry Hennessy, all whom have suited up for Syracuse at one point in their careers.
Dempsey was a Merchantville High star, then played at King’s College in Delaware before becoming pro.
Frank Selvy (born November 9, 1932 in Corbin, Kentucky) played in only 19 for the Nationals during the 1959-60 season, wearing jersey #11. He was drafted #1 overall in the 1954 NBA draft by the Baltimore Bullets. His career lasted until 1964, playing for the Bullets, Milwaukee/St Louis Hawks, New York Knicks, Nationals and Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers.
Nicknamed the Corbin Comet, Frank attended Furman University in South Carolina. On February 13, 1954, Selvy scored 100 points in a NCAA Division I game, the only player ever to do so. USA Today has a good article about the game marking the 50th anniversary.
Despite all the shots Frank made throughout his 9 year career, he will be remembered for one shot he didn’t make. The Lakers had pushed the Celtics to a Game 7 in the 1962 championship and the score was tied with 3 seconds left. Rodney “Hot Rod” Hundley could not find an open Jerry West or Elgin Baylor for the final shot. He passed off to Selvy for the shot, and Frank, who had made this shot many times, hit the rim and the Celts rebounded. The game went into overtime, with Boston winning 110-107.
Lee Shafer (born February 23, 1939 in Chicago, Illinois) played for the Nationals from 1961-64 wearing jersey #22. Shaffer averaged 16.8 ppg and 6.3 rpg for his career. He left the NBA to take a better paying position in 1964 with the Kenan Transport company, where he worked for over 40 years.
Lee starred at the University of North Carolina, where in 1960 he was named the ACC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year. That same year, he was chosen in the 1st round, 5th pick overall in the NBA draft.
Accomplishments include: 1993 inductee into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame & was named to 1985 NCAA Silver Anniversary All-America team.
Here is an article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from July 10, 1986 featuring Lee Shaffer in his high school uniform.
Joe Roberts (May 18, 1936, Columbus, Ohio) played for the Nats during the 1960-1963 seasons, wearing jersey #12. He averaged 6.2 ppg and 5.2 rpg while in Syracuse. He did not stay with the team when they moved to Philadelphia, unhappy with his playing time as a reserve behind Dolph Schayes, Johnny Kerr and Lee Shaffer.
Joe was a member of the 1960 Ohio State NCAA national championship team which included Jerry West and John Havlicek.
Harvey Wade “Swede” Halbrook (January 30, 1933 – April 5, 1988) played for the Nationals during the 1960-62 NBA seasons, wearing jersey #11. During his pro career, he averaged 5.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. At 7′ 3″, Swede was, at the time, the tallest player in the NCAA. He left after his junior season from Oregon State University as the “Tallest Beaver Ever“. Halbrook played AAU basketball for the Wichita Vickers in Kansas, where he stayed five seasons and lead his team to the AAU title in 1959. Halbrookâs NBA career came to an end when the Nationals cut him from the roster in 1963.
Swede became known for his off-the-court disappearances during his career. Coach Alex Hannum once sent the police out to look for Halbrook after he had been missing for a week, returning on his own and never explaining where he had been.
Among achievements Swede received, he was selected as an All-American in 1955 and All-Pacific Coast Conference first team and All-Northern Division first team honors in 1954 and 1955. He was elected to the Portland Interscholastic League Sports Hall-of-Fame in 1992. Halbrook was also part of the 1954-55 Men’s Basketball team that was inducted into the Oregon State University Sports Hall of Fame.
Don Savage (April 9, 1928) played in 12 games for the Nationals during the 1951-52 season (#9 jersey, 3 ppg), and 5 games during the 1956-57 season (#15 jersey, 3.6 ppg). Syracuse drafted Don, 15th overall, in the 1951 NBA draft out of Lemoyne College, where he averaged 20 ppg in his collegiate career. To date, he is the only Lemoyne Dolphin to be drafted into the NBA. The Draft Review has a great collection of collegiate stats, Don’s page can be viewed here.
Cornelius Leo Simmons (March 15, 1925 – April 15, 1989) played in 36 games for the Nationals during their 1954-55 championship season, wearing jersey #6. He averaged 9.6 ppg for the Nats. He was the second player to enter the NBA without having played in college, going right to the pros out of Flushing High School in NY. Connie was also a member of the 1948 Baltimore Bullets championship team while in the Basketball Association of America.
Forest Able (July 27, 1932) Played in only 1 game for the Nationals during the 1956-57 season, wearing the #6 jersey. He took just two shots in his NBA career. Forest was a Western Kentucky University star, tallying 1,221 total points in his collegiate career. He ranks #23 on thier all-time scoring list. His accomplishments include being named to the Ohio Valley Conference All-Tournament Team in 1955.
John Moiseichik played in 9 games for the Nationals during the 1946-47 scoring 16 total points for a 1.6ppg average. John graduated class of 1946 from SUNY Cortland and later became a teacher an football coach for Cortland High School until 1967. He was included into SUNY Cortland Athletics Hall-of-Fame in 1969, and also Cortland City School District Hall-of-Fame in 2000. He is also listed as a member of the NY Section IV Hall-of-Fame.
Dick Knostman (August 9, 1931), wearing the #10 jersey, played in 5 games for the Syracuse Nationals during the 1953-54 season. He averaged 2.6 ppg and 1.2 apg. Only 6′ 6″, he was listed as a center.
Mr. Knostman starred for the Kansas State Wildcats from 1950-53. He was twice selected as first team All-American during his junior and senior years.
