Presented is the “1954 Sport Magazine Award” presented to LaSalle College’s Tom Gola as the top performer in college basketball. The 10 x 15-inch wood board features a pair of raised  1 x 1 x 5-inch gold metal eagle figures mounted with a 5½ x 7½-inch gold metal plaque at the center bearing the engraved legend “Sport Magazine Award Top Performer in College Basketball 1954 Tom Gola”. Gola starred as a college freshman and led La Salle to the 1952 NIT championship. Gola paced the Explorers to the NCAA basketball championship in 1954 and was named Tournament MVP. That same season he was selected as National Player of the Year. As a senior, Gola helped La Salle finish as the runner-up in the 1955 NCAA Tournament. At 6-foot 6-inches, Gola was clearly a forward who could shoot/score, rebound and defend, but he also had the ballhandling (dribbling, passing) skills of a guard, and with his shooting range and All-Pro defensive skills, could play just as well in the backcourt. He averaged 20.9 points and 19.0 rebounds during 115 games and remains the NCAA All time rebounding leader with 2,201 career rebounds.

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