The Lost Decade of Seton Hall Basketball: A Point Shaving Scandal and the De-Emphasis of Basketball

In 1961, scandal struck Seton Hall. A week after the end of the 1961 college basketball season ended, the headline on the 23 March 1961 edition of The Setonian read, “Gunter, Hicks Questioned By N.Y.D.A In Alleged Fix; ‘Other Schools Definitely Involved’ – Hall Stunned.” It was shocking to say the least. As The Setonian noted, “the alleged ‘fix’ involved two Seton Hall University basketball players: Arthur Hicks and Henry Gunter.”

New York district attorney Frank Hogan discovered this scandal “involved 37 different players from 22 schools.” According to The Setonian, Hicks and Gunter were offered bribes of $1,000 and $1,500 on two separate occasions, if not more, to ensure Seton Hall would lose certain games by a certain number of points. It is important to note that Hicks and Gunter were considered the two best players on the 1960-61 squad.

Just the week prior, The Setonian had reviewed the college basketball season, noting how “Regan guided Hall to a winning season.” It was Seton Hall basketball legend Richie Regan’s first season as head coach. He was a part of the championship winning team of 1952-53. He replaced his former Hall of Fame coach Honey Russell. In Coach Regan’s first season, the team went 15-9. It was a respectable record, but one that many students were excited to build upon.

However, this scandal eliminated any possibility of such building. On 10 September 1961, President Doughtery made an announcement “concerning the future basketball policy of Seton Hall University.” It was a three-pronged policy:

1. The University will restrict its competition in basketball to schools in the New England and Middle States area.
2. The University will not participate in any basketball tournaments, either during or after the regular season.
3. All home basketball games will be played in the University gymnasium and not in any public arena.

These policies were to go into effect immediately. These were “internal sanctions imposed on the program.” While initially the tournament bans were indefinite, they would eventually be clarified to “a plan where no postseason invitations would be accepted for 10 years or in-season tournaments for 5.” This plan became known as a “de-emphasis of basketball.” As a result, “there were fewer scholarships, and limited media coverage was given until the early 1970s.”

At first, the scandal and the subsequent de-emphasis cause many writers for The Setonian to look backward to the basketball greats of yesteryear. In an article titled “Former Greats Remembered As Big Ball Era Terminates,” The Setonian discussed many of the brightest basketball moments in Pirate history. From Bobby Wagner to Richie Regan to Walter Dukes, The Setonian sought to reminisce on the good old days of Seton Hall basketball history.

This was especially heartbreaking for freshman hooper Nick Werkman. As a freshman during the 1960-61 season, he was not allowed to play for the Varsity squad as the NCAA did not allow freshmen to play for Varsity teams, despite being by all accounts “the best player on campus.”

Known as “Nick the Quick,” “Tricky Nick,” and “the Twist,” Nick Werkman is the second most prolific player in Seton Hall basketball history behind the great Walter Dukes. Werkman scored 2,273 career points. Werkman “led the Pirates in scoring for three straight years with a 32-point-per-game average.” Werkman also was close to the top of the nation for his scoring averages, “ranking third in 1962, second in 1964, and first in 1963 with individual season averages of 32, 33.2, and 29.5, respectfully.” However, all this individual success came without any chance for postseason glory.

In an interview from 2019, Werkman revealed his belief that “in hindsight I made a mistake” in deciding to stay at Seton Hall after the post season ban. Werkman stated, “I probably should have changed schools because I did not realize how damaging it would be to my career.” Werkman was incredibly popular at the Hall, and “many people have said [he] saved the program.” Despite how celebrated Werkman was, all of his accomplishments – from leading the nation in scoring to becoming the first Pirate to score 50 points in a single game to numerous All-American selections – came without the possibility of becoming a champion.

Throughout the years of the 60s, The Setonian made numerous attempts to drum up interest in the basketball program, despite the program’s inability to contend for postseason glory. In the 13 December 1962 edition, there was a basketball special released. The special edition explored the team, the history of the program, the coaches, and the opponents. There were numerous interviews with Coach Regan throughout the decade, all of which pleaded for the same thing: school spirit and pride in the basketball team.  Attendance was consistently low during the 60s, specifically after the great Werkman graduated.

In 1965, the University, after years of pressure from the student body, finally agreed to end the tournament ban. The 25 February 1965 edition of The Setonian celebrated, “SHU ENDS TOURNAMENT BAN.” The newspaper noted, “The imploring of this ban originally was due to the actions of a few individuals. This hindered the spirit of the school and continued to detract from the reputation of Seton Hall.”

Students offered mixed opinions to The Setonian, from “I care?” to “the lifting of the ban will be an impetus to school spirit” to “the lifting of the ban should have occurred three years earlier.” Another was quoted advising the administration “to improve the recruiting program” to include the “best basketball players.”

However, despite the lifting of the tournament bans, basketball continued to be de-emphasized at Seton Hall. It would not be until the 1973-1974 team that Seton Hall would “earn its first NIT bid since 1957.” It took a while for Seton Hall to regain its status as a basketball school. In explanation of student frustration with the administration, many often cited the de-emphasis of basketball as a reason for student discontent. Eight years after becoming national champions, Seton Hall University tore its storied program down, much to the dismay of its student body.