“It’s fun to still play as long as my knees hold up. Basketball has always been something special for me,” Kieffer said.
Kieffer has had his fair share of special moments on the court. During the 1960-1961 season with the Billikens, he scored in the final second of the game for a thrilling National Invitation Tournament victory over the Miami University Hurricanes at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
The victory propelled the Billikens into the quarterfinals, and the team eventually made it to the finals but fell 62-59 to the Providence College Friars on a three-point shot with four seconds to play.
Fifty years later, Kieffer and seven of his former teammates reunited on the court to receive an honor for their accomplishment during halftime at the Jan. 5 men’s basketball game against Dayton at Chaifetz Arena as a part of the Billiken Legends series, a program that honors past Billiken teams and players.
“They were a special group, and it was important for us to recognize them on the 50 year anniversary of their accomplishment,” Director of Athletics Chris May said. “Clearly they were a group that played hard, worked together, stood up for each other and had a special chemistry, and all of these factors allowed them to have a winning formula.”
That winning formula came under head coach John Bennington as the 1960-1961 team posted a 21-9 record. Kieffer and teammate Bob Nordmann led the team in scoring and were both present at during the halftime ceremony.
“We had a special team that year, and we came so close to winning the championship,” Nordmann said. “It was a great experience to be at the Garden and to represent the University on what was the biggest stage in college basketball.”
At the time, the winners of the National Invitation Tournament were hailed as National Champions by some due to the media exposure at the tournament being in New York City. In 1961, the tournament consisted of 12 teams and contained four rounds. The Billikens defeated Miami, Colorado State and Dayton to reach the finals.
“It is great to be back and all together. Some of us see each other regularly, but others we don’t see, so it is nice to see the guys again,” Kieffer said. “It was a real treat to get to come back and be honored by the Billikens.”
