(1-4-24) In 1963 Rockford (Illinois) Auburn boys basketball team put together one of the best teams in school history. But most will remember the off-court situation.
March 15, 2012 Rockford Register-Star Story —- IHSA erased Auburn’s first state basketball qualifier in 1963
Jasper Robinson was the focus of an investigation by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) that he was to ‘old‘ to play for the Knights in 1963. Robinson moved to Rockford with his family from Junction City, Arkansas in 1957. The 6’3 Robinson was a player, as a Junior he led the conference in scoring with a 20 point average.
The scenario of the case that was facing the IHSA and Robinson-
- eight days too old to play, according to his birth certificate (Dec. 2, 1943).
- a year too old, according to his dad’s U.S. Navy records (Dec. 24, 1942).
- safely 14 days under the age limit, according to the Robinsons and backed up by their family Bible (Dec. 24, 1943).
The IHSA ruled on October 31st, 1963 that Robinson was too old to play his senior season, saying he had turned 19 before the December 10th deadline.
In order to prove Robinson was eligible to the IHSA to compete in his Senior year there were trips and calls made to the Pentagon, the U.S. Supreme Court and a newspaper trip to Arkansas.
With all of the confusion going on during this Circuit Court Judge William R. Dusher would order that Robinson had the right to play…the IHSA would warn after this ruling that if it was found out later that the court was overturned that he was ineligible the Knights would have to forfeit any games that they would win and he played in (he sat out a month before starting to play).
A year after the IHSA had ordered Auburn to forfeit 15 games they had won, including all its postseason wins. But it still wasn’t over as Justice Arthur J. Goldberg of the U.S. Supreme Court signed an extension of an Auburn appeal that had been filed. On January 8th 1965 two years after Auburn’s state appearance, the Supreme Court would deny to hear Robinson’s case and he was declared ineligible by the IHSA.
1963 IHSA State Tournament
The Knights. who had beaten Aledo 62-51 in the Super-Sectional game, advanced next to the Quarterfinal to play Springfield Lanphier where they would lose 58-56. Had they hung on to beat Lanphier that game would have also ended later as a forfeit.
This above game with Aledo was later forfeited….after a review by the U.S. Supreme Court was denied, Jasper Robinson was finally ruled ineligible.
1962-63 Auburn Scores & Schedule
Did you know…
Robinson’s obituary listed his birthday as December 24th, 1943
The Knights were coached in 1962-63 by Hall of Fame Coach Dolph Schayes. According to the Rockford Register-Star story he thought the IHSA had decided to take the Knights out of the tournament after the Quarterfinal game in their lost to Lanphier—
“The fouls kept coming and coming. I just couldn’t see them. You could tell from the reaction of the people in the stands what was going on. It was pitiful.”
Resources for this story include the 1963 Auburn Yearbook, IHSA web site and the Rockford Register-Star.
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