Robert Doll (2023) - CU Athletic Hall of Fame - University of Colorado Athletics

Robert Doll

Induction:
2023
Class:
1942

Earned three letters playing center under coach Frosty Cox for the Buffaloes from the 1939-40 through 1941-42 seasons … CU was the champion of the Mountain States Conference two of his three seasons, with a 43-12 record (29-7 in league play and 21-1 at home) … Known for his aggressive defense as he was named a unanimous first-team All-Mountain State Conference player as a senior, when he was named CU’s second All-American in the sport (by Look, Pic and Time magazines), joining one-time teammate Jack Harvey … As a sophomore, when CU was recognized as the No. 1 team west of the Mississippi, he was selected as the Most Outstanding Player in the 1940 N.I.T., leading the Buffaloes to the title with wins over DePaul and Duquesne. He led CU with 15 points in the 51-40 win over Duquesne in the championship game; he had also led the team with 16 points in a 52-37 semifinal win over DePaul and was the tournament’s leading scorer overall with 31 points … He was a big factor in leading the Buffs to its first two appearances in the NCAA tournament, in 1940 after the N.I.T. title and in 1942; in the latter, he helped CU record its first-ever NCAA tourney win, scoring seven points (of CU’s 27 at the time) before he fouled out in the first minute of the second half in a 46-44 win over Kansas (in Kansas City); that was CU’s first-ever appearance in the Final Four … After graduating from CU, he played AAU basketball for the Denver American Legion team, earning AAU All-American honors in 1943 … He then entered the military, where he served during World War II for the United States Navy from 1943-46 (his service photo is set to be displayed in the Veteran Banner project in Niwot/Boulder County beside his father and grandfather) … The first CU player to play professionally, with two different teams in the Basketball Association of America (rebranded as the NBA in his fourth and final year as a pro (St. Louis Bombers 1946-48 and the Boston Celtics (1948-50); prior to joining the Celtics, he appeared in nine games for the original Denver Nuggets of the NBL in 1948-49 … As a pro, he appeared in 205 regular season games, averaging 8.3 points per game (1,696 points) while collecting 273 assists; he also appeared in an additional 10 playoff games with St. Louis (averaging 7.0 ppg) … Played center most of his professional career, despite usually lining up against bigger and stronger opponents (he was 6-5, 195) as he was known for his aggressive and fronting defense … Earned the nickname “Ichabod” as a player for the Buffs … Starred as a prep at Chaffey High School in Ontario, Calif., before returning to his native state for his college ball … His grandparents were Boulder pioneer families: one grandfather fought in the Civil War and the other arrived in Boulder in 1870 … His great-grandson, James Puttman, is a senior in CU’s Leeds School of Business … He was born August 10, 1919 in Steamboat Springs, Colo., and passed away on September 18, 1959 at the age of 40. At the time of his death, Bob was survived by his wife Dorothy, a son Stacy, his mother, two sisters, two brothers, seven nieces and four nephews.