Recap
The New York State Basketball League experienced a stormy season. The problems started early. Escalating player salary demands and poor early season attendance put most of the owners in an apprehensive mood. Albany, which had captured the last two NYSL championships, declined to enter the first half of the split season. Schenectady, featuring young New York City area players such as Mike Smolick, Dave Wassmer, and 6’5″ string bean Joe Lapchick, controlled most of the first-half race, but faltered financially and was forced to drop out of the league just a week before the completion of the race. Gloversville, running in second place, took the title by default. But the upstaters’ enjoyment of their success was short-lived. The second-half of the season saw the Gloversville roster melt away because of financial problems. Albany re-entered the league to battle Cohoes, the strongest of the surviving teams, for the second-half title. Cohoes, behind the steady play of Michael Johnson and Marty Barry, took the second-half crown. With the roster of the first-half titlist, Gloversville, decimated , Cohoes was declared league champion without a playoff.
With Albany sitting out the first half of the NYSL season, Barney Sedran and Marty Friedman played full time in the Interstate Basketball League. Their Easthampton team easily won the first half title with a 12-2 record. Holyoke, led by local stars Jerry Conway and Harold Hiser, took the second half of the season and then upset the favored Easthampton in the playoffs to win the championship.
I sincerely appreciate the research work, and the information being shared. It is important and interesting history.