Dec. 21, 2011
by Jack Scheuer
Mike Hauer and Dan Kelly were inducted into the Saint Joseph's Athletics Hall of Fame on November 5. The pair will be forever linked in the minds and hearts of Hawk fans, and in honor of their inductions, we take this opportunity to look back at two of the greatest Hawks of all time.
They arrived at Hawk Hill in 1966, during the glory years of The Big 5.
Mike Hauer and Dan Kelly, two kids from The Catholic League who went on to play virtually every minute together during their three seasons and become prominent members of Saint Joseph's rich basketball history.
Hauer, a 6-foot-3 power forward who owned the boards and could score teamed with Kelly, the 5-foot-10 floor general and shooter, and since the pairing took place, it has been impossible to mention one without thinking of the other.
Since freshmen were ineligible, they made their debuts during the 1967-68 season, and were installed as starters right from the opening game; the first of 80 in which they played together. The Hawks went 17-9 that year, and were Big 5 champions.
In his book, Tales from the Saint Joseph's Hardwood, coach Jack McKinney said, "In my second year, I was blessed with one of the Hawks' greatest tandems ever, Mike Hauer and Dan Kelly. We rode their coattails for three years."
McKinney added, "Mike Hauer, all 6-foot-3 of him, pound for pound was the greatest basketball player I have ever seen. Dan Kelly, his mate, was a pin-point marksman."
Mike Kempski, a senior forward, remembered the twosome well.
"They were top high school players who made an immediate impact," he said. "They were not only real good players, but were terrific teammates, well-liked by everyone."
Even though they both had many offers, neither had any thoughts about going to any college other than Saint Joseph's.
"For some reason, I was always a St. Joe's fan," said Hauer, a Monsignor Bonner graduate. "In the 7th or 8th grade, I never thought I would play in The Big 5. When it happened, it was like a dream come true for me."
Among his many offers was one from a soon-to-be famous coach.
"I got a phone call from Dean Smith, who was in his first year at North Carolina," he recalled, "but I never considered North Carolina or any other school. I just wanted to go to St. Joe's and play in The Big 5."
Hauer was just 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, but played much bigger. Many long-time city observers considered him certainly one of the top rebounders in the history of the mythical league, and they have a good argument. In his career, he led The Big 5 in rebounding all three years, with an average of 12.5 per game.
The secret to his success was very simple.
"Hungry," he said. "You've got to be very hungry to want the ball and go get it." And go get it he did. In one contest against Rider in 1969, he pulled down 26 rebounds.
Asked to recall some memorable games, he chose three that came to mind.
"We had a big win over Villanova in my sophomore year," he said, "and also knocked off Davidson when they were highly rated. And I remember a double overtime win against La Salle. I think the score was 101-99."
How about some of the more physical players he battled?
"Corky Calhoun from Penn was very strong, and Fred Carter was also tough," he remembered.
About the player he is always linked with, Hauer had high words of praise.
"Dan Kelly was the best teammate you could ever have, he said. "He was a guy who was not only a good player, but always did the right thing."
He had no regrets at all about turning down all those offers from bigger schools.
"My four years at St. Joe's were special," he said. "It was a thrill to play there."
Dan Kelly was a Hawk follower at a very young age, and like his bigger partner, never considered going anywhere else.
"I was a big fan growing up, and it was the only school I wanted to go to," said the Bishop McDevitt product. "The Palestra and The Big 5 were special because if you grew up in Philly, you played against the same guys during the summer. Everybody knew each other."
He recalled a time when he was fortunate enough to play with a couple of SJU legends.
"One summer I played on the same team with Jim Lynam and Jim Boyle. I was a lot younger, but it was a great experience and I got a real good education."
As for special wins, he agreed with Hauer about the Davidson and La Salle games, and then threw out some interesting names about opponents who caused him trouble.
"I played against Calvin Murphy in a high school all star game in Allentown," he said. I didn't guard him in the first half when he scored 37 points. In the second half I held him to 25."
Defensively, he picked out Fran Dunphy as one of the best man-to-man defenders. "He was very tough," he said, "We had some great battles both in The Big 5 and during the summers."
Talking about his long-time friend and teammate, Kelly said this: "I think inch for inch he was the best rebounder who ever played in The Big 5. What a great player, and not just a rebounder but also a scorer. And, he was a great teammate."
Dunphy remembers well the games he played against the cross-town rivals.
"They were great players and great guys," said the current Temple coach. "I matched up frequently against Dan both in The Big 5 and during the summer, and he wasn't easy to guard."
And Hauer?
"Mike was a tremendous rebounder and a terrific all-around player. They didn't come any tougher."
In their three seasons together, Saint Joseph's record was 49-32, which doesn't sound overwhelming until you consider the competition at that time.
La Salle, Penn and Villanova each had what were probably their all-time best teams, and Temple was also strong, winning the NIT in 1969. Players such as Ken Durrett, Larry Cannon, Howard Porter, Johnny Jones, John Baum and Chris Ford were just a few of the many stars who were playing during that era.
The career achievements of Hauer and Kelly are so similar it's almost scary: Hauer scored 1,496 points, Kelly 1,524. Hauer averaged 19.2 points per game, Kelly 19.l; both are in three Halls of Fame; Hauer was first team All-Big 5 three times, Kelly twice; they were co-MVPs and co-captains as juniors and seniors; and they even scored their 1,000th career point in the same game!
Mike Hauer and Dan Kelly...ultimate teammates.
And great representatives of Saint Joseph's University.
