The 1971–72 Carolina Cougars season was the 3rd season of the Cougars in the ABA. The team was 14–28 after one half of the season, with a six-game losing streak (the longest of the season) contributing to the start. They went 21–21 (with two instances of three game winning streaks) in the second half, but they lost the final spot in the playoffs by one game to The Floridians. The two teams had met up for their final match-up of the season on March 24 in Greensboro, with the Cougars having two games to play afterwards and the Floridians four, respectively. The Floridians won the game 116–115 in overtime, making their record 35–45 and the Cougars record at 33–49, which meant that it was all but assured the Cougars were eliminated, due to the Floridians clinching the playoff spot four days later with their 36th win (if they had lost all of their four games, the two teams would have been tied at 35–49, which would've necessitated a playoff). The Cougars had missed the playoffs for the 2nd straight year in a row. The team was 5th in points scored at 114.8 per game, but 10th in points allowed at 118.1 per game.[1]
| 1971–72 Carolina Cougars season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Tom Meschery |
| Arena | Greensboro Coliseum Charlotte Coliseum Dorton Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 35–49 (.417) |
| Place | Division: 5th |
During the regular season, the Cougars played 19 games in Greensboro, 14 in Charlotte, 6 in Raleigh, 3 in Winston-Salem, and one at Fort Bragg.
Roster
edit- 27 Joe Caldwell – Small forward
- 34 Frank Card – Forward
- -- George Carter – Small forward
- 32 Warren Davis – Power forward
- 54 Randy Denton – Center
- 4 Ron Dorsey – Forward
- 35 Wayne Hightower – Power forward
- 13 Stew Johnson – Power forward
- 33 Wendell Ladner – Small forward
- 21 George Lehmann – Point guard
- 23 Gene Littles – Point guard
- 22 Ed Manning – Small forward
- 24 Ted McClain – Shooting guard
- 1 Jim McDaniels – Center
- 44 Larry Miller – Shooting guard
- 52 Tom Owens – Center
- 33 George Stone – Small forward
- 11 Bob Verga – Shooting guard
- 21 Bob Warren – Shooting guard
Final standings
editEastern Division
edit| Team | W | L | % | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Colonels | 68 | 16 | .810 | - |
| Virginia Squires | 45 | 39 | .536 | 23 |
| New York Nets | 44 | 40 | .524 | 24 |
| The Floridians | 36 | 48 | .429 | 32 |
| Carolina Cougars | 35 | 49 | .417 | 33 |
| Pittsburgh Condors | 25 | 59 | .298 | 43 |
Awards, records, and honors
edit1972 ABA All-Star Game selection (game played on January 29, 1972)