Mustangs ride All-American to Final Four

[dropcap]J[/dropcap]im Krebs scored a Southwest Conference record 50 points on Feb. 8, 1956 to power the SMU Mustangs past the Texas Longhorns 109-96.

Elmore “Doc” Hayes was hired in 1947 to breathe new life into the listless basketball program at Southern Methodist University.  The pitiful Ponies had won a grand total of two SWC titles in 28 seasons, the last exactly a decade earlier.

The new coach won one more game than he lost in his first eight years but finished no higher than third in the annual seven-team scramble.  Then along came Jim Krebs, the 6-foot 8-inch answer to the Mustangs’ prayers.