Sigma Nu Honors Buffs Legend Haldorson
September 13, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Alumni C Club, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — More than 60 years after he led the Colorado basketball team to its first — and still only — NCAA Final Four appearance, Burdette "Burdy" Haldorson is still remembered fondly by Buffs faithful.
Last week, Haldorson was honored by his old fraternity when Sigma Nu Boulder renamed its basketball court in his honor. Haldorson appeared at a Saturday morning ceremony at the house, joined by CU Athletic Director Rick George and current CU basketball coach Tad Boyle.
"It's quite an honor," said Haldorson, who also won two Olympic gold medals for Team USA in the 1956 and 1960 Olympics. "You always like to see history being recognized and appreciated. You always wonder if people will remember, and this was great to see. I lived in this house for two years and to come back all these years later and see this is a very nice tribute."
Haldorson was one of the most dominant players of his era. He led the Buffs to a Big Seven co-championship and NCAA berth in 1954, then helped Colorado to a school record 19 wins and an outright league championship in 1955. He became CU's first player to average a double-double that year (21.0 points, 13.8 rebounds per game) and led CU to a pair of NCAA Tournament wins before falling to Bill Russell and San Francisco in the national semifinals. The Buffs then beat Iowa in the third-place game.
After his college career — along with playing in two Olympics — he played for the Phillips 66ers, a national AAU power, and he set the 66ers scoring record with a 53-point performance in 1960.
Haldorson left CU with school season records in points (524), rebounds (346) and free throw (160), and he led the Big Seven in scoring his final year with a 23.9 average.
Today, he still holds the CU single-season rebounding average record (13.8 per game), is seventh on the single-season scoring average list (21.0 ppg), eighth in career rebounding (711 in 75 games, fewest games of any player in the top 10) and is third in single-season rebounding (346).
He is also still holds the CU single-game record for rebounding with 31 against Oklahoma in 1952.
"We played a different game back then," Haldorson said. "It's much more physical now, but we still played some very good basketball."
Haldorson was inducted into the CU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999 and was named to the Pac-12 Men's Basketball Hall of Honor in 2012. He now makes his home in Colorado Springs and makes trips regularly to Boulder to see the Buffs. He is a "big fan" of Boyle and has followed the recent resurgence of the Buffs closely.
"It's great to see them playing well again," Haldorson said. "I think they're in very good hands."
Also remembered at the weekend ceremony was the late Todd "Moose" Benson, a Sigma Nu member, longtime CU Athletic Department employee and former Ralphie handler.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu