Hall of Fame
Jake Zeidwerg broke into the starting varsity basketball lineup in his freshman year and was a fixture thereafter.
In his first two years, the 1952-53 and 1953-54 seasons, he averaged a modest four points a game. But then he made the big jump forward, averaging 14 points as a junior and 13 as a senior. As a junior, he hit from the foul line at a pro-like 89 percent; and as a senior, he led the team in a free throw successes with 97. He was a key man in the team’s zone defense.
Not particularly tall for a center at 6’4”, he could leap with the best. Zeidwerg could hook with either hand, had a special, deft touch when it came to tipping in rebounds, and excelled with a push shot from the corners.
He was just shy of a double figure average for his four years of varsity play and totaled a little less than 1,000 points in a solid, satisfying career. One of the most satisfying moments came when Rutgers-Newark upset its big brothers from New Brunswick, a game in which Jake more than held his own, scoring nine points.
Other highlights included converting 27 of 30 foul shots in one game and a 36-point scoring outburst against Hunter College.
Zeidwerg is now a resident of Highland Park, NJ.
