Sidman, Irving

Irving N. Sidman

An outstanding guard and forward at Cornell from 1919-1921, Sidman was the Ivy League's third leading scorer as a senior in 1921. According to his son, one newspaper headline identified him as the "greatest player of 1921." Another newspaper article stated, "If Sidman isn�t chosen on a majority of All-American quintets, basketball fans in this section of the country will be greatly surprised. He is probably the best all-around performer in nearly a decade." Another article called him "the defensive player of the year," and "the most versatile court performer of the 1921 intercollegiate season."

Birth and Death Dates:
b. 1899 - d. 1981

Career Highlights:
A 5'6" forward and guard, Sidman played three seasons on the varsity basketball team at Cornell. In 1918-19, he was a starting forward as the team played as an independent and finished the season with a record of 11-3. They began the year with seven straight victories, including a 36-30 victory over West Virginia, a game in which Sidman "played brilliantly" as he scored 10 points.

In 1919-20, Sidman's junior season, Cornell joined the Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League (predecessor of the Ivy League). Cornell played well during much of the season, going undefeated in non-conference games (10-0), but finishing only 4-6 against conference foes. Sidman played well during the season, but it was the following year that he truly shone as a star for the Big Red.

Cornell began the 1920-21 season on a positive note, defeating conference rival Princeton by a score of 24-21. Sidman, who started at guard in the game, led his team in scoring with 10 points (one field goal and eight free throws - at this time, one player was designated by a team to shoot all free throws). After losing a close game to Big Ten team, Ohio State (24-23), Cornell then overwhelmed Yale by a score of 46-19 as Sidman scored 10 points and was praised by the New York Times for his all-around play.

Cornell continued their strong play after the Yale game, winning four of their next five games before being upset by Dartmouth, 23-20, although Sidman scored 14 points for his squad. After losing a couple of non-conference games, Cornell settled in an ended the season with three consecutive victories, including over Columbia and Yale. They finished with a record of 14-8 (6-4 in conference) and Sidman's was third in the league in scoring with 119 points (20 field goals and 79 free throws).

Origin:
New York

Career Dates:
Sidman played forward and guard at Cornell University, 1918-1921.

Physical description:
5'6", 125 pounds

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