VIRGINIA BEACH, VA—Ted Bacalis, one of the Norfolk Division's (now Old Dominion) top athletes in basketball and baseball passed away today at the age of 90. Bacalis was inducted into the ODU Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. He was the high scoring center who helped lead the Braves to a 21-8 record in 1947-48. That squad, under head coach Jack Callahan, was the first in school history to win 20 or more games in a season
Bacalis served as captain on the 1948 basketball team defeated William and Mary, and N.C. State's junior varsity teams along with two wins over then East Carolina Teachers College. During one stretch, the Braves won ten straight games before losing in the NSCAA Eastern Regional Tournament to Bluefield College.
In the 1946-47 season, the team compiled a 14-8 record under head coach Julius Rubin. Bacalis credits Rubin for teaching him the pick and roll. The Division hit its stride in the Tidewater Invitational Basketball Tournament featuring eight of the strongest teams in the Tidewater area. The Braves defeated second seeded Naval Air Station, 52-37, then defeated third seeded Braxton-Perkins Post No. 25, 51-32 in the semi-finals. In the finals, the Braves defeated a Naval Station squad that had defeated them twice during the regular season.
In winning the Tidewater Invitational Tournament Championship 53-35, Bacalis, the Division's leading scorer, joined three of his teammates on the All-Tournament squad. Bacalis scored a game high 17 points in the championship game.
Bacalis also played baseball for Scrap Chandler in 1948 at shortstop and third base. He captained the baseball squad as well. He later went on to a stellar career at Virgina Tech, and became one of Hampton Roads top high school basketball coaches at nearby Maury from 1959-77 where he compiled a 295-97 record.
NOTE: A visitation for Bacalis will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday at H.D. Oliver Funeral Apartments at 1501 Colonial Avenue in Norfolk, followed by a Trisagion Service at 4 p.m.
The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at the Annuciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral at 7220 Granby Street in Norfolk.