Standing 7 feet tall, Bob Kurland was one of college basketball's first great "big men" to dominate the game. His shock-blocking ability contributed to the NCAA's 1954 decision to adopt a rule concerning goaltending. He led Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) to back-to-back NCAA Championships in 1945 and 1946. After college, Kurland worked for the Phillips Oil Company and played for their 66er team for six seasons. He won the AAU Championship three times and was named an AAU All-American six times.