Former LSU basketball player Ralph Jukkola remains loyal to broken team
By Crissy Froyd
LSU basketball is currently in the midst of one of their most horrendous seasons in the history of the program on a 13-game losing streak.
But no matter how bad things get for the Tigers, former LSU basketball player Ralph Jukkola will always be right there in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center to watch them play.
And he’ll be in his usual seat tonight when LSU takes on a 16-11 Auburn team.
“I stay until the bitter end,” Jukkola said via NOLA.com.
This game will be unlike any other before for the 1966-69 Letterman. If the 1-13 LSU team is to lose tonight, they will tie the record for the worst season ever with the 1965-66 and 1966-67 teams. Jukkola was a sophomore forward during the latter of those two seasons, so needless to say, he has some mixed emotions.
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“I’d like to get off the frickin’ record book myself, but I’m never happy when LSU loses,” he said.
He described the experience of being on such a horrible team as a “rude awakening” in which he never thought he would have to experience in his college career when the Tigers went 6-20 that season.
It would be coach Frank Truitt’s first and only season with the team, as he resigned shortly after the season’s end.
Press Maravich took his place, and his legendary son Pete entered Varsity alongside Jukkola. The year was not much better than the previous one, as LSU went 3-23 with a 14-game losing streak.
Despite Jukkola’s efforts, he would never see a postseason game in his career.
“I don’t want to be one of the ones holding that (consecutive losses streak) record anymore,” he said. “But I sure hate to see somebody else beat it. I wouldn’t wish that on any team.”