The 1955-56 Badgers did not have All-American Happy Mahfouz who graduated the previous spring but that didn’t stop Coach Bill Gardiner from putting together another murderous schedule for the boys. The opening season road trip that started at with East Tennessee State, Marshall, Xavier-Ohio, Samford and finished at Mississippi College almost doomed the Badgers. The team rallied once they got home with wins over the Miami Hurricanes, Louisiana and Washington State before playing as the host of the Senior Bowl Tournament featuring two Tigers; Clemson from the ACC and the No. 12 defending Senior Bowl Champions Memphis along with the Miami Hurricanes. Mobile basketball fans packed the Portier Center to see the Badgers square off with the out-of-town foes. The first night, the Badgers downed Clemson 102-91 in a shootout. In the Championship game against #12 Memphis, the hometown Badgers came roaring back with less than eight minutes to play down 62-47 to upset the Tigers 69-65, pulling off one of the greatest victories in SHC Athletic History. Ed “Pogo” Tibbets was named Tournament MVP.

Team members: Charles Rodriguez, Gene McGuire, Bucky Poole, Jim McGuire, Whitey Barnes, Bob Coyle.   Jim Burke, Jim Liteky, Jerry Rubin, Jim Hasser, D. R. Atkinson, Pat McGuire (manager). Coach Bill Gardiner, Joe Phelan, Ed Breen, Jim Carney, Ed Tibbetts, Assistant Coach Paul Napolitano.