point ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁an ▁entertain ment ▁one . ▁They ▁were ▁a ▁very ▁compet itive ▁team , ▁but ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁manage ▁to ▁win ▁any ▁N IB L ▁title , ▁with ▁the ▁Phill ips ▁ 6 6 ers ▁domin ating ▁the ▁league . ▁Joe ▁White ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁other ▁great ▁players ▁like ▁ 6 - 9 ▁big ▁man ▁William ▁Mad ison ▁Str at ford ▁a ▁Mississippi ▁native , ▁who ▁previously ▁played ▁for ▁Ak ron ▁Wing fo ots ▁re located ▁to ▁Santa ▁Maria ▁and ▁never ▁left , ▁Ken ny ▁Mil o , ▁Bill ▁Bert ka , ▁while ▁Lawrence ▁" H op " ▁Find lay ▁was ▁the ▁team ' ▁coach . ▁▁ 1 9 5 2 - 1 9 5 4 : ▁N IB L ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁Duke ▁Web ster ▁decided ▁to ▁step ▁things ▁up , ▁with ▁team ▁joining ▁the ▁N IB L , ▁and ▁acqu iring ▁good ▁players ▁like ▁point ▁guard ▁Pat ty ▁Sim s . ▁The ▁competition ▁was ▁t ough . ▁The ▁Santa ▁Maria ▁franch ise ▁was ▁very ▁unusual ▁being ▁only ▁community - sp ons ored ▁team ▁in ▁the ▁league . ▁The ▁other ▁N IB L ▁teams ▁were ▁corpor ate - sp ons ored , ▁meaning ▁their ▁players ▁would ▁have ▁jobs ▁with ▁the ▁companies ▁that ▁spons ored ▁them . ▁But ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁California ▁had ▁a ▁community - sp ons ored ▁team ▁was ▁unique ▁in ▁itself . ▁The ▁D uk es ▁finished ▁third ▁in ▁their ▁first ▁season ▁and ▁fifth ▁in ▁the ▁second . ▁ ▁The ▁population ▁of ▁Santa ▁Maria