John Carroll men's basketball had a rocky start in terms of winning.

Over the course of the first 33 seasons, the Blue Streaks managed just nine winning campaigns, and only once did John Carroll string together three consecutive winning records (1922-1924).

In 1954, there was a great deal of trepidation regarding the future of collegiate athletics at John Carroll. With the formation of the Presidents' Athletic Conference hanging in the balance, officials at John Carroll had already declared that failure to create the new league would force the school to cease athletics operations.

Against that backdrop, head basketball coach Fred George announced he was leaving his post at the end of the 1953-54 season. He had just completed the winningest season in school history (15-11, most wins in a single year) behind the play of the program's all-time leading scorer George Dalton.

Even with the possibility of the 1954-55 season being the last, assistant coach Silvio "Sil" Cornachione accepted his elevatuon to the head coaching position.

Cornachione was born in the Collinwood neighborhood of Cleveland in 1927. In seventh grade, Sil tried out for football and was told he was not big enough or strong enough to play. The next year he made the team, and became captain – a position he held all the way up through his senior year at Collinwood. Sil and his teammates were Senate champions each year.

He then went on to star at John Carroll. He played in a backfield that featured the likes of Carl Taseff, Don Shula and Len Soeder. He was also a tremendous student who appreciated the opportunities afforded to him.  He was quoted as saying "The avenues of success to my wonderful years in the world of athletics and life." Cornachione earned a B.S. in Education and an M.A. in Counseling and Administrative Education from John Carroll. He has also completed 135 hours toward a Ph.D. in Psychology. While at John Carroll, he was an Instructor/Coach in football, basketball and track. He coordinated student activities and city-wide events involving health, physical activities, athletics, and recreation in the communities of Chesterland, Gates Mills, Russell, Cleveland Heights and University Heights.

His promotion to head coach had a profound effect on the fortunes of John Carroll basketball. His first team went 14-9, and then, when the Presidents' Athletic Conference came to fruition, every year his team was a contender. After two runner-up finishes in 1956 and 1957, John Carroll would win back-to-back titles in 1958 and 1959. He guided star players like John Stavole, Paul Schlimm, Frank Humenik, Jim Keim and Gary Furin. In Cornachione's four years as head coach in the PAC, his teams were a combined 24-5 in league play. His overall record was 56-39.

In August of 1958, Cornachione abruptly left John Carroll to accept a faculty position at Cleveland Heights High School. He would later join Don Shula's football staff with the Miami Dolphins.

Meanwhile, John Carroll had a vacancy to fill, and, in an article written on October 30, 1958 by Chuck Heaton for the Plain Dealer, a man well known in local amateur basketball circles, Vito Kubilus, agreed to coach the team for one year. JCU's new coach had a full time job as a wage and salary administrator for Chase Brass and Copper Company.

Kubilus, a native of Montreal, was an exceptional athlete in his own right. He was known for both his basketball and baseball prowess. He was once offered a contract to play for the Cleveland Indians but had to decline to tend to family responsibilities. 

He stayed with basketball at an amateur level and played for the Chase Brass and Copper company team as well as the American Lithuanian Athletic League

True to his word (and per PAC rules regarding part time coaches), Kubilus coached just one year. And what a year it was. JCU went 13-5 (second highest winning percentage for a single season) and 10-1 in PAC play, capturing the program's third consecutive conference crown.

Kubilus was quoted as saying, "It has been one of the very happy period in my life ... I've enjoyed it tremendously. I'll miss the boys and the close contact with the school, but I'm glad to have had the experience."

Despite the tumultuous times with threats of disbanding athletics and transitioning into a league format, the 1950's proved to be the most successful decade of basketball at John Carroll in terms of winning percentage until the 1980's.