Along the banks of the Mississippi River in the area known as tri-cities, where the cities of Moline, Illinois; Rock Island, Illinois; and Davenport, Iowa form a consolidation. The newest franchise in the National Basketball League began to play in the region after starting the season as the Buffalo Bisons for a few games, with General Manager Leo Ferris, who was instrumental in developing the shot clock.

Playing in the 6,000-seat Wharton Fieldhouse in Moline and known as the Blackhawks (115 years earlier, it was the location of the Blackhawk war), the team struggled to finish in fifth place with a 19-25 record. Among the players on the team was pioneer Pop Gates, who was a star on the all-black New York Renaissance that won 68 straight games in the early days of professional basketball.