ON THE LINE

Basketball Goes National Tonight.
Tourney “pene In the Garcen

By Bob; Considine Daily Hirrot ~
New York’ ‘city,. 3/9/38:

Bas ke tball; as. a National, game with & nation-wide focal point
of interest, becomes: 6, reali py. for perhaps the first time tonight
at Madison Square Garden when the first annudl National Invitation
College Basketball Tournament gives. forth a twich end begins’ t> etir,

Temple, Bastern Conferéiice champs pol to ny disorderly mind,
the best club in. the ccuntry, plays Bradley ; Tech, the corn-fed
champions of the Illinois College unr uesacs: In the caboose end of
tonight's double féature, NiY.U. and Long. Guyland U., who play in
the same. town, but'never. ‘ggainst. the other, come togather in a gamo
that bodes no gvod for life ard*limb.

“ “The second round of the’ tourhament, next, qonday night, ‘will
pit, tonight's winners against, whiazer. white: s ‘Colorado university
five, which tied Utah for the Big sevén title, and Oklahoma'A, ané
“ais Missouri Valley Conference . champions. /nc “the winhers of this
boiling down precess will) par- -boil ‘each éther for. the. championship
& week from tonight.

' The British, whe know’ that the ‘sport is ‘the: “thing, probably
wouldn't like this tournarient, for it will serve, in time, as a-
tést-tube to isolate the offifial national champion, Basketball,
Since the time it. Started” with the peach beske ts in the gymnasium
_of. the Springfield, i ish, MG. hes collece hes “somehow remained
aloof of the American pasate for naming. the best of a given field.
It has*developed sectigqnal | champions. of a. hundred cifferent.varie-
ties, but it really was net until young @ Nec..Irish, the reformed
schoolboy | ‘columnist, hiréd- the” big’ ew ‘York fight: barn, built him-
self’ that yellow, pine floor; and bégar. inducing teams be make the
long sleeper jumps to New 'Yverk, that there Was Eny interconmunicat-
ion of ideas, playing systems and pleyers.  -

trish, "of course, is “tHe peneral jaa jer “‘aoumo. of ‘the present
“tournament, though the ic iga..seems to have criginated is a stray
pardadgraoh printed in the New York. University . Conmerce Bulletin,
It's a good stunt, and we Know of no oné who cotld handie it better
than Irish, who somehow has found a way tc blend those inherently
opposing ingredients~- the amateurism of cullere tasketball and
Irish's big league showmanship,

Tue teams were hanhdpd caked by the New York Basketbell writers

Association, whcse presicent:; sks the able EWerett.mMorris, of the

Herald- Tribune, Every ‘visiting: ‘teeta is a “ehanjsi on, of sone conference
waere the court game..is. highly” regurded, and: though there may be a
well-bred'‘snéer from Stanford on Notre Danie wien the champion is
crowned, we think .said. champion, “wid have mofe claim to the title
than any téam ever had in. baske thad] eT

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