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Tournament of New York City. It was promated and built up among the sport f. p
writers. This was such a vulgar promotion that policy and less heat desired 7
caused them to call it the National Invitation Tournament. It has no bear- ~/ ,

ing, no standing with any colleges at all. It is simply a promotion like t

the A.A.U. (Amateur Athletic Union). They pick the teams that they think

will draw best at the gate, and keep the money.

In 1945 Utah won the National N.C.A.A. by defeating seeiaueieie bie
‘the finals in Madison Square Garden. Then Utah went on to defeat St. Johns
ef Brookiyn for what they call the mythical, and it is very mythical because
it has no standing at all, but the money is given to the Red Cross and has
been for this play-off between the N.C.A.A. and the National Invitation.
And that gives a semblance of standing to the mythical championship. It
would never be played and the National Invitation would have no bearing
except for newspaper ane Hed Irish's promotion.

| ‘Shin we toes date: kaghen sm: Gen: Bankers Ghapatt ty date
Arkansas. They had previously defeated Utah by a top heavy score in the
first round. Then Oklahoma Aggies west east to defeat New York University
in Madison Squars Garden for the N.C.A.A. finals. And night befere last
Oklahoma Aggies defeated DePaul of Chicago fer this mythical ohampionship
promoted by Irish and his newspaper esoteric, $46,000 gate receipts going to
the Red Cross.

The National Collegiate A. A. Tournament first started when Orage
won the Western N.C.A<A. play-off at Treasure Island in San Prenciseo. John
Bunn and I, the N.C.A.A. representatives, conducted the tournament. The
University of Oklahoma‘from the Fifth District, the University of Texas from
the. Sixth District, Utah State from the Seventh District, and Oregon played
for the Western chauplonship title. Oregon, the Western wimer, then went
to Chicago and played Ohio State, the Bastern N.C.A.A. champion, and Oregon
defeated Ohio State, Seater _— ares the first National Collegiate
champion.

So the Pacific Coast has won two championships, with Oregon and
Stanford. The Big Ten has won one N.C.A.A. championship with Indiena in
1940. The Rocky Mountain Conference has won two with Utah and Wyoming
as their representatives, and the Missouri Valley has won one with Oklahoma
Aggies. Not an eastern team has won a schempionship, although Dartmouth,
Hew York University and others have gotten to the finals.

'. I knew Coach Joe Lapehick of St. Jolms very well and he ig a fine
fellew. He is an old professional basketball player and a good ak. but
St. Johns has never gone into the N.C.A.A. play-off. They have always gone
juke Gs Bmrbeiaa: tack thay tame wens pluie tor Ges tenmneded wktee. wl
no eellege authorities.

You will pardon me in not laying claim to any titular honors, but
I will send you our record in our conference. In 1942 we went east and met
St. Bonaventure's in Buffale, one of Ned Irish's promotions, and defeated
them 55 te 22. We played Fordham in the Garden and defeated them 31 to DO;
and then we played St. Joseph's at Philadelphia, mae Garden promotion,
and defeated them 63 to 38.

If you would ask my personal iii I would tell you definitely
"that western teams have repeatedly gone east and made clean sweeps of the