9.

George Dick - of McLouth, Kansas

Gordon Stucker - of Lawrence.

Willard Frank - of ‘iichita

Bob Malott, son of Chancellor Nalott - of Lawrence
Don Dichl - cf Smith Center

Dean Ccorder = of iielda

Louis Goehring - of irkansas City

* ok OK

Now for the NCAi playoffs. In the Eastern NCAh, Dartmeuth, Catholic
University, Temple and Ohis State were the representatives of Districts 1,
2, 3, and 4. Dartmouth defeated Catholic University, ond Ohio State de-
feated Temple, Then Dartmouth defeated Ohio State, to be the Eastern NCAA
champion. : ;

. In the Western NCAA playoffs much difficulty was encountered. Iowa
State, with a Navy unit, wos finally selected, after considerable diffi-
culty, as the 5th District representative. In the 6th District Arkansas
was selected, but a traffic crossing accident maiming and killing some of
the members caused Arkonsas to withdraw. The University of Iown was asked
. to fill in, which they did, and then later resigned. Then Missouri, with
.its third place civilian outfit, finally substituted for the Scuthwest
Conference, and made a good showing. The Pacific Ceast Conference aid net
have a pioyoff and consequently did not have a representative, but the
authorities of the NCAA selected Pepperdine College, a school that in years
. previous had played.in the smailer college tournament in Kansas City.

_ Pepperdine was a civilian outfit, The Rocky Mountain Conference did not
hhave.a representative because Utoh had accepted the New York Invitation
Tournament. Fow Rocky Ifountain Conference schools put teams in the field.
That left the NCAA without a team for the. 7th District. But luckily Ken-
tucky defeated Utah in New York, and immediately Mr. C. Ee McBride, a
member of the NCAA 5th District, Committee, phoned and got the consent of
Ned Irish to, sond the team (Utah) on to Kansas City in time for the Western
> NCAA playoff. After a harrowing ride fron. New York, Utah arrived bareiy in
time for the game.

Iowa State defeated Pepperdine, and Missouri was defeated by Utah
by about 10 points. Utah then defeated ,Jowa State, | and Missouri ,annihi-
lated Pepperdine. Utah went bask to New York to ‘meet the winner of the
Eastern NCAA playoff --Dartmouth - ond Utah won, the playoff in Madison
Square Garden for the Naticnal Collegiate Athletic Association. _chempionshipe

k. sdsi interesting circumstance made Utah the Cinderella boys of
1944 basketball. The Invitation Tournament, formerly called the Sport
Writers. Tournament, sponsored by Ned Irish, the Horatio Alger of Madiscn
Square Garden basketball, assembled the outstanding teams of ‘the nation
for their tournament playoff. Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania, DePaul of
Chicago, Bowling Green of Ohio, St. Johns of Brooklyn, Oklahoma Aggies,
University of Kentucky, Canisius of Buffalo, and the University of. Utah
were oll contacted-and accepted the New Yorker's bid. This made the In-
vitation Tournament THE tournament of the nation. The University of
Kentucky. defeated the University cf Utah ‘by 4 points in the first game
playoffs, St. Johns defeated Brwling Green, Oklahoma Aggies defeated
- Conisius, and DePaul defeated Muhlenberg in, .the first rounde In the. second