A European Edition 230 West 41st Street
Published Daily and Sunday in Paris New York

Sports Department,
February 17, 1938.

Dear Phog:

By this time, I suppose, you are quite familiar with the
plans of the Metrpolitan Basketball Writers Association for an
invitation intercollegiate basketball tournament in Madison Square
Garden in March. It has no pretensions to natimal championship
rating--we realize its limitations--but we hope to get into it the
very best obtainable teams. We hope through the tourney to empha-
size our policy that basketball is a national, not provincial game,
and give our enormous clientele here an opportunity for further
comparison of the styles of play and officiating prevalent in other
sections of the domain.

I don't know what your schedule limitations are, or what
clamps the university athletic authorities put on your activities,
but would you be interested in an invitation to compete if one were
extended on the basis of your 1937-38 record? Perhaps you are al-
ready committed for obvious reasons to the Kansas City tournament.
However, I*ll outline our plans.

On March 9, we will match two metropolitan teams with two
othe outstanding Eastern clubs in an elimination series. The
winners of these games will qualify for the semi-final round
scheduled for March 14 and the play-off for first place will be
on March 16. Besides the two Eastern survivors, the teams in
the semi-finals will be two invited from the Middle West or Far
West. We will pay full expenses for 12 men (10 players, coach
and manager) and give competing teams an opportunity to share on
a per centage basis in the gate receipts. I'd like your reaction
to this proposition.

If Kansas U. cannot or would not be interested, perhaps you
could suggest some worthwhile team out in your territory. I al-
ready have been approached by Oklahoma, Oklahoma A. & M. and Southe
western College. They all appear to have pretty good records and
competent personnel, but I should like to have your unbiased judge-
ment as to their worthe A. & M., IT understood, is a slow-breaking,
possessive type of club whereas Oklahoma is strictly a race-horse
brigade. Southwestern, I'm told, mixes its game well and is an
interesting club. Anything youcan do to help me pick the team
that will make the best showing and put on the most interesting
game, certainly will be appreciated. As head of the association
and its tournament committee, you can see what a job I have on
my hands and how anxious I am to make this venture at least an
artistic success.

Some time ago I wrote to Dr. Naismith and asked the old ee