Memory Lane

OLV72 said:
It's probably too messy to point out that the NCAA wasn't viewed as the tournament championship it is today until they won out over the NIT about fifty years ago.
Click to expand...
And of course, this happened. Beating us in the final. I was there. Because I am old.

The 1969–70 Marquette Warriors men's basketball team represented Marquette University during the 1969–70 men's college basketball season. The Warriors finished the regular season with a record of 26–3. The season is particularly notable as coach Al McGuire turned down a bid to the 1970 NCAA Tournament after the committee placed the tenth-ranked Warriors in the Midwest region instead of the geographically closer Mideast, the first team to ever take this action. McGuire opted to play in the 1970 National Invitation Tournament instead,[1] where they defeated Massachusetts, Utah and LSU to advance to the NIT championship where they defeated St. John's to become NIT champions. As a direct result of this action, the NCAA forbid its members from declining NCAA tournament bids when offered moving forward.
 
fan since 65 said:
And of course, this happened. Beating us in the final. I was there. Because I am old.

The 1969–70 Marquette Warriors men's basketball team represented Marquette University during the 1969–70 men's college basketball season. The Warriors finished the regular season with a record of 26–3. The season is particularly notable as coach Al McGuire turned down a bid to the 1970 NCAA Tournament after the committee placed the tenth-ranked Warriors in the Midwest region instead of the geographically closer Mideast, the first team to ever take this action. McGuire opted to play in the 1970 National Invitation Tournament instead,[1] where they defeated Massachusetts, Utah and LSU to advance to the NIT championship where they defeated St. John's to become NIT champions. As a direct result of this action, the NCAA forbid its members from declining NCAA tournament bids when offered moving forward.
Click to expand...
I remember that one. But by the time Cincy won the NCAA championship around 1960 with the Big O the NCAA had become the more widely recognized tournament.
 
OLV you are right . NIT was the Tournament back in the Day.
It was only when UCLA and Lew Alcindor a/k/ a Kareem Jabbar began to dominate College BB
Houston with Elvin Hayes , Kansas , UNC , etc

I would say , probably the mid 60’s was when the NCAA began to become the National Championship .

They wanted to take that top rung away from the NIT and succeeded .

The TV Networks did a lot to make that happen too.
 
SLYFOXX1968 said:
OLV you are right . NIT was the Tournament back in the Day.
It was only when UCLA and Lew Alcindor a/k/ a Kareem Jabbar began to dominate College BB
Houston with Elvin Hayes , Kansas , UNC , etc

I would say , probably the mid 60’s was when the NCAA began to become the National Championship .

They wanted to take that top rung away from the NIT and succeeded .

The TV Networks did a lot to make that happen too.
Click to expand...
To me it was the Cincinatti Loyola/Chicago OT (Rouse, Hunter, Miller, Harkness, Egan) game for the NC that changed everything. Ramblers stopped Bearcats with Thacker and Yates who were going for threepeat after beating Ohio St. for NC twice in a row.
 
bamafan said:
When I was a sophomore in the ‘73-‘74 season Lou turned down NCAA for NIT. We ended up losing to UConn lead by Tony Hanson in first round of NIT at MSG. During the game Ed Searcy stepped on the ball spraining his ankle which severely hampered us. Tough one to get over.
Click to expand...
I think I actually still have a copy of The Torch reporting on that. I'll have to go look for it. Sophomore here as well that year.
 
All the research I did the mantra was mid-fifties for the NCAA to overtake the NIT, but whatever....

I think the NIT kept it prestige up from the late 1930's when the NCAA started their tournament one year after the NIT for a few reasons. A big one being the NIT was played at the Garden in NYC the media capital of the world.

Both kept on changing how many teams would get invited too. Conferences or Leagues were way different back then.

Betting scandals and anti-NYC bias played a part in all this also.

I don't know the timing of automatic bids but those might have meant the NIT got better overall fields.
 
Didn't we win the NIT when that was really "the Tournament?"
 
Those of us who remember , which in itself , is a great thing , can recall Marquette , Coached by Alum and former Redmen player, Al McGuire refusing a NCAA bid .
And accepting a NIT bid instead and the Warriors , Marquette was called the Warriors then , won the NIT and the following year won the NCAA.

I have a opinion , just surfaced off the top of my head that when Lou left to Coach the Nets of the ABA , we could have taken a run at getting Al to be our Coach
No offense to Frank Mulzhoff but , Al already had carved out a top notch Rep as a Coach .

Getting a guy , MCGuire from Rockaway to come to NY instead of Milwaukee might not have been that difficult .
And , if Al did take over for Lou , he might never have gotten the SJ job back , after the Nets .

Just speculation talking .
 
fan since 65 said:
And of course, this happened. Beating us in the final. I was there. Because I am old.

The 1969–70 Marquette Warriors men's basketball team represented Marquette University during the 1969–70 men's college basketball season. The Warriors finished the regular season with a record of 26–3. The season is particularly notable as coach Al McGuire turned down a bid to the 1970 NCAA Tournament after the committee placed the tenth-ranked Warriors in the Midwest region instead of the geographically closer Mideast, the first team to ever take this action. McGuire opted to play in the 1970 National Invitation Tournament instead,[1] where they defeated Massachusetts, Utah and LSU to advance to the NIT championship where they defeated St. John's to become NIT champions. As a direct result of this action, the NCAA forbid its members from declining NCAA tournament bids when offered moving forward.
Click to expand...
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0084.jpeg
    IMG_0084.jpeg
    2.2 MB · Views: 6
fuchsia said:
To me it was the Cincinatti Loyola/Chicago OT (Rouse, Hunter, Miller, Harkness, Egan) game for the NC that changed everything. Ramblers stopped Bearcats with Thacker and Yates who were going for threepeat after beating Ohio St. for NC twice in a row.
Click to expand...
Great game. I remember Vic Rouse's winning put-back at the buzzer -- but I had to follow it on radio; No national TV. (Local note: Ron Miller was out of Columbus High in the Bronx.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top