Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-12
Kentucky SqueIches
Talk Of NIT Entry;
Manhattan Also Lost
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
LEXINGTON. KY, Feb. IA
Kentucky squelched speculation
today that its basketball team
might take a shot at the Ma
tional Invitation Tournament.
At the same time, however,
the Nations No. / basketball
power kept itself in contention
fors#the NCAA playoffs-with or
without the men who have been
mainly responsible for its lofty
perch.
Bernie Shively, athletic di-
rector, said Kentucky has enter
tanned no thought of asking the
Southeastern Conference to
waive its rule limiting member
schools to participation in the
NCAA tournament, thus indicat-
ing Kentucky is not interested
in the NIT.
Three Players Ineligible.
All-America Cliff Hagan. Frank
Ramsey and Lou Therapeutics
will have won their bachelor de-
grees before the NCAA playoffs
and presumably will be ineligible
under a rule disqualifying grad
uate students.
Asked if he personally would
like to enter the tournament
without Hagan. Ramsey and
discrepancies, Coach Adolph
Rupp said it depended on
whether three ailing players
mend soon enough.
Jerry Bird. Willie Rouse and
Hugh Coy have been shelved |
most of the season but have !
been taking some practice shots
recently. They were considered |
key men before the season |
opened.
IF our injured boys come |
through, we would have some /
thing to go with" Rupp said. |
1--WE have five weeks to get them !
ready"
Manhattan Eliminated.
Meanwhile. the NIT had hopes /
of capturing the Nations high /.
est scorers as compensation for /
losing Kentucky.
The NIT suffered an added /
blow last night when New York /
University whipped Manhattan.
1853. the committees last hope /
as an outstanding local attrac-
ton. Manhattan's record is now |
ii victories and eight defeats, /
While NYU is TT and st. Johns |
of Brooklyn only 7-8, even after
nipping Richmond. $3.50. last |
night.
Lacking a strong local team
as an attraction. the NIT could /
solve its problems with Furman's
Frank Selvy and Bevo Francis
of Rio Grande, who between .
them will hold Just about every /
collegiate scoring record by .
tournament time next month.
Selvy last night scored 81 !
points in Furman's 114-67 romp |
over Georgia Tech, running his |
2l2-year career total to 2,097. |
That's only 81 shy of the four
year record of 2,154 set by Jim
Lacy of Baltimore Loyola in
1949. If he doesn't break the
record against Newberry tomor-
row. he's almost certain to do it |
against Wofford Tuesday.
Francis didn't play last night,
but his ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS av-
erage dominates the small-col- |
lege field lust as Selvy's 37.6 !
mark towers over the major COL |
leges.
Dayton Accepts NIT Bid.
Little Rio Grande has no
technicalities barring it from the
MT. but Furman would be
bound to play in the National
Collegiate Championships if it
wins the Southern Conference
tournament March As. If Fur
man loses out, it would have to
get conference permission to
accept an NIT bid. It's known
the NIT has bid all ready for
Selvy & Co.
The NIT gained its third team
yesterday when Dayton, with
1875 record in tough competition,
accepted a bid. Duquesne,
ranked just behind Kentucky as
the Nations only other unde-
feated team, and Western Ken
lucky came into the fold
previously.
In other games on last nights
extremely light schedule. Wake
Forest Walloped North Carolina
In an Atlantic Coast Conference
game, 1862: Maryland routed
Washington and Lee. 76-43. and
St. Bonaventure's whipped Siena.