Evening star., 1955-02-14
by the A.,oeiaisd Press

ment and the NCAA for the Ma
tion's top basketball teams
moved into high gear today with
the MT expected to announce
three more clubs for its Madi-
SON Square Garden event.
In recent years the NCAA ap-
peared to get the better college
teams of the crop because the
is conference winners across the
Nation are required to play in
its tournament. The NIT has
had to take the leftover inde-
pendents, some of whom had
poor records.
This season-a crazy, mixed
UP one for the collegialls--tne
MT could come up with the bet
ter tourney. The Garden al
ready has lured Dayton. Du-
quesne and Cincinnati into the
fold and is on the prowl for as
many more of the top independ-
ents as it can grab OF before
the NCAA gets down to serious
business in selecting its at-large
entries.
Marquette, which boasts q
winning streak of IS games
longest in the country-is the
only school in the NCAA field of
"a so far and it appeared that
the NCAA might be getting
somewhat worried over the MT.
1t rarely selects any Of its nine
at-large teams so early.
Advantage for NIT.
All other things being equal.
the NIT is at an-advantage
where the Independents are con-
cerned. Rather than wait for an
at-large bid to the NCAA tour
ney, which may never come, many
schools prefer to take the gravy
while it's there if the NIT comes
through with an offer. Then, too,
the at-large teams in the NCAA
tournament must play first
round games while most of the
league winners get byes in the
first round. In this way some of
them get killed off almost be-
fore they start.
For a time, the NIT hoped to
get San, Francisco, the No. l
team in last weeks Associated
Press poll, but the Dons have
agreed to play in the NCAA as
an at-large representative if
they win their loosely organized
California Conference title.
The three teams the NIT will
announce today probably will
come from among the Eastern
powers. Manhattan, which ap-
pears to be about the best of the
New York schools, probably will
get a call to inject some local
talent in the event. The Jaspers
have a 14-3 record.
Another may be Holy Cross
$50, winner of the tourna-
ment last year. The Crusaders
proved popular with the Garden
regulars, so they'll probably be
chosen again.
Connecticut Possibility.
The third team could come
from a large group which in
cludeS st. Francis of Loretto,
Pa; Niagara, Connecticut and
Canisius. The guess is Connecti-
cut. which boasts an impressive
1913 mark.
AS for the conference races,
here's how they stand:
Big Ten--Minnesota holds a
shaky lead, a half-game ahead
of Iowa and a game in front of
Illinois. The Gophers looked
good in beating the Illini, 1911,
Saturday in a nationally tele-
yised double-overtime affair.
They play defending champion
Indiana tonight in the first of
three important road games.
Southwest - Texas Christian,
the preseason favorite, still is
riding atop the league but four
other teams-Southern Method
ist, Arkansas, Baylor and Rice
- have a chance. TCU can
strengthen its hold tomorrow
night against Texas.
Ivy League-Penn is leading,
a half-game ahead of Columbia.
The schedule favors the Quakers,
who play four of their five re-
naming games at home. The
title could be decided when Penn
and Columbia meet February 26.
Close Missouri Valley Race.
Missouri Valley-Tulsa (5-D
leads st. Louis (4-D. Tulsa
opens a four-game closing home
stand Wednesday against Okla
homa A. and NJ, while st. Louis
meets Wichita Thursday. If
both win, the race could go right
down to the final game.
Atlantic Coast-North Caro-
lima State and Maryland, tied for
s-::=ss;ss==ss.=s.=s>zz mS>SesSSSS>SS>>,