Indiana State/Seton Hall NIT Final

Two teams, title game slight favorite, Indiana State and Seton Hall, who probably, deservedly felt unfairly snubbed by the NCAA Tournament selections, will meet tomorrow night, in the N.I.T Title tilt.

The game will be played at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, marking the second straight year the once, but now long ago, highly esteemed, N.I.T. will be played outside the confines of Madison Square Garden in New York City.

A bit “late,” but I and maybe only I note or care?– that both these teams/schools were NCAA second place finishers, in years ending in 9.

In still the highest rated and not so arguably important college final, Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Greg Kelser starred, as Michigan State took the title 45 years ago, in 1979, defeating an Indiana State team, whose star was Larry Bird.

Ten years later, Michigan, this year an undisputed college football title winner for the first time in 75 years, got Rumeal Robinson to the line, from where his two free tosses (ode to Joe Tait), lifted them to the title vs Seton Hall.

Sadly, the once iconic Sports Illustrated is all but gone, however, memories abound and the cover shown above, so prescient, of the great Larry Bird and two Indiana State cheerleaders rekindles the greatness of player and magazine.