Victories in the respective CBI and CIT College basketball events by Seattle University and Norfolk State evoke memories of a great player from each school.
Elgin Baylor was the key and great player, leading Seattle to the NCAA Tournament final in 1958 before they lost to Kentucky.
Bob Dandridge was a standout player at Norfolk State before going on to a great NBA career that included playing on title teams with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971 (they swept the Bullets in the final) and then with the Bullets in 1978.
Seattle beat High Point in the CBI final while Norfolk playing at home and as a slight underdog, defeated Purdue Fort Wayne.
The N.I.T. has reached the semi-final round to be played next week, not in New York but in Indianapolis with local New York area Seton Hall, Indiana State, Utah (cited here yesterday) and Georgia advancing that far.
The great player, Bob Dandridge, pictured while playing for Norfolk State.
In the first “4” year NCAA Tournament held in 1944, Utah, given a chance to play in the event when tragic losses struck the Arkansas team, won the crown with future NBA star, Arnie Ferrin leading the way.
Utah, tonight playing its third straight NIT home game won the ’44 NCAA crown at Madison Square Garden. Eighty years ago they lost an NIT game, but as cited above won the NCAA title, after the events involving Arkansas gave Utah its chance.
There will be no return to New York, 80 years later for the Utes even if they win tonight’s “quarter” vs Virginia Commonwealth, as for the second straight season there are no Madison Square Garden NIT games.
Iowa State, still going in the ’24 tournie, was a semi-final round losing team in ’44.
Utah, as “The Utes,” brings to mind Messrs Pesci and Gwynne (Joe and Fred) in a nice scene from “My Cousin Vinny,” visible with a click of the link below.
The NCAA Tournament Round Of Sixteen commences with 4 tilts Thursday and ends with four on Friday.
“4” is a # worth citing, as in the “4” year, this being the ninth such with NCAA Tournament play (’44-‘2024).
It also tilts toward citing defending champion Connecticut, the plurality tournie favorite and “4” year title winners both 10 and 20 years ago (’14 and ’04).
Both Connecticut and Duke have won 5 crowns, Duke, doing so in the last 34 events, all in the 34 final rounds with Jim Nantz as the lead announcer, which no longer is the case.
Connecticut also won all of its 5 in the “Nantz years,” not winning one until beating Duke in the ’99 final.
Twice, Duke made and lost the tournament final in a “4” year as the first of their 8 national semis sans a crown was in ’64, when U.C.L.A. which has 11 titles, won its first and in ’94, when a tremendous 4 year run that included titles in ’91 and ’92, ended with a final loss to Arkansas.
Continuing with “4” years as Houston a round of sixteen team in ’24 lost in the ’84 final.
N.C. State, cited a few times here, made it to the regional semis/round of 16 with an overtime win vs upstart Oakland on the exact 50 year anniversary of their classic semi-final win vs U.C.L.A.
Now they face Marquette, tonight being the exact 50 year anniversary of State’s final round win vs Marquette.
Then known as Walt Hazzard, later Abdul Rahman, he was the star UCLA player as they won their first crown sixty years ago.
Baseball Opening Day Parties at Rick’s Cabaret New York!
The 2024 Baseball Season Opens on Thursday, March 28. Rick’s Cabaret New York, the three-story adult club known for its beautiful dancers, VIP treatment, and top-rated Rick’s Steakhouse, is the best place to watch the New York Mets vs Milwaukee Brewers (1pm start) and the New York Yankees vs Houston Astros (4pm start).
Come watch the games with a lovely Rick’s girl sitting on your lap cheering on your team! Enjoy daily lunch specials, happy hour cocktails, and of course, the lovely Rick’s Cabaret girls showing off their latest moves and sexy bodies.
Rick’s girl Deanna said, “We are expecting big things from the Yankees and the Mets this season. And following every game the girls and I host After-Parties that are off-the-hook. Come flex, pop some bottles, and make it rain. Don’t miss it!”
Rick’s Cabaret New York (50 West 33 Street) features the hottest exotic dancers, discreet VIP suites, deluxe sky boxes, and a Roof Top Lounge. The Rick’s Steakhouse offers daily lunch specials, dinner, and New York’s best late-night menu.
Highly Recommended.
Rick’s Cabaret New York RICK: NASDAQ Listed
The rain falls and as it does, memories flow of an all-time great college basketball game, N.C. State’s 2 overtime win vs 7 time NCAA champion, U.C.L.A. played exactly 50 years ago today, on Saturday March 23, 1974.
Incredibly, the “Wolfpack”/North Carolina State overcame a 7 point deficit in the second overtime to win that classic “semi,” before prevailing vs Marquette in the championship game.
The truly great David Thompson put “State” ahead to stay with a bank shot field goal and then his two free throws put them up by 3 in the last half minute or so in those better days of no 3 point shot.
It is a great memory for me as I did root hard for the Wolfpack.
However, it must be pointed out that U.C.L.A. had won 7 straight titles and with a title in ’75 won an incredible 10th crown in 12 seasons.
Certainly, a game for the ages and where have you gone 50 years?!!
I have not read Sara Gruen’s book, “Water For Elephants” and now after seeing the outstanding musical of the same name, based on the book, it is now a book, I truly want to read.
The Broadway production is excellent with music, stunts and acting that was quite stirring.
It is an excellent, well told story.
Grant Gustin, Isabella McCalla, Gregg Edelman, Paul Alexander Nolan and Stan Brown head the cast, in the Jessica Stone directed show.
“Water For Elephants” is playing at The Imperial Theatre (249 West 45th Street).
Click below to purchase tickets. It is well worth seeing.
Left to right Gregg Edelman as the older “Jacob Jankowski,” Isabella McCalla (“Marlena” and Grant Gustin (younger “Jankowski”) are pictured.
“Save one life, and you save the world,” how about, many more than that, which is what Nicholas Winton, the central figure in the largely true story, depicted in the current, excellent, James Hawes directed film, “One Life,” which stars the great actor, Sir Anthony Hopkins leading a tremendous cast, did in the days before and as the second World War began.
The story is overwhelming, of course realism and death, horrible such, mixes with the uplifting, as the largely true story unfolds.
Hopkins, there is a scene, with Marthe Keller as Mrs. Maxwell, the wife of publisher Robert Maxwell, in which both display acting “chops” I have not seen in quite a bit.
The entire cast shines, Hopkins of course, Keller as cited with Johnny Flynn as the younger Nicholas Winton also doing a tremendous job.
Other truly worthy performances were turned in by Helena Bonham Carter as Nicholas’ mother Babi, Lena Olin as his wife Greta, Jonathan Pryce and Ziggy Heath as respectively, the older and younger Martin Blakes a contemporary and long time friend of Mr. Winton.
Finally, last, certainly not least, Romola Garai inspires as Doreen Warriner, a member of The British Committee for Refugees From Czechoslovakia.
I certainly covet more information about all that really happened and any such documentary would well be worth watching.
“One Life” tells the incredible story of an incredible feat, that of Nicholas Winton and others. A film really worth seeing!
Both Sir Anthony Hopkins above and the film (“One Life’) are superb.
An incredible hero, about whom the film, “One Life,” is based, Nicholas Winton is pictured above.
It is Saturday August 25, 1962 and the great broadcaster, Lindsey Nelson is promoting New York Mets’ broadcast sponsors, Rheingold beer and Viceroy cigarettes (not too strong, not too light, Viceroy has the taste that’s right–do not smoke and I never did, as I add that nearly 62 years later).
The Dodgers in their 5th L.A. season (they begin their 67th such, early tomorrow morning L.A. time, in Seoul, Korea, vs the S.D. Padres, who will improve this season), were in first place in the ten team National League, which that year expanded, with the admission to the loop of the Houston Colt 45’s and New York Mets.
Tommy Davis, a great player had already driven home 122 runs, while Maury Wills, also of the Dodgers had already “pilfered” (Bob Murphy, another broadcasting great, where have they gone?! — (cue Paul Simon about whom and his music, a film “In Restless Dreams, The Music Of Paul Simon,” has manifested), used that word and marveled at Maury’s incredible accomplishment, as he ended the season with a then record 104 stolen or “pilfered” bases) 69 bases.
The mind goes to nice places when hearing and recalling some of those 1962 names, including the sponsoring products.
Guy Lombardo, pictured above, sang in a Rheingold ad, asking who will be Miss Rheingold 1963?
Last night, North Carolina State completed a highly improbable, tournament “run” to qualify for the 68 team NCAA Tournament, whose field will be announced today.
N.C. State upset Duke in the “quarters” and won the final round tilt vs North Carolina last night. They also won as favorites vs Louisville and Syracuse and as a small underdog vs Virginia.
On Saturday night March 9th, 1974, in the last year only conference winners qualified for the NCAA Tournament, N.C. State won a classic game, A.C.C. Tournament final game, vs an excellent Maryland team.
“State” eventually won it all, surviving Pittsburgh and their great star, Billy Knight and a scary fall by the great, great N.C. State player and future NBA star, David Thompson 50 years ago yesterday, in the regional final.
It was the next Saturday, that North Carolina State, in a virtual home game, defeated 7 time defending champion, U.C.L.A. in another classic game, that a semi-final/virtual final round game.
The Norm Sloan coached “Wolfpack” claimed the crown on Monday night 3/25/1974, with a win vs the Al McGuire coached Marquette Warriors.
In 1983, under coach Jim Valvano, “State” had to win the ACC Tournament, did so and with a season ending 10 game win skein (1 “reg”, 3 ACC Tournament and 6 NCAA Tournament), including some classic ones, topped and capped off by a Lo Charles, title winning dunk, to break a tie vs heavily favored Houston in the final, and captured their second crown.
The 1973-1974 North Carolina State title winning basketball team is pictured above.
Holding basketballs and seated in the front row are #44 David Thompson and I believe, Monte Towe.
It is almost certain that year after year, the proliferation of college basketball conference tournaments will produce a number of upstart teams, that either will qualify for the 68 team NCAA Tournament, or at least create some added mystery to the selection process.
Thus far, I cite true longshot, Wagner College which qualified for the “tournie,” representing the Northeast Conference, having won their conference event.
Last season Merrimack, denied a tournament berth in this year’s final vs Wagner, was ineligible for the NCAA Tournament though they won the Northeast Conference Tournament.
Instead, Fairleigh Dickinson qualified and became just the second “16” seed to upset a regional top seed in the first round.
Wagner College, pictured above.
Andy B Sports 