University of Virginia Library

Duke, Tar Heels Invited To NIT

By John Markon
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Two Atlantic Coast Conference
basketball teams were included
when Madison Square Garden's
prestigious National Invitation
Tournament sent out its final invite
list on Monday afternoon.
Receiving bids were North
Carolina's near-miss Tar Heels and
Duke's inconsistent Blue Devils.

The granting of a berth to North
Carolina was expected as the NIT
has almost always invited the ACC
runner-up, but Duke's invitation, in
view of the Devils' lackluster
showing in the ACC tournament,
came as somewhat of a surprise.
This is the second year in a row
that two ACC teams were honored;
UNC and South Carolina being last
year's representatives.

Both squads will figure to be on
the spot, however, as both halves of
last year's conference entry bit the
dust in the early rounds.

Tiny Pivotman

In the first game of a Saturday
afternoon triple header the Tar
Heels will tangle with
Massachusetts, a team that did well
in last year's tourney and is by far
the class of New England's Yankee
Conference. UMass could provide
more than a little trouble for
Carolina with the game probably
hinging on the outcome of an
expected duel between the Heels'
now famous center and jump ball
loser Lee Dedmon and UMass'
Julius Erving. Erving is smallish for
a pivotman but possesses a fine shot
and a good jumping ability.

Many Visits

Following the Carolina-Massachusetts
encounter will be a
contest between Missouri Valley
runner-up Louisville, a frequent
NIT participant, and Providence,
boasting another of their famous
small, speedy troublesome teams.

Duke winds up Saturday
afternoon play against Dayton,
only two years removed from an
NIT title. Only a final game loss to
Notre Dame kept the Flyers out of
the NCAAs and they are listed
among the pre-tourney favorites.
Kenny May, brother of Don, leads
the Dayton attack from a forward
slot with center Tom Crosswhite a
powerful rebounding force.

No Title

For the Devils to upset the odds
and win, big Randy Denton, in
danger of closing out a brilliant
career without a title of any kind to
his name, would almost have to
dominate the inside game. Duke
can claim a backcourt edge with
Dick DeVenzio, Jeff Dawson, and
Gary Melchionni being rated an
edge over the Dayton guard corps.

SEC Also-Ran

A Saturday night twin bill opens
with a game between Southeastern
Conference bridesmaid Tennessee
and St. John's. The Redmen lead
everyone in most NITs attended
and usually do well, making last
year's final round before bowing
out. Following that, Rich Yunkus
will captain Georgia Tech against
La Salle; third place finisher in
Philadelphia's Big Five and playing
without star forward Ken Durrett.

Mysterious Faces

Michigan and Syracuse open
Sunday play with an afternoon TV
game and Purdue, another Big Ten
also-ran, tangles with St.
Bonaventure in the matinee
wind-up. Oklahoma, beat out by
Kansas in the Big Eight, faces
mystery team Hawaii in the last
first round game on Monday
evening.

ACC-NIT relationships haven't
been very fruitful lately with the
conference representatives of the
last few years taking early exits, but
this year, the luck of the draw
seems to give North Carolina, and
perhaps Duke, if the Devils can get
by Dayton, a chance to reverse the
trend.