Atlanta Daily World

SPORTS
OF
THE
WORLD
BY MARION E. JACKSON

Three national basketball championships were won by predominantly all-Negro institutions. The Associated Press awarded its visitation small college championship to Prairie View A. & M. United Press International handed its plum to Tennessee State A. & I. University. Frosting was heaped upon the cake when Grambling College turned back Georgetown, Ky., 95-75, to win the 23rd Annual National Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship. The championships to me appear to be a vindication of Negro coaching and a salute to the personnel of our minority colleges.

Grambling is the second minority institution to win the NAIA championship. Tennessee State A&I University won three times in a row. Yet, Negro teams have been a potent factor in the NAIA since the colorline was cracked back in 1953.

There is another encouraging factor about the NAIA. Minority colleges have not yet witnessed a decade of participation in the Kansas City spectacular. Yet, race teams have gone into the semi-finals or finals almost yearly since their debut in the Heart of America.

To refreshen your memory, it should be told that Tennessee State A&I University was the first team to make it to Kansas City. Texas Southern University of Houston, Texas followed. Since that meager beginning Central State, Kentucky State, Grambling, Maryland State, Savannah State, and Winston Salem have visited the middle of the Americas.

Maryland State and Winston Salem made the trek this year for the first time. The Rams of Winston Salem earned the right to make the trip by defeating Tennessee A&I State University in the District 29 playoff. Maryland State won over Albany State (N. Y.). Savannah State won the NAIA District 6-A playoff and earned the right to play in the K. C. showpiece for the second year in a row. Grambling defeated Dillard in a best two-out-of-three playoff to get its shot at the NAIA title.

The basketball archives are as effulgent as a diamond in a platinum setting. Never before in history has Negro teams walked off with three of the coveted national championships. The only small college crown to elude our minority players was the NCAA college division championship won by Wittenberg, who scored its 16th consecutive victory, defeating Southeast Missouri, 42-28 in a tight defensive contest.

Grambling College climbed to small college basketball summit started with a first-round victory over Linfield, Ore., 107-85. The Tigers then turned back Peru State, Neb., 72-65, Anderson College, Ind., 86-81 and Westminster, 35-33 in a deep freeze contest which called for ice box reflexes to win before climbing into the championship round against Georgetown, Ky.

Tennessee State won the NAIA title first in 1957 under Coach Johnny B. McLendon. McLendon and the immortal Dick (Skull) Barnett, John Barnhill, Jim Satterwhite, Ben Werts, Ben Warley, Rosie Johnson, and Porter Meriwether and went on to win its triple crown in 1958 and 1959. Tennessee State tried for its fourth straight at the 1960 NAIA, but was beaten 39-38 by this year's top-seeded Westminster. The Tigers nevertheless posted an all-time winning streak of 18 straight games before losing to the Pennsylvania five. It is ironic, but Westminster which ended Tennessee State's reign lost to Southwest Texas State, 66-44 in the first all-white finish in five years.

Grambling had the press credentials to win a year ago. Coach Fred Hobdy's Louisianans won that year over Connecticut 92-68 and Villa Madonna, 113-97 before losing to winning Southwest Texas State 76-68. Grambling College's rags-to-riches comeback came after a wobbly start. The Tigers failed to win the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship losing twice to Prairie View A&M, the league standard bearer. The Tigers also bowed to Savannah State 86-84 in the title game of the 11th Annual Pelican State tournament in New Orleans, La. Dillard University also won a regular season game from the Tigers.

The Tigers ended play in the NAIA Championships with a 32-4 seasonal record and the NAIA's most glittering diadem.

A former George Washington Carver Vocational School star was the architect of Grambling College's victory. The youngster is Charles (Charlie Red) Hardnett, voted the NAIA tournament's most valuable player. He was given golden support by All-NAIA selection Red Tippitt and a freshman rave big Willis Reed, who is being touted for all-time stardom.

The Southwestern Athletic Conference is perhaps the most powerful circuit in minority sports. As we have stated Prairie View is the Associated Press choice as the nation's top team for regular season play. The Panthers participated in the NCAA meet at Brookings, S. D. losing in the title round to South Dakota State 88-84; and barely missed a shot at playing in the small college finals at Evansville, Ind.

Grambling College walked off with the most coveted prize in small college competition in grabbing the NAIA crown. Southern University won the W. A. Scott Memorial National Championship trophy for football. Texas Southern recently nipped Southern University in the Border Olympics.

Savannah State defeated Williamette of Oregon, 85-71 before losing a year ago to Southwest Texas State, 101-88. Coach Ted Wright's Tigers weren't as sharp this year, dropping their first round match.

Lincoln University of Missouri was ousted in the NCAA regionals losing to the University of Chicago, 55-42. South Carolina State was ousted by Youngstown 69-62. Georgetown, Ky., defeated Tennessee State 85-81 during the visitation season. The defeat was one of the three straight losses sustained by the Tigers, who had previously bowed to St. Bonaventure 104-87 and to Southern Illinois of Carbondale, 91-89. The Nashville five bowed to Jackson State in Atlanta, 79-77. The Tigers also lost to Winston Salem State 92-82 in the NAIA District 29 playoff. Winston Salem was ousted from the NAIA tournament by Westminster, 35-33.