Atlanta Daily World

SPORTS
OF THE
WORLD
By
Marion E. Jackson

SAVANNAH, Ga. - America's No. 1 spectator and participation sport is basketball. Including the destiny of the game are 1,200 college and 17,000 high school coaches who put uncounted thousands of players on the floor before $100,000,000 in paid admissions. No small wonder then that the 17th annual SIAC tournament at Tuskegee Institute and the 5th annual CIAA Tournament in Washington, D. C., cause so much excitement. The SIAC and the CIAA tournaments are both scheduled for March 9, 10 and 11.

The SIAC and the CIAA Tournaments are the only major hoop festivals in Negro sports. The Midwest and Southwest Conferences do not sponsor tournaments. Two minor conferences - Southeastern Athletic Conference and the South Central Athletic Conferences -- sponsor tournaments but seldom rate the amazing displays and the fanatical zeal and uproar of which the SIAC and CIAA shows are loaded.

Few folks know that the SIAC tournament is the oldest indoor sports extravaganza in Negro basketball. Since 1934 it has been continuously in operation and miraculously enough survived the manpower problems of World War II. The CIAA tournament didn't begin until 1945 and has continued uninterrupted since.

The road which the hoop shows has trod was stony and full of pitfalls. They've had violent opposition from many sources who complained of housing, interruption of school programs, extended season, and the cost. Yet, they've had the support of the public from their inception and the noise-filled arenas where these shouting, cheering and fanatical fans gather are the most popular spots in the USA at tournament time.

If you desire to take a peek at the records, they will show that only eight of 16 SIAC teams have won the coveted tournament crown. The winners include Alabama State, Clark College, Florida A. and M., Morehouse, Morris Brown, South Carolina State, Tuskegee Institute and Xavier.

The teams that have never won are Alabama A. and M., Allen U., Benedict, Fort Valley State, Fisk, Lane, LeMoyne and Knoxville.

Of the six states with colleges having membership in the SIAC only one has never had a winner - Tennessee. Neither Fisk, Knoxville, Lane or LeMoyne have ever been a tournament victor.

Of the four Georgia colleges with membership in the Southern Conference only Fort Valley State has never produced a titlist. Morehouse College won in 1937, Clark in 1940. Morehouse repeated in 1946 and Morris Brown came home with the bacon in 1949.

Perhaps the greatest tribute to the competition is that although Tuskegee Institute is the host team and the games are played in the Golden Tigers Gym, the team has won only three titles. This despite the fact that the Golden Tigers have been in the finals a half dozen or more times.

Morris Brown College won its first championship in history defeating Tuskegee Institute 55-44 in the finals of the 1949 tournament. The pressure is thereby on the Wolverines as defending champions.

The acknowledged Big 4 at the tournament are Florida A. and M., Morris Brown, Tuskegee and Alabama State.

There is a question still unanswered about the SIAC tournament. It is, does the favorite usually win? If so, statistics don't show this to be true. Xavier was picked in 1943 and fell to South Carolina State in the finals.

Way back in 1937, Clark College had its fabulous quint which had done up Morehouse something brutal in their final home game and was rated the best in the business. The Panthers were plowed under by the Maroon Tigers in the opening tournament game and Morehouse went on to win the title. Morehouse won again in 1946 behind some superb bit of floor