Published in Clair Bee's BASKETBALL Annual 1949 Edition, pp. 71-72.

by Fred Digby

FANS IN THE Deep South have been extremely fortunate in the basketball attractions arranged for them annually by the New Orleans Mid-Winter Sports Association, sponsor of the Sugar Bowl football classic. But this year a special treat is in store when the three top ranking teams in the nation will appear on the same program.

Kentucky, NCAA champion; St. Louis, national invitational champion; Holy Cross, 1947 Sugar Bowl champion and third ranking in the nation, and Tulane, stellar Southeastern conference representative make up the participating quartette.

An innovation in Sugar Bowl basketball this year is the two night program with Kentucky vs Tulane, St. Louis vs Holy Cross on the opening night, December 29, and the two winners and the two losers clashing on the second night, December 30.

Out of these four games will come a Sugar Bowl basketball champion worthy to rank with the best ever to play in the Deep South. One might say without much fear of challenge, worthy to class with the best anywhere.

The history of Sugar Bowl basketball dates back to the very beginning of the mid-winter program when Sam Corenswet, prominent court official arranged an intersectional game between Pittsburgh and Louisiana State. Doc Carlson's team led by Ted Roderick won 52 to 47.

In 1936 Corenswet brought together Arkansas and Tennessee with the Razorbacks winning, 42 to 34.

Pittsburgh returned in 1937, this time with Kentucky as its opponent and the Wildcats led by Joe Hagan won, 40 to 29.

The first Big Ten team ever to play in the Deep South was Purdue. The Boilermakers and Arkansas Razorbacks provided a high scoring thriller won by "Piggy" Lambert's proteges, 57 to 51.

Ohio State was the next Big Ten representative to appear in the South and Corenswet matched the Buckeyes with a formidable Kentucky team that came from behind in the last half to win, 36 to 30. Lee Huber and Layton Rose, star guards scored 23 points to pace the Wildcats.

Kentucky returned in 1939 but ran into a tartar in Indiana which 71 got off to a 13 to 3 lead through the brilliant efforts of Paul Armstrong but was all out at the finish as Huber sparked a rally. The Hoosiers won 48 to 45.

Long Island ventured South in 1941 with a winning streak of 23 consecutive games and did their best to make it 24 in a row but a record crowd of 8,000 fans saw the Black Birds, National invitational champions go down before Tennessee in a surprising upset, 36 to 33.

In the war year, 1942; Great Lakes, coached by Lt. Tony Hinkle and featuring Bob Davies, former Seton Hall All American thrilled another record crowd with a 57 to 41 victory over the Stanford Indians. Davies accounted for 22 points, Ed Riska, ex-Notre Darner hit for 17. Fred Linari was Stanford's high scorer with 15.

After a lapse of three years the Sugar Bowlers revived their basketball attraction with Kentucky, NCAA champs and Oklahoma Aggies, National invitarionals in the headliner, Louisiana State and Tulane in a special number. Hank Iba's Cowboys upset Adolph Rupp's Wildcats and ended their 24 game winning streak, 37 to 31. Highlight was a fielder from 60 feet out by Joe Bradley. LSU checked a late Tulane rally in the opener to win, 54 to 51.

Last fall, Holy Cross' Crusaders, NCAA champions invaded the Southland under the direction of "Doggie" Julian and in a sensational overtime game, first in Sugar Bowl history, triumphed over Everett Case's North Carolina Staters, 56 to 51. Tulane whipped Oklahoma in the first half of the double header, 49 to 32, Cliff Wells' Greenies outspeeding Bruce Drake's Sooners.

A week before this doubleheader the Sugar Bowlers had to hang out the SRO sign and already report such a demand for tickets to their 1948 attraction that it is doubtful if any tickets will be available 24 hours after the box office is opened.

In fact, all New Orleans needs to match Madison Square Garden in attendance is an arena with a 20,000 seating capacity.

"I haven't the slightest doubt that we could sell 20,000 tickets for each of the two nights of basketball this fall," says Corenswet.

That basketball has grown in popularity in New Orleans and throughout the Southeastern Conference is unquestionably due to the efforts of the Sugar Bowlers.

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