 | - 1931 - | |
First Round: (Friday, February 27, 1931)
Game 1: North Carolina 23, Vanderbilt 21
Game 2: Auburn 33, Virginia 26
Game 3: Duke 31, Clemson 27
Game 4: Tennessee 26, Alabama 20
Game 5: Maryland 37, Louisiana State 33
Game 6: Georgia 32, Washington & Lee 31
Game 7: Kentucky 33, North Carolina State 28
Game 8: Florida 53, Georgia Tech 48
Quarterfinals: (Saturday, February 28, 1931)
Game 9: Maryland 19, North Carolina 17
Game 10: Florida 33, Tennessee 29
Game 11: Kentucky 35, Duke 30
Game 12: Georgia 31, Auburn 27
Semifinals: (Monday, March 2, 1931)
Finals: (Tuesday, March 3, 1931)
Game 15: Maryland 29, Kentucky 27
 |
Other highly regarded teams included Maryland (8-1 regular season), Alabama (11-2) and Kentucky (8-2).
Kentucky was the first team to arrive in Atlanta, and practiced at Georgia Tech after they arrived. They were led by their first-year coach Adolph Rupp. Rupp would later go on to become college basketball's all-time winningest coach, a title he held between 1967 and 1997.
The month prior to the tournament, it was announced that Clemson football and basketball coach Josh Cody was returning to his alma mater, Vanderbilt University, as a football line coach. Cody would end up reassuming the role as head basketball coach of the Commodores the upcoming (1931-32) season.
Appointed to the tournament committee was chairman H.J. Stegeman of Georgia, William Alexander of Georgia Tech, C.P. Miles of Virginia Polytechnic, S.A. Boles of the University of Kentucky and W.C. Smith of Tulane. They were to worked with the Atlanta Athletic Club's Al Doonan. The A.A.C. served as heardquarters for the tournament.
"Within the walls of the City Auditorium where at various and sundry times wrestlers writhe and squirm, pugilists exchange wallops, grand opera singers strain their tonsils and adenoids, orators proclaim their political panaceas, and preachers and atheists meet in joint debate, the annual annual southern conference basket ball tournament got away Friday. If you have never witnessed one of these indoor classics we urge you to pay a visit to the Auditorium during the four days of the meet. Basket ball is a simple game, so far as learning the fundamental idea - which is to drop the ball in the basket. Therefore a novice can figure what it is all about in a short time. And the color and pageantry of the spectacle will grip him. Sixteen teams, representing great universities and technical schools in the south are competing for the highest honor in Dixie basket ball - the championship of the southern conference. And plenty of fireworks, hair-raising situations, close and exciting games can be guaranteed." - ("Sportanic Eruptions: Well, They're Off!," by Morgan Blake, Atlanta Journal, February 28, 1931.) |
Friday, February 27, 1931 - First Round
"The North Carolina Tarheels and the Vanderbilt Commodores will inaugurate the annual indoor carnival. Times have changed since the old days when it was the Tarheels against the field, with the field usually badly worsted at the finish. The Tarheels are given scant consideration as a factor in this tourney and indications are that their stay in Atlanta will be brief. The Commodores should win this opening game by a comfortable margin." - ("Kentucky Wildcats Are First to Arrive for Tournament" by Morgan Blake Atlanta Journal, February 26, 1931.)
 |
|
|
"The opening gun of the tournament was fired by the North Carolina Tarheels and Vanderbilt. The Commodores took one on the chin when with the score tied and thirty second to play, Captain Marpet, of the Tarheels, sent in the winning field goal. Vanderbilt was expected to win this game, but expectations are often unrealized in tournament competition. It was a hard-fought game all the way and at times the Tarheels resembled their illustrious ancestors of past years." - ("Georgia Tech Eliminated As . . ." by Morgan Blake Atlanta Journal, February 28, 1931.)
Game 2: Auburn 33, Virginia 26
|
|
 |
|
|
"Clemson's gallant rally in the second half after apparently being hopelessly outclassed by Duke was the feature of this game. Josh Cody's men drew up to within 4 points of the Blue Devils before the gun ended the contest, much to the relief of the lads from Durham." - ("Georgia Tech Eliminated As . . ." by Morgan Blake Atlanta Journal, February 28, 1931.)
Game 4: Tennessee 26, Alabama 20
|
|
"One point ahead, with a minute and a half to play Alabama, last year's conference champions, fell before a heroic rally on the part of Tennessee which netted 6 points and victory. Bobby Dodd, brilliant athletic general of the Tennessee team, began the victory march by sinking the goal which carried the Vols to a 1-point lead. The final score was Tennessee, 26; Alabama 20." - ("Marpet Nets Victory Goal in N.C. Win," Atlanta Journal, February 28, 1931.)
 |
Game 5: Maryland 37, Louisiana State 33
|
|
"In the first of the after-supper games, Maryland beat Louisiana State, 37 to 33, in a game featured by the superb marksmanship of the stars of both teams.
Up to the very end, it was a close and exciting battle, with the score tied and untied a dozen times.
. . .
About the middle of the first half the milling became so violent under one of the baskets that three planks in the floor were smashed in. Play had to be halted until a carpenter could be summoned. As one might expect, the carpenter was given an ovation." - ("Garrison Big Star But L.S.U. Loses" by Ole Timer, Atlanta Journal, February 28, 1931.)
Game 6: Georgia 32, Washington & Lee 31
|
|
"Georgia's comeback against Washington and Lee after trailing the Generals 10 points at the intermission was one of the most hair-raising . . . Georgia pulled up on even terms, took the lead, then lost it, and with just a few seconds left to play the Generals were leading by 2 points. They were attempting to freeze the ball. Then came the greatest individual play ever pulled in a tournament in our recollection. Out of nowhere came Reeder, the magnificent guard of the Red and Black. Leaping high he captured a pass and when he came down he came down dribbling. Down the floor he went like a flash. Coming in under the basket he made a half way backhanded flip for the tying score. An extra period was played and Strickland shot a field goal to decide the game. Washington and Lee shot a foul goal after this but fell one short of the margin." - ("Georgia Tech Eliminated As . . ." by Morgan Blake Atlanta Journal, February 28, 1931.)
Game 7: Kentucky 33, North Carolina State 28
|
|
"The quintet [Kentucky] is at par with its brilliant center, Yates, who arose from bed and a temperature of 102 to go to the Auditorium to play Friday night, and who under that handicap, heavy in a game so fast as basket ball, played superbly." - (The Fur Will Fly," by Ole Timer, Atlanta Journal, March 2, 1931.)
Game 8: Florida 53, Georgia Tech 48
|
|
"From a local standpoint the defeat of Tech supplied the tragedy in the melodramatic events of the first day's play. The Jackets were expected to go somewhere in this tourney, but they followed the old Tech custom in vogue for seven years of departing from the firing line after the first or second round. This time it was the first round and Brother Mundorf and his men will spend the rest of the tournament in the role of spectators." - ("Georgia Tech Eliminated As . . ." by Morgan Blake Atlanta Journal, February 28, 1931.)
"Georgia Tech and Florida established a new scoring record for an individual game in tournament play for the ten years of the classic when their total points Friday night were 101, Florida making 53 and Tech 48.
"The closest approach to this total was in the 1928 tournament when Kentucky beat South Carolina 56 to 40, a total of 96 points." - ("Tech and Florida Break Scoring Record" by Ole Timer Atlanta Journal, February 28, 1931.)
"In the ten years of tournament competition at the City Auditorium no opening day has furnished so many close games and such thrilling situations as did Friday. Of the eight games played one was won by 1 point, one by 2 points, two by 4 points, two by 5 points, one by 6 points and one by 7 points. And in the last two games mentioned the winners got their comfortable leads only by spurts in the last two minutes." - ("Georgia Tech Eliminated As . . ." by Morgan Blake Atlanta Journal, February 28, 1931.)
Dr. Cronley Elliott, the old Kentucky football star and an ardent basketball fan now, is making his seventh trip to Atlanta with the Kentucky basketball team. He has seen conference tournaments come and go and thinks this one is the fastest he ever witnessed. "There never has been so many close games in the first round," he commented yesterday. "No team had a cakewalk. Our club looks as good as any of them and they had no easy game in beating North Carolina State." - ("Mawnin'! by Ed Danforth Atlanta Constitution, March 1, 1931.)
Saturday, February 28, 1931 - Quarterfinals
 |
Game 9: Maryland 19, North Carolina 17
|
|
"Maryland's Ole Liners started off in very low gear, and for the first ten minutes it appeared they were to be routed by the Tarheels. North Carolina was leading 13 to 1, by reason of sinking some long baskets, and Maryland was exceedingly dizzy. At this point the boys from up around the national capital spit (it sounds bad, but let it go) on their hands and went to work. Those two brilliant guards, Berger and Ronkin, got right and the whole team began to pass and run and shoot with such effectiveness that North Carolina was dazed and helpless the rest of the journey. " - ("Maryland and Florida Win Afternoon Contests" by Morgan Blake, Atlanta Journal, March 1, 1931.)
 |
Game 10: Florida 33, Tennessee 29
|
|
"Florida continued to amaze the populace by giving Tennessee a dose of the same medicine handed Georgia Tech, and as a result the Alligators from down south are still very much in the running and Bradford Byrd, the Ole Gator scrub, is in the seventh heaven of delight. With Clemons, Emmelhainz and Cherry carrying the main load the Gators outplayed the Vols and deserved the victory." - ("Maryland and Florida Win Afternoon Contests" by Morgan Blake, Atlanta Journal, March 1, 1931.)
|
|
"Little McGinnis was a reincarnation of Dead-Eye Dick and ran up 14 of the 23 points his team made in the first half. His style was somewhat cramped in the second half but it took all Duke had to hold him in leash.
"The tall and lissome Joe Croson, playing his third engagement at the Auditorium, was the mainspring of the Duke team. The lanky lad with the peaches and cream complexion and hair color of molasses taffy that rose and fell as he plied his speedy way up and down court was an attractive and admirable figure. What a basket ball player he is, and what ill luck he has had! Last year, when the brilliant Councilor and Werber were his teammates, he will ill and far below his normal form. This year, when he is at his best, his teammates are youngsters and none too able. So he has gone out of competition on the second night when with better luck he might write his name high and bold." - ("Saturday's Play Featured by Spectacular Battles" by Ole Timer, Atlanta Journal, March 1, 1931.)
 |
Front Row (l to r): Robertshaw, Shaw, Croson, Rogers, Cappelli, Coombs MIddle Row: Carter, Hill, Horne, Colley, Cochrane Back Row: Manager Mann, Sapper, Metz, Head Coach Eddie Cameron |
Game 12: Georgia 31, Auburn 27
|
|
"For the second successive night Georgia had to come from far behind with the game half gone, to eke out a close victory. Auburn's lead Saturday night over the Athenians was not so great as was Washington and Lee's on friday night but it was a substantial 9 points just before the end of the first half. . .
The Tigers had come up from Auburn held in low esteem. They had been licked by several teams and then had suffered from an epidemic of influenza. So they were not expected to survive the first day. But they played Friday and Saturday with fine courage and showed great improvement over their pre-tournament form. Coach McAllister, their new mentor, brought them along deftly and with better luck they would have gone further.
"As for Georgia, the team has seemed in two games to be well below its previous form. But the boys have fighting hearts and do not yield to discouragement. In both contests,they have won out after seeming beaten. But if they are to survive Monday's test they cannot indulge in the luxury of another bad ten minutes. " - ("Saturday's Play Featured by Spectacular Battles" by Ole Timer, Atlanta Journal, March 1, 1931.)
Monday, March 2, 1931 - Semifinals
 |
Game 13: Maryland 26, Georgia 25
|
|
Game 14: Kentucky 56, Florida 35
|
|
 |
Bottom Row (l to r): Emmelhainz, Cherry, Pittman, Bradley Back Row: Waters, Dorsett, Clemons, Baker and Gunn |
Tuesday, March 3, 1931 - Finals
Game 15: Maryland 29, Kentucky 27
|
|
"Maryland rode into the Southern conference basketball championship Tuesday night a the auditorium as Lewis Berger's nimble legs, arms and eyes beat Kentucky, 29 to 27, in the last 40 seconds of play.
Faster than fleeting seconds are those arms, legs and eyes of Lewis Berger. With 40 seconds to play, Maryland was trailing a flashing, clawing Kentucky team by two points. Two points was all, yet they loomed large as the timer made ready his pistol.
Kentucky drove in for a shot instead of freezing the ball. It was out of bounds. Berger had it. He passed it in to Ed Ronkin, his great running mate. Down the floor went Berger, striding with mercury-heeled shoes. By the time Ronkin had the ball and pivoted on one foot, Berger was beneath the basket, took the pass and made the goal. The score was tied.
They jumped. Berger missed a "cripple" under the basket and dashed out as one of his mates passed him the ball past mid-floor. He turned, shot the ball forward. It arched but a little, going almost on a line, hit the back of the basket and dropped through the mesh with a swish.
BEDLAM: The swish of the ball was the blade that cut down Kentucky. The pistol sounded two seconds later. The Maryland bench was a bedlam through which sounded the slaps of wet hands on wet backs. The Kentucky bench was a shambles of sorrow. They had the championship cup almost to their lips only to have it snatched away. Tantalus endured no more torture than the Wildcats from Lexington as the chalice passed from them. - ("Maryland Wins Conference Court Title" by Ralph McGill, Atlanta Constitution, March 4, 1931.)
 |
Seated (l to r): Morris Cohen, Edward Ronkin, John Pitzer, Charlie May, George Chalmers Standing: Assistant Coach Faber, Jack Norris, Louis Berger, Bob Wilson, Head Coach H. Burton Shipley |
1931 All-Tournament Team
First Team
Louis Berger - Maryland
Louis McGinnis - Kentucky
Edward Ronkin - Maryland
Carey Spicer - Kentucky
George Yates - Kentucky
Second Team
Jake Bronston - Kentucky
Joe Croson - Duke
Mel Emmelhainz - Florida
George Garrison - Louisiana State
Tommy Reeder - Georgia
"Another claim that might be made for the tournament is that it produced in the person of Louis Berger, of Maryland, the greatest southern player of the decade. Word still is heard of the consummate skill of Stewart, of Vanderbilt, and Cobb and Carmichael, of North Carolina, but old and fish-eyed critics were saying Tuesday night that Berger had proved himself the greatest of them all. It was Louis Berger who frustrated Kentucky. Not only did he hold the dashing boys from the Bluegrass at bay when they were fighting with frenzy for their long-denied championship, but he bombarded them with a fusillade of six gorgeous shots that hit the bullseye to score 12 points. Two of these shots came in the final minute of play and turned a 25-to-27 score into a 29-to-27 victory." - ("Berger Great Hero as Maryland . . .," by Ole Timer, Atlanta Journal, March 4, 1931.)
 |
Louis "Bozey" Berger was another player who not only earned All-American honors, but went to enjoy a major league baseball career. He played six seasons with the Indiana, White Sox and Red Sox until he entered the military prior to World War II. He remained in the military until he retired.
During the tournament, Herman Stegeman announced that he will cease his duties as head basketball coach at Georgia and concentrate on his duties as athletic director. The announcement came just before the Georgia-Maryland semi-final game, in which the Bulldogs lost. Despite not having won the tournament in which Stegeman helped found and was a key organizer of, the Bulldogs were one of the most consistently successful teams to participate in the event, making the finals twice and making the semi-finals six times.
Noted Stegeman: "My duties as athletic director keep me pretty busy ... and so I am retiring from basketball. I will serve as track coach, in addition to being athletic director, but will not again be connected with the basketball coaching job." - ("Stegeman Quits His Basketball Coaching Post" by Ralph McGill, Atlanta Constitution, March 3, 1931.)
The semi-final loss by Georgia did put a crimp on the revenues for the tournament. Al Doonan reported that the tournament receipts were $500 less than the 1930 revenue. "That one-point Maryland victory Monday over University of Georgia was worth about $2,000 and possibly more." said Doonan. - ("Tourney Receipts Fall Short by $500" Atlanta Constitution, March 5, 1931.)
Despite the shortfall, the tournament won over converts among the sportswriters and citizens of the city. Noted Edwin Camp (Ole Timer) about the game of basketball:
 |
"Certainly no sport within our southern purview can evoke any finer exhibition of fortitude, physical courage and dominance of the spirit over the faltering flesh than are to be observed each night at the Auditorium during the conference basket ball tournament.
"There you see powerful tough youthful athletes exhausted by the speed and fury of their efforts - dead on their feet, ready to fall prostrate through sheer exhaustion, yet driving on and on, and accomplishing feats of prodigious power and scintillant skill. How ? Why my friends, because in the breast of a manly boy there is a stout heart and in his belly are the intestines of valor." - ("The Fur Will Fly," by Ole Timer, Atlanta Journal, March 2, 1931.)
"The more we see of basket ball tournament competition the more convinced we are that it is the best method of determining a championship. We think it much more preferable to a league. If there could be uniform courts arranged for a league might be all right. As it is now there are almost as many different kinds of home courts in the conference as there are teams. A team playing on its own course has a ten-point advantage over the opposition before the first tipoff. That is responsible for so many weird upsets during the pre-tourney season. "But in the tourney all the teams play on a neutral court which is regulation in size. And the strain of competition is so keen and the excitement so intense that a team to come through victorious in four games not only has to possess its share of speed, passing ability and natural skill, but also a lot ABOVE THE EARS AND UNDER THE BELT. Smartness and courage are vital requisites for a championship aggregation. The tournament test is the appeal to all the manhood a young man has." - ("Sportanic Eruptions: Above the Ears and Under the Belt," by Morgan Blake, Atlanta Journal, March 1, 1931.) |
 |
 |  |  |
| 1930 | Main | 1932 |
Please send all additions/corrections to
