 | - 1934 - | |
First Round: (Friday, February 23, 1934)
Game 1: Georgia 33, Georgia Tech 19
Game 2: Tennessee 43, Auburn 26
Byes: Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana State, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt
Quarterfinals: (Saturday, February 24, 1934)
Semifinals: (Monday, February 26, 1934)
Finals: (Tuesday, February 27, 1934)
Game 9: Alabama 41, Florida 25
The league meeting during the 1933 tournament had set the number of participants in future basketball tournaments to eight teams, so naturally the tournament showcased ten members of the conference. The first night saw two games played (Georgia vs. Georgia Tech and Tennessee vs. Auburn) while the remaining six teams all received byes.
This would be only the third time that Georgia and Georgia Tech faced each other in the Atlanta post-season tournament, and by far the earliest they would be matched against each other (previously they had met in the semi-finals in 1921 and the quarterfinals in 1923).
Kentucky finished the regular season conference schedule undefeated and were considered a odds-on favorite for the tournament crown. Louisiana State and Alabama were also considered to be serious contenders.
Alabama was missing their star forward, Zeke Kimbrough, and another star Jimmy Walker was doubtful. While preparing for the tournament, Kimbrough broke his jaw in practice and had to have surgery, which removed him from action.
 |
DeMoisey was well known for his hook shot, which he was among the first to use in college basketball, if not the inventor of the shot. Noted Vanderbilt Coach Josh Cody about DeMoisey and his odd shot:
"The Big Man [Cody] pronounces the skinny, hump-shouldered wildcat the greatest offensive college player he has seen.
"'On the crazy shot of his, DeMoisey absolutely cannot be guarded effectively,' Cody said, 'No matter what the man assigned to him does. DeMoisey cannot be prevented from taking that one-hand shot of his, and usually he makes it. He's just devised a shot they can't stop - with his long steps one can't get to him.'"
("Sportanic Eruptions: Cody's Tribute to De Moisey" by Morgan Blake, Atlanta Journal, February 22, 1934)
Returning for his fourth straight year officiating the tournament was J. Olney "Bowser" Chest. He was joined by a young official, who nevertheless was familiar with the tournament, in Bunn Hackney, former North Carolina star.
The admission prices for the first round games were 50 cents in the upper deck and $1 for downstairs.
 |
Friday, February 23, 1934 - First Round
Game 1: Georgia 33, Georgia Tech 19
|
|
 |
"There may be, in fact, there certainly will be, better games in this tournament, but it isn't likely that any contest will see such an irresistible drive as that which the Bulldogs put on when they came out of their huddle and went to the center circle for the first jump. Tech got that tip, but in a moment it was Georgia's ball out of bounds. Then for ten minutes there was staged an exhibition of headlong impetuosity which could not be halted until Tech had taken time out twice and had reformed its demoralized battle front.
"The Georgia marksmen shot time and again, missing more often than they hit, but getting the ball on every tip and taking it off the backboard on every miss by either side."
( Jackets Bow Out; Georgia Play Speedy" by Ole Timer, Atlanta Journal, February 24, 1934)
"No one can possibly contend that holding the basket ball tournament year after year in Atlanta has been of any advantage to Georgia Tech. The Jackets could not have gone out of the tournaments any speedier if the meets had been held in New Orleans, Lexington, Hanging Dog, Wyoming or Nome, Alaska.
"In fact, the Jackets are ideal hosts. They pass out with a smile in the first round, and after that they are free to assist in helping entertain the visitors."
( "Sportanic Eruptions" by Morgan Blake, Atlanta Journal, February 24, 1934)
Game 2: Tennessee 43, Auburn 26
|
|
"McPherson, of Tennessee, will stack up favorably with most any player the tourney affords, if his performance Friday night is a true criterion of his play. The willowy Volunteer tossed through five field goals and two foul shots for a total of 12 points, and all of his shots had that graceful ease which precluded any possibility of their having resulted from luck."
(""Georgia Plays Vandy; Tenn. vs. L.S.U.," by Ed Miles, Atlanta Journal, February 24, 1934)
 |
Saturday, February 24, 1934 - Quarterfinals
Game 3: Florida 38, Kentucky 32
|
|
"It was as great a game as was ever seen in the long history of the Atlanta tournament, a classic to stand alongside the Maryland triumph over Kentucky in 1931 and the Georgia defeat of North Carolina the next year. Its finish, with athletes staggering and falling all over the floor from sheer exhaustion, but driving on with will of iron, was drama in the raw, the drama of spirit for combat that could not be quelled and of courage that rose above the frailty of the flesh.
"At its finish, with his team six points ahead, Ben Clemons, the young Florida coach, himself a student at the college only a year or two, was unable to speak. A film of tears glassed his eyes. Adolph Rupp, the Kentucky mentor and at the moment the most disappointed man in America, came over smiling, and extended hearty congratulations. Again Clemons was unable to speak, as he pumped the hand of the leader of the losing side."
("Gators Reach New Heights in 38-to-32 Win," by Ole Timer, Atlanta Journal, February 25, 1934)
 | Kentucky's great coach, Adolph Rupp, and his fine players had the severest test that could be applied to real sportsmanship after the game. The Journal had arranged with Coach Rupp before the game for an action picture to be made of the brilliant captain, Frenchy DeMoisey, after the battle. Kentucky was thought to be a sure shot for the victory.
After the game was decided in favor of Florida, we assumed that The Journal photographer would forget about the picture. But lo and behold, he came up within a few hours later.
"Jumping Jerusalems!" we exclaimed, "you don't mean to tell me you asked Coach Rupp to carry out the idea after his team was beaten? It's a wonder he didn't sock you."
"No," said the photographer, "you told me to get the picture and both Coach Rupp and Captain DeMoisey were very gracious about it."
Now that's what we call real men. They kept their promise, regardless of the fact that their hearts must have been broken. They agreed for DeMoisey to pose and that picture is on the sport page today. That was the finest piece of sportsmanship we have witnessed in a decade. We are proud that we sent our son to a school where such sportsmen abide.
( "Sportanic Eruptions: Maybe the Girls Can Save Us" by Morgan Blake, Atlanta Journal, February 25, 1934) |
Game 4: Vanderbilt 46, Georgia 29
|
|
Game 5: Tennessee 42, Louisiana State 35
|
|
"With the slim but tigerish Dave McPherson and the lanky Phillips, leading the way, the Volunteers displayed commendable form and superb courage to defeat L.S.U. in the high point of the evening's offering.
"Tennessee was greatly aided by the possession of more tall players than L.S.U. Stafford and Anderson successfully squelched the Torrance threat, but the simianesque Sparky Wade, with his deceptive didoes, lightning passes, and ball-stealing ability, capped by remarkable accuracy on goal shots, proved too much for the most desperate efforts of his guardians. The L.S.U. clown accounted for fifteen of his team's 35 points, scoring four goals from field and marking good on all six free throws."
( "L.S.U. Loses as Vol Five Springs Upset" by Ed Miles, Atlanta Journal, February 25, 1934)
 |
 |
Game 6: Alabama 37, Mississippi State 25
|
|
Monday, February 26, 1934 - Semifinals
 |
Seated: (left to right) Robert Rickett, Eddie Moore, Captain George Gunn Gunn, George Smathers, Coach Ben Clemons Back Row: Robert Warner, H.D. Kinsey, Welcome Shearer, Jimmy Hughes, Jimmy Love |
Game 7: Florida 24, Vanderbilt 23
|
|
"For the second time in as many games they [Florida] achieved the seemingly impossible when they defeated Vanderbilt Monday night, 24 to 23, the winning goal by George (Pop) Warner, of Orlando, Fla., coming just one second before the timer's gun popped the end of one of the closest, most uncertain and wildly exciting contests in the world sports annals.
"When there were but eighteen seconds to play, Vanderbilt had the ball out of bounds and called time out. When play was resumed, the odds were something like a million to one that the game was theirs. This appeared even more certain when the Vandy player hurled the ball the length of the court to little Pete Curley down by the Vanderbilt basket. Curley bounced the ball a couple of times while the members of both teams charged down from the other end of the court with just such a rushing, stomping sound of flying feet as might be caused by a herd of buffalo loosed upon those boards of pine.
"Then Curley made his great tactical error, recollection of which after the game, brought him a flood of tears and a continuous, heart-broken wail of 'It's all my fault!'
He shot the basket, instead of freezing the ball, and the frenzied fighting Gators took it off the backboard. It was hurled to Jimmy Hughes, the doughty Gator fighter, at the center of the court. Those eighteen seconds were flying past. The crowd roared for Jimmy to shoot, but the Commodores beside themselves with excitement, were swirling about him like so many drunken dervish dancers. To shoot was impossible. He dribbled several paces, tossed to a mate, who made a wild fling. The ball rebounded, and the taller Gators batted it back. Again it rebounded and again it was batted back, only to rebound again. Then Pop Warner batted it up for a fourth time. It hit the backboard at the right spot and dropped through the hoop. The basket's netting had barely swished after the ball's passage through it when the timer's gun barked out weakly in the tremendous uproar, announcing the end of the game and loosing upon the exhausted Gators and their equally exhausted coach a hundred pop-eyed, pummeling fans."
( "Warner's Last Second Goal Noses Out Vandy" by Ed Miles, Atlanta Journal, February 27, 1934)
Game 8: Alabama 29, Tennessee 26
|
|
"Extraordinary precision from the foul line gave Alabama a 3-point victory over Tennessee in the curtain-raiser of the semi-final round of the Southeastern basket ball tournament at the Atlanta Auditorium Monday night. the score was 29 to 26.
. . .
"Their record from the free lane was 15 bull's eyes out of 20 shots, and an unusual percentage of 0.750, the highest of the tournament.
That marksmanship made up for the comparative impotence of the Tiders against the effective floor work of the Volunteers."
( "Tide's Fouls Net Victory over Volmen" by Ole Timer, Atlanta Journal, February 27, 1934)
 |
Tuesday, February 27, 1934 - Finals
Game 9: Alabama 41, Florida 25
|
|
 |
Seated: Bill Loeb (Manager) Middle Row (left to right): Charles Bouska, Roy Connatser, Ben McCloue, Al Nogi, Jimmy Angelich Back Row: Jimmy Walker, Earl Bowman, Jim Whatley, Zeke Kimbrough, Hillman Walker |
 |
"The Tidesmen, who were the only pre-tournament favorites to survive the first round, never were greatly exploited following the loss of Zeke Kimbrough. Experts not reckoning on the steel in the Alabama soul, rather ignored them as a likely winner."
. . .
"But whereas, Kentucky and L.S.U. were bounced out in the first round, the fighting troupe of Hank Crisp won two games very unobtrusively, then uncorked the most powerful offense and the most air-tight defense of the tournament, to wrestle the Gators out of the picture.
"Had Kimbrough been available to Crisp, Atlanta fans might have seen one of the most devastating basket ball outfits ever to perform here. One wonders how even Kentucky could have beaten them."
( "Rangy Tidesmen Lasso "Dark Horse" 41-to-25" by Ed Miles, Atlanta Journal, February 28, 1934)
 |
1934 All-Tournament Team
 |
Second Team
Dave McPherson - Tennessee
Willie Geny - Vanderbilt
Bob Warner - Florida
Earl Bauman - Alabama
Welcome Shearer - Florida
Alabama's Jimmy Walker and Jim Whatley were named to the first team All-SEC Tournament squad. Kentucky's John DeMoisey and Bill Davis were also named to the first team, despite only playing in one game (a loss) in the tournament. The final member of the first team was Florida's Jim Hughes.
Tennessee's Dave McPherson was the individual scoring leading in the tournament with 25 points in three games. He was named to the All-SEC Tournament second team.
The loss by Kentucky to Florida in the first round had a profound impact, as Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp was upset that his squad, which was undefeated in the conference during the regular season, lost the conference title.
The S.E.C. tournament was already on shaky ground as the league had voted to not hold it in the 1934-35 season. After the loss, Rupp drove a nail into it when he announced that Kentucky was not planning to participate in the SEC tournament the following year, even if the decision to abolish it was reversed.
 |
"To establish a conference champion on the basis of its play in a tournament is highly unfair. I still believe my team is the champion. Somebody else will be the tournament champion, but the conference crown, I believe, belongs to Kentucky.
"It is highly unfair to allow a championship to hinge on a single game as was the case here. Or, for that matter, how can you decide the championship of the conference in a tournament to which three teams did not come?
"I was bitterly disappointed at losing to Florida, of course, but I knew that my team could not go on winning games forever. Bobby Jones lost a golf match occasionally. No team or individual is invincible.
"I do not mean to take away from Florida any of the credit it deserves for winning that game. They outplayed us and they won, but I am inclined to feel that my team is the better of the two."
( "Wildcat Through With Tourney Play, Says Rupp by Ed Miles, Atlanta Journal, February 26, 1934)
 |  |
| 1933 | Main |
Please send all additions/corrections to