NIT Season Tip-Off: Notes from the final rounds
by Ray Floriani
NEW YORK – It’s become a tradition around Thanksgiving. It hasn’t been around as long as the Macy’s Parade, but the NIT Season Tip-Off (formerly the Pre-Season NIT) is a big part of the scene in New York during the holiday. Here is a brief rundown of the tourney’s start, conclusion and a few notables in between.
Wednesday, November 23
5:00 P.M. – We are just getting set to park the car at the lot near Madison Square Garden. On what is considered the worst travel day of the year, the day before Thanksgiving, the trip from my Lyndhurst, NJ residence to MSG (about 6 miles) has taken yours truly and writing colleague George Rodecker, a solid hour, as figured. At least the trip on ‘Black Friday’ will be quick. Shoppers will be in the process of melting the ‘fantastic plastic’ (a.k.a. credit cards) as we breeze through the Lincoln Tunnel.
5:10 – After a fast stop at Gerry Cosby’s (a sports shop next to MSG), a group in sweatshirts with ‘Drexel Cheerleading’ is heading up the stairs to the Garden with the band just behind them. It is almost two hours prior to game time, but these young men and women are excited. Their coach, Sophia Avanzato, asks what entrance they use. I explain the procedure and she remarks, “you know more than the security people here.” I explain that it’s probably a case of going to events here longer than a lot of them. Anyway, the Drexel group is excited. Facing number one Duke? Difficult, but hey, just being here is great, the rest is gravy.
5:30 – The bill of fare in the press room tonight is turkey. No one in the media officially complains, but we all question it and agree we will probably see a fair share of this entree tomorrow. And a few days after.
5:45 – Do a double take in the press room. It is Mel Greenberg of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Mel is the women’s basketball guru and for the two and a half decades I’ve only run into him at women’s games, usually the NCAA Tournament or at Rutgers. “The Inquirer has changed staffing so I had to help out,” Mel explains. He then adds in jest, “this is my gender equity class.’
6:00 – Dick Vitale is talking to a group of us, yours truly George Rodecker and Dick Weiss at courtside. Vitale is giving a breakdown and rave review of the ‘Jersey Boys’. That’s the play on Broadway, not Rutgers, who defeated Delaware State the night before. It was the play that highlighted the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Dickie V spoke of it with the same enthusiasm he gives us on the ESPN telecasts. Call it a PTP – ‘prime time play’. Amazing.
7:00 – The mood is festive, excitement is in the air, and the Drexel band lends to it with their excitement. Especially the member who held a Rocky poster high in the air whenever the Dragons took the lead or went on a run.
The Scores:
Duke 78, Drexel 68
Memphis 88, UCLA 80
Consolation: UCLA 57, Drexel 56
Championship: Duke 70, Memphis 67
Players of note
Sheldon Williams, Duke – What’s not to like? The 6-9 senior was a terror inside. Williams scored 16 of his game-high 30 against Memphis in the second half and earned tournament MVP honors.
J.J. Redick, Duke – A marked man of opposing defenses, Redick had 31 against Drexel and fifteen in the final. His 15 in the championship game all came in the first half as he was quiet over the last 20 minutes.
Rodney Carney, Memphis – Good outside shot, can slash inside and is very athletic. Just an exciting talent.
Bashir Mason, Drexel – Known for his relentless defense, Mason can run the club and create if the shot clock is winding down and the situation necessitates.
Shawne Williams, Memphis – A 6’9″ freshmen, an inside-outside threat, who will be heard from a great deal. Williams burned UCLA for 26 points and came back with 15 against Duke.
Frank Elegar, Drexel – Had a nice 13-point, 5-rebound outing against UCLA and showed the ability to mix it up inside on both nights.
Aaron Affalo, UCLA – The 6’5″ sophomore guard burned Drexel with several crucial threes in the stretch. Cannot be left alone on the perimeter.
Darius Washington, Memphis – A solid talent at the point. We almost forget Washington is only a sophomore.
Sean Dockery, Duke – Did not have big numbers but played very strong on the ball defense at the guard spot on both nights.
Drexel finished the tourney 2-2, going 0-2 in New York City. Despite heading back to Philadelphia with two straight losses, Drexel made an impression. Coach Bruiser Flint noted that his team was in New York to win the championship – not to play close and get a cosmetic ‘moral victory’, but to win.
“They probably played the best over 80 minutes here in New York and wind up 0-2,” praised Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.
After Duke’s semifinal victory, assistant Johnny Dawkins was shocked to learn that Drexel was picked seventh in the Colonial Athletic Association.
“Who is doing the picking and who is ahead of them?” Dawkins inquired. “They are talented, well coached and play extremely hard. We were fortunate to get the victory tonight.”
Following the consolation win over the Dragons, UCLA coach Ben Howland could only wonder who was picked higher in their conference.
“They (Drexel) are a very good, tough team that reflects their coach,” Howland said. “We hope not to play them any time soon.”
After the games
9:10 P.M., Friday – During the awards, Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski has a chance to speak to the crowd. He tells them of the honor in winning the NIT Season Tip-Off and the trophy named after the late Peter A. Carlesimo.
9:15 – Exiting the floor after the awards, Duke assistant Mike Jarvis III tells Jack Powers, the NIT’s Executive Director for a number of years, “I got a chance to get a post season title (with St. John’s in 2003), now I have the Pre-Season one (title) as well. This is special.”
9:25 – Coach K, who has won several national championships and a number of ACC titles and a numerous awards and accolades over his outstanding career. The Duke mentor was seriously moved and spoke again during the interview session with the media on how special it was to win the trophy named after Carlesimo, who did so much for the NIT and college basketball in his lifetime.
9:30 – The Memphis coaches are in their locker room alone and reflecting. I quickly wish them luck on the rest of the season. The mood is reflectively somber. Simply, coach John Calipari and his entire staff and team were not here to play it close or just give a good showing. Don’t even mention moral victory. Memphis was here to win the tournament. And they gave Duke a serious run for the title.
9:45 – Blue Devil rubbernecking. In our traffic-congested New York/New Jersey area, ‘rubbernecking’ is a lane that is tied up because drivers are slowing to see what is going on in the other lane. After the finals, fans swarmed outside the Garden, hoping to meet and/or get an autograph from a favorite player. The crowd virtually spilled on to the street, which forced drivers to slow down and see what all the commotion was over, and in effect, slowing traffic. Ah, the impact of being in a Duke uniform these days.
