1954 Dixie Classic
 Cover of the tournament program | |||||
| Season | 1954–55 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | 8 | ||||
| Finals site | Reynolds Coliseum Raleigh, North Carolina | ||||
| Champions | NC State (5th title) | ||||
| Runner-up | Minnesota (1st title game) | ||||
| Winning coach | Everett Case (5th title) | ||||
| MVP | Ronnie Shavlik (NC State) | ||||
| Attendance | 65,000 | ||||
| |||||
The 1954 Dixie Classic was a mid-season college basketball tournament held December 27–29, 1954 at NC State's Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was the sixth iteration of the Dixie Classic and it was part of the 1954–55 NCAA men's basketball season.
Coming into the tournament, undefeated NC State and reigning champion Duke were considered favorites.[1] The NC State Wolfpack won the final, defeating the Minnesota Golden Gophers 85–84.
Ronnie Shavlik of NC State was named most valuable player. Across the three days of six double-headers, the total attendance was 65,000.[2]
Teams
[edit]Each year, the Dixie Classic included the "Big Four" teams (Duke, NC State, North Carolina, and Wake Forest), as well as four other invited teams. The 1954 teams were:[3]
- Southern California Trojans
- North Carolina Tar Heels
- Cornell Big Red
- NC State Wolfpack
- Minnesota Golden Gophers
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons
- West Virginia Mountaineers
- Duke Blue Devils
Bracket
[edit]| Consolation final | Consolation semifinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | |||||||||||||||||||
| Dec. 27, 2:00pm | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southern California | 58 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dec. 28, 2:00pm | North Carolina | 67 | Dec. 28, 3:30pm | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Southern California | 77 | North Carolina | 44 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Cornell | 58 | Dec. 27, 3:30pm | NC State | 47 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Cornell | 61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dec. 29, 3:30pm | NC State | 95 | Dec. 29, 9:00pm | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Southern California | 85 | NC State | 85 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Wake Forest | 93 | Dec. 27, 7:30pm | Minnesota | 84 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dec. 28, 7:30pm | Wake Forest | 73 | Dec. 28, 9:00pm | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Seventh place | Wake Forest | 96 | Minnesota | 79 | Third place | ||||||||||||||||||
| Dec. 29, 2:00pm | West Virginia | 94 | Dec. 27, 9:00pm | Duke | 73 | Dec. 29, 7:30pm | |||||||||||||||||
| Cornell | 71 | West Virginia | 79 | North Carolina | 65 | ||||||||||||||||||
| West Virginia | 79 | Duke | 92 | Duke | 52 | ||||||||||||||||||
Game log
[edit]December 27
2:00pm |
| Southern California 58, North Carolina 67 | ||
| Scoring by half: 22–31, 36–36 | ||
| Pts: Welsh (15) | Pts: Rosenbluth (30) | |
December 27
3:30pm |
| Cornell 61, NC State 95 | ||
| Scoring by half: 32–44, 29–51 | ||
| Pts: Dwyer (25) | Pts: Sheehy (28) | |
December 27
7:30pm |
| Minnesota 81, Wake Forest 73 | ||
| Scoring by half: 43–35, 38–38 | ||
| Pts: Garmaker (30) | Pts: Hemric (21) | |
December 27
9:00pm |
| West Virginia 79, Duke 92 | ||
| Scoring by half: 31–49, 48–43 | ||
| Pts: Witting (24) | Pts: Mayer (25) | |
December 28
2:00pm |
| Southern California 77, Cornell 58 | ||
| Scoring by half: 40–30, 37–28 | ||
| Pts: Nagai (18) | Pts: Sheehy (26) | |
December 28
3:30pm |
| North Carolina 44, NC State 47 | ||
| Scoring by half: 18–20, 26–27 | ||
| Pts: Rosenbluth (13) | Pts: Shavlik (10) | |
December 28
7:30pm |
| Wake Forest 96, West Virginia 94 | ||
| Scoring by half: 57–40, 39–54 | ||
| Pts: Hemric (35) | Pts: Hundley (47) | |
December 28
9:00pm |
| Minnesota 79, Duke 73 | ||
| Scoring by half: 40–38, 39–35 | ||
| Pts: Mencel (24) | Pts: Kalbfus (21) | |
December 29
2:00pm |
| Cornell 71, West Virginia 79 | ||
| Scoring by half: 39–39, 32–40 | ||
| Pts: Sheehy (23) | Pts: Hundley (24) | |
December 29
3:30pm |
| Southern California 85, Wake Forest 93 | ||
| Scoring by half: 46–43, 39–50 | ||
| Pts: Psaltis (22) | Pts: Hemric (30) | |
December 29
7:30pm |
| North Carolina 65, Duke 52 | ||
| Scoring by half: 20–24, 45–28 | ||
| Pts: Rosenbluth (29) | Pts: Mayer (29) | |
December 29
9:00pm |
| NC State 85, Minnesota 84 | ||
| Scoring by half: 45–53, 40–31 | ||
| Pts: Shavlik (32) | Pts: Garmaker, Simonovich (24) | |
References
[edit]- ^ "Duke, N. C. State Co-Favorites". The New York Times. UPI. December 27, 1954. p. 23. ProQuest 113021592.
- ^ a b c Helms, Herman (December 30, 1954). "Shavlik Chosen 'Most Valuable'". The Charlotte Observer. p. 14.
- ^ "Program, Men's basketball, Dixie Classic, 6th Annual, 27 December to 29 December 1954". Men's Basketball, 1911–2008 (UA015.010 Series 4), Special Collections Research Center at NC State University Libraries.
- ^ a b c d "N. C. State Downs Cornell By 95–61". The New York Times. UPI. December 28, 1954. p. 30. ProQuest 112914515.
- ^ a b c d "Cage Classic In Second Round Today". The Durham Sun. December 28, 1954. p. 10.
- ^ a b McDuffie, Mac (December 28, 1954). "Carolina Upsets Southern California; State Routs Cornell; Minnesota Beats Deacs, 81–73; Duke Wallops West Virginia". The News and Observer. p. 11.
- ^ a b c d "Minnesota Surge Stops Duke, 79–73". The New York Times. Associated Press. December 29, 1954. p. 27. ProQuest 113035311.
- ^ a b c d Helms, Herman (December 29, 1954). "Gopher Prexy One Of Few To Make Baron Rupp Jump". The Charlotte Observer. p. 16.
- ^ a b c d "N. C. State Checks Minnesota, 85–84". The New York Times. Associated Press. December 30, 1954. p. 21. ProQuest 113037357.
- ^ a b c d "Dixie Classic Box Scores". The Virginian-Pilot. December 30, 1954. p. 16.
External links
[edit]
Media related to 1954 Dixie Classic at Wikimedia Commons- 1954 Dixie Classic program via NC State Libraries
