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The National Basketball Report: April 4, 1957
The Changing of the Guard is delayed, while Washington finally breaks through

West Virginia Plays To Our Script; Washington Flips It

A thought crossed our collective mind, as we discussed West Virginia’s 71-70 win over San Francisco, in the Midwest regional final in Kansas City, Missouri.

Several months ago, we did not feel that the Mountaineers were up to the quality of a champion. We felt that they were a bit of a paper champion, one who had the lofty ranking, but not the standard worthy of such a ranking. We felt they were, through no fault of their own, making the most of their history and the Southern Conference.

Then, they dropped the conference final to George Washington. Many told us that it was the best thing to happen to them. We’ve heard that before, and believe it as a player extension of coach hubris, of using the vernacular handed down to them by the guys in the offices, that they just regurgitate for the media. Most do not realize they are doing it.

However, we spoke to John Hildebrand. From our preview edition, regarding that loss:

“We needed that,” said Hildebrand. “We were on cruise control. We’re focused. We know how to navigate, how to get through and survive.”

Coming from most others, we would cast it into that coach language that we know to parse through. Coming from a coach on the floor, from someone who speaks for himself, we asked Hildebrand to elaborate. We did not print this before.

“We felt that we were untouchable,” he said. “You know, we made that run last year in the tournament, all the way to the final. To some guys on this roster, just showing up meant a victory. It was as if we had a reputation. What they failed to either realize or ignored was, we do have a reputation. And that reputation puts a bullseye on our back. We can’t get by just because we’ve been there before.

“That’s why losing tonight was good for us,” he continued. “It served as a stark reminder that we have to do more than show up. We have to work, and we have to execute. We don’t get to hang a banner up after tonight. You don’t get banners for being a conference bridesmaid. You don’t want to be the first team in West Virginia history to not hang a banner.

“Now, we have a goal. And I guarantee you, if we get the right draw…we’re not stupid, we know this tournament is just as much about your potential opponents as it is how you play against them…we’re going to have our chance to hang a banner.”

When Hildebrand told that to us, well…you’ll remember what our selection out of the Midwest bracket was.

West Virginia. Over San Francisco. By one point.

The game between the Mountaineers and Dons came down to the final play, as many expected. Five minutes of game time earlier, nobody thought that would be the outcome.

With exactly five minutes to go, Demarcus Woods scored to make it a 69-62 West Virginia lead. Woods, the focal point of the Mountaineer offense on this day, was sensational; through many cuts, weaves, and floating shots over opponents, namely Vaughn Griffis. Normally a shot blocking specialist, Griffis was held to just one swat on this day.

The Mountaineers had been a little concerned, as the Dons had cut their twelve-point deficit down to five in less than five minutes. But Woods’ jumper gave them a moment to relax.

It was just a moment.

Thirty-three seconds after Woods’ jump shot from the left baseline, Ronnie Veasey missed from the top of the key. The Mountaineers, who had made winning the rebounding game a priority, had a lapse of focus. Warren Tandy flew through the paint, and tipped the ball through the hoop just as it came off. The lead was down to five.

West Virginia worked it around, the focus of the offense being distributed by Charles Woolfolk. He found Woods, who took a shot from the opposite corner. This came off, secured by the Dons’ Jared Stewart. The Dons were beginning to gain more confidence. It seemed to coincide with the Mountaineers’ dwindling sense of closure.

“We played the end not to win,” said WVU coach Lonnie Williams, who has now coached the Mountaineers to three national semifinals and one NCAA title game in his three seasons since coming from Oklahoma A&M. “We played simply not to lose. We hoped the clock would run out, instead of continuing to make plays and force the issue on them.”

Case in point: Adolph Rabe missed a jumper on the Dons’ next possession. Michael Morton got the ball, dribbled it up the floor as fast as he could, then threw it to nobody in particular. San Francisco made the affair a three-point one on their next try, with Griffis scoring easily from inside.

The Mountaineers would bring Hildebrand back in after a rest. Woods, seemingly pressing the issue, missed from the wing. Matthew Olsen got the rebound, and worked the ball around for Hildebrand, who found Woods again. Woods had Olsen wide open for a layup, as his man left him to charge Woods. Woods, however, threw up another shot. It clanged into the hands of Darin Armstrong.

Fortunately, WVU’s guards decided to force the issue on defense. The trapped Dons’ lead guard Stephen Ferrari after a pass into the corner. Olsen ended up with a steal. With 2:03 left, Ferrari fouled Woolfolk.

“Not my best minute,” said Ferrari afterwards, his head draped by a towel, eyes fixed on the floor. He would not move from this pose for the entire interview.

Woolfolk walked to the line, and hit the two biggest free throws of his life. 71-66, West Virginia. Two minutes, three seconds remained.

The Dons struck just seven seconds later, as Ferrari found himself open on the wing. That made it 71-68.

On West Virginia’s ball, they moved it around on a play they called “hawk”. On that play, Jared Bazan works the right side, while Hildebrand and Timothy Freeland work their way to that side. Hildebrand is the safety option. If he receives the ball, Freeland immediately sets a screen for Bazan to cut back-door, where Hildebrand will have his option of Bazan, if he gets free, or Freeland, who normally has a man on his back, and an easy layup.

This time, though, Freeland had not set his screen before Bazan made his cut. It was an easy whistle: illegal screen on Freeland. He threw his arms up, then looked at Bazan. Slow down,Freeland seemed to be saying to Bazan. It was as if Bazan felt, if he were cutting more quickly, the clock must be moving in sync with him.

A minute thirty-four still remained.

Tandy beat WVU’s press on the next possession, another gamble that almost cost the Mountaineers. Tandy hit a layup, cutting the lead down to one, at 71-70, with 1:27 left. West Virginia was forced to call time, where Williams emphasized focusing on the play in front of you, and playing together.

The team moved the ball wonderfully on the next possession; however, Tony Potter tied up Olsen. The arrow stayed with WVU, which was an unfortunate circumstance for the Dons.

“If the arrow had been going our way, I bet we take the lead there,” said Griffis after the game.

West Virginia tried to catch the Dons sleeping, as Bazan found himself open on a drive and kick play by Freeland. Olsen missed the tip, and Armstrong secured the rebound. He found Ferrari, who thought he found Veasey.

“Not my best two minutes,” said Ferrari.

Griffis fouled Woolfolk on the next play. Woolfolk, oddly sensing the moment, had his free throw miss right. Stewart corralled the ball, and got it to Ferrari. Thirty-five seconds remained.

Ferrari passed to Stewart, who got it to Tandy. Ferrari cut back, got the ball, and drove off the wing, where Veasey had set a screen. Veasey stepped back, received a pass, but had not shot. There were seven seconds left. Ferrari came back, got the ball, and took off towards the baseline. He stepped back, away from Demarcus Woods, who had been chasing him that entire time.

Ferrari let the ball go.

Woods recovered. He tipped the shot.

The buzzer sounded. Ferrari fell, the weight of the last four years of experience, now turned into only memories and what-ifs, now bearing upon him like the world upon Atlas. Woods fell too, though merely from exhaustion. Hildebrand jumped up and down around the court, looking for his family; the normally stoic, silent leader the Mountaineers needed him to be since he first walked onto campus, became the leader of the victory party.

He will have a very different point-of-view of this game, and of his four years, than Ferrari will be.

These two point guards, playing with grace and beauty the likes of which will inspire future guards, have had seemingly convergent paths since they walked onto campus. In the past two years, however, they have taken divergent paths. Hildebrand has become the essence of calm, of understanding how to get it done. When the Mountaineers needed a play, he was the one who delivered.

Ferrari has become the gutsy guard who simply could not get the ball to go his way when needed. To critics, which do not include this publication, he will be viewed as the guard who played too frantically to lead, because his team could not follow. They will use the final two minutes of this game as a prime example; that, however, is unfair.

Many will wonder if the story would have been different had Kelley Kuehl the freshman guard who will now inherit this team from Ferrari, did not get hurt just nine minutes into the game. He did not return, finishing with just two points. Ferrari, asked to shoulder the load, finished with 16 points and six assists; Tandy, asked to play more, finished with six points on 3-9 shooting, and five assists. He had three big offensive rebounding.

Veasey will also spend time wondering what could have been.

“It felt like there was a lid on the basket,” he said of his 3-of-16 night. He did go 5-8 from the line, ending with 11 points and five rebounds. He owned up to his statistically poor evening, though. “I could not score, and I tried to shoot my way out of it. I hurt us considerably.”

“Nobody on this team, not one of those fellows in the locker room, should hang their head,” said San Francisco coach William Mays. “They played their hearts out. There is not a single player, nor a single play, I will look at and say, we should have done more. This team is a very good team, who happened to play another very good team. There was one point between them. Someone had to finish on the losing side. Today, it had to be us.”

The Dons finish their year at 28-5.

West Virginia (30-5), meanwhile, marches to their third NCAA National Semifinal in a row. Hildebrand finished with six points, eight rebounds, ten assists, and three steals, filling the statbook in a manner very few do. If he is not an All-American after this season, or perhaps Player of the Year, those who choose the award will have to come up with a doozy of a compelling reason why.

Bazan finished with 14 points in 18 minutes off the bench. Most of it was used when WVU went to a smaller lineup, due to Olsen’s four fouls. Their quickness led to issues for San Francisco; it remains to be seen if they will employ the lineup against Washington in the national semi.

Woolfolk finished with 12 efficient points, on 5-8 shooting, and four rebounds.

As mentioned just a paragraph ago, the Mountaineers will face off with Washington. The Huskies (28-6) held Seattle (30-4) at bay, before blowing the game out midway through the second half, winning the East region, 70-61. The Huskies got off on a 12-4 spurt in the first three minutes of the second half, blitzing the Chieftains with tough defense and efficient scoring.

The Chieftains got it to 50-41 with 15:23 left, on Gregory Wyman’s breakaway layup. But Washington kept up the pressure, and with 10:52 left, it was 60-45.

They never let off the pedal.

“We were supposed to be here the last three years,” said Huskies guard Danny Fenton, the only player on the roster who has played, and started, all 130 games Washington has played over the last four seasons. “We got to this point, and we felt that we had to finish it. Nobody wanted to coast.”

Fenton, the man of the game, finished with 22 points, five rebounds, and five assists. He also racked up a pair of the Huskies’ eight steals. The rest of the Husky offense was diverse, as only forward Gisbert Bittes had double-figures (10). Center Francis Calhoun had eight points and ten rebounds.

The Chieftains got 18, on 6-9 shooting, from Wyman, their senior stud. He also had six assists…but his nine assists hurt the Chieftains. Jesus Jones, the star forward for Seattle, had 15 points on 7-10 shooting. Outside of that pair and Justin Lavergne (10 points, 5-9 shooting), the rest of the team shot miserably. They were a combined 4-24 from the field.

“Our big three could only take us so far,” said first-year coach Saul Bray, who is now 0-2 coaching against his own team. He left Washington after last year to take over Seattle, leading them to their best season yet. “I have mixed feelings, of course. I feel awful for our kids, but I am thrilled for those kids over there. There was no animosity when I left; I still keep in touch with everyone over there. My kids here understand that. It is one of my tenets, I suppose…once you’re one of my guys, you’re part of my family.

“I was the only one here who was guaranteed a victory. I wish it could have been doubly so.”

b[]National Semifinal #1: Washington (28-6) vs West Virginia (30-5).[/b] We felt West Virginia would get to this point, but had Seattle over Washington in our preview. Honestly, the insertion of the Huskies in place of the Chieftains does not change our view. The Mountaineers are the kings of the moment. The Huskies are a very solid group, but this is uncharted territory for them. The naivete of the moment can be supplanted by fear. This is unlike anything any player has felt so far. We believe there will be one of two scenarios:

1) The Huskies are terrified at the start, tentative and unable to shoot confidently. The Mountaineers will pounce early, and ride that initial burst to victory.
2) The Huskies, unaware of the moment they will experience, will come out a ball of fire and adrenaline. They will take an early lead, but tighten as the game moves forward. The Mountaineers, quite aware that this takes many moments and runs in order to secure the opportunity to move on, will find them in the second half. The victory would be narrow, but it would still be West Virginia’s.

Washington played a familiar foe in Seattle; they played once before. Seattle, not having been to this point in the tournament before, tightened up in that second half run. They felt their chances shrinking, and tried to force the issue. Washington may find themselves in that exact situation, and may respond in very much the same manner. It is not a critique of them; rather, it is more an observation of what playing in one of these games does to a player, does to a team.
PICK: West Virginia by 7. Hildebrand, like Fenton, has been along for the entire ride. Unlike Fenton, Hildebrand understands the moment. This one will be seized. Expect a career day out of him.

Kentucky Sprints Past Kansas; The Wildcats Get The Wildcats In Semi

The Kentucky Wildcats found themselves down, 47-41, to the Kansas Jayhawks at the half. They had not played particularly well. Their coach, Rob Roberson Jr., noticed something.

“They controlled the tempo,” he said. “By that, I mean, they slowed down when they wanted to. We never want to slow down. We want to move, and move quickly.

“I told that to our boys at the half. Never stop moving. Never stop. Tire them out. Get that big truck (Arlon Rahn) in the middle so exhausted, he crashes and puts a hole in the floor. It could backfire, but leave this building knowing you played Kentucky basketball. Don’t allow Kansas to dictate what you do.”

The team got the message. They hit the floor running.

The Jayhawks didn’t know what hit them.

“We knew they would try to turn this into a track meet,” said Kansas coach Dave Keene after the game. “Unfortunately, we didn’t make the adjustments necessary at the half to try and counter what we thought they’d do. They did exactly what we thought they might…but we couldn’t stop it, especially once Luis and Steven got into bad foul trouble.”

That would be Luis Horne and Steven Burns, the Kansas starting backcourt. Both fouled out in this game; Horne got his second with 10:24 left in the first half, but navigated his way through the last seven minutes without one. However, he, like his teammates, couldn’t help it early in the second half. He committed his third foul, and Kansas’ seventh, with 15:45 left in the game.

By that time, Burns had already fouled out, and been assessed a sixth foul: a technical. He was gone with 16:25 to go.

“You cannot foul that much, that early, and expect to compete,” said Keene. “Not against such a good shooting team. We lost our composure very early.”

Kentucky went 14-22 from the line. Their blitz to begin the second half resulted in reactionary basketball by the Jayhawks. The result was Kentucky coming from eight down, 53-45 with 17:27 left, to up 64-59 with 11:38 left. It was an unbelievable flurry of jumpers, steals, and layups.

“We looked like Joe Louis got us,” Keene said.

When the two teams faced off to start the year, Kentucky got Horne and Burns into foul trouble, then used that to expose Kansas’ inexperience with their depth. The result was 17 points from Stephan Williford, while Horne had 12 points in just 14 minutes. His replacement, sophomore sixth man Blaine Sommer, had six points on 3-9 shooting.

In this one, Williford again had 17 points, while Burns was the one to suffer; he had eight points in just 13 minutes. Horne played great in his 21 minutes before fouling out, netting 18 points on 8-14 shooting, and getting five rebounds. Sommer, again, had just six points, on 3-11 shooting in 18 minutes of replacement Horne. And Irwin Lear, the freshman who was Burns’ replacement, played quite well in his time replacing Burns. He had six points and four assists. Keene felt he should have been more aggressive.

“Freshman hesitancy,” Keene said of Lear’s deference with shooting the ball. “He’ll learn that as he gets older. He thought he’d make Rahn mad or something.”

The Automarahn was an odd focal point of attack for Kentucky. But it worked. They tried to run him up and down the floor with a diet of 7’1 Scott Moncada, the venerable power forward Curt Davis, and sixth man and mega pro prospect, Carson White. It worked. Rahn played thirty minutes, logging ten points and seven rebounds, but he was constantly out of position on defense; he registered no blocks.

“Not many teams have the ability to force him to move like that,” said Keene after the game. “They had the right idea.”

“I think I lost ten pounds tonight,” said Rahn afterwards.

Douglas Cobbs had 14, on 7-11 shooting, in support of Williford’s shooting for Kentucky (30-2). Davis, an All-American candidate at power forward, had 10 points, six rebounds, and six blocks before fouling out late in the game. Reserve forward Carl Williams scored 12 and netted six rebounds, while White had 10 points and 11 rebounds—six offensive—in 27 minutes off the bench.

Leland Avelar had 15 points and six rebounds to support Kansas, who finishes the year 26-6.

Kentucky takes their act to the national semifinals, where a rematch with Kansas State awaits. It is interesting, how the Tournament of Champions is playing out. Kansas and Kentucky had their rematch. Now Kentucky and Kansas State will have theirs, while West Virginia and the Wildcats are playing to end the year the way they started it. Just wanted to note that. We have discussed a changing of the guard; the guard, at least in this season, has shown they are in no rush to give up the mantle.

The Wildcats (31-1) will look to avenge their only loss of the season in the rematch; they felt 71-57 to the Wildcats at that Tournament of Champions, a rematch of last year’s national semifinal. They earned it by doing what they do. We talked about it against Oregon. They get a lead, and then they just hold that lead. They should have flattened Dayton by twenty. The final score, 64-56, could feel unsatisfying, or in leaving the feeling that Kansas State is a little overrated. Frankly, how a team that has thirty-one wins in thirty-two appearances is overrated, we would not understand. So we will leave that there.

This is the Wildcats’ method. It works well for them. They grab you by the neck, and hold you there…not entirely choking you down, but not letting you maneuver. That worked in the West final, where the Wildcats went on a run late in the second half; the lead went from 23-22 with 4:27 left, to 31-22 with 2:40 left. The half ended with a 35-26 Wildcat lead.

That lead would get stretched to 39-28 early in the second half. Kansas State never looked back.

Billy Jacob, considered by many to be the top professional prospect in the nation, had 19 points on 8-16 shooting. He also registered five assists and four steals. Erich Walton had 15 points and 10 rebounds, along with two blocks and a steal. Joe Delrio, the gunner off the bench, had 10 points on 4-9 shooting.

For the sixth-seeded Flyers (26-6), Chris Duron was the only consistent scorer. He finished with 22. Denver Logan, the mountain man in the middle, he had eight points and seven rebounds, along with four blocks.

National Semifinal #2: Kansas State (31-1) vs Kentucky (30-2). We said this would be a national semifinal for the ages. We still believe that. We are also going to narrow our score down a bit. Kansas State does not totally put teams away. And Kentucky found a gear we did not think they would find against Kansas. That could give the Kansas State guards some issue. However, the Wildcats have more established depth than Kansas had. They are also at their fourth straight national semifinal. Their legacy, though, is not settled. We said, at the beginning of this season, that their story ends in a hollow manner if it does not end with a national title. We will hold our original prediction…this will be a semifinal for the ages.
PICK: Kansas State by 2. We do not profess to know who the hero will be here. We feel like it will be David Gunter's night...he has been due. But, while he may be the man of the evening, he may not be the man of the moment. Such intrigue...