News and Notes: Tuesday Edition

Below, some news and notes for Tuesday...

• Fans of college basketball history and of Cornell Basketball history, should consider purchasing the new book, The Classic, the story of the legendary Dixie Classic Tournament held between 1949 through 1960 on Tobacco Road. Prior to the creation of March Madness, the Dixie Classic was one of college’s premier hoops events. The Dixie Classic's demise occurred in 1961 due to a point-shaving scandal organized by New York area mobsters. Annually tipping off just after Christmas in Reynolds Coliseum on the NC State Campus, the tournament was played over three days for more than a decade. The holiday event opened with each of the Big Four—NC State, UNC, Duke and Wake Forest—playing non-conference opponents selected from some of the most competitive programs in the country including, Cornell. The Cornell Big Red were the runner-ups of the 1951 Dixie Classic, falling by 2 points to N.C. State in the championship game and returned to the event as invitees in 1954 as the defending Ivy League champions. Below, Cornell's results from the Dixie Classic in 1951 and 1954.  Above, pages from the 1954 Dixie Classic program and below an excerpt from the March 23, 1954 issue of the Cornell Daily Sun announcing Cornell's invitation to the 1954 Dixie Classic.  Cornell returns to Dixie and "Tobacco Road" this season with a visit to Duke.

12/27/1951 vs Wake Forest W 58-51 - Raleigh, N.C.
12/28/1951 vs Columbia W 66-64 - Raleigh, N.C.
12/29/1951 at North Carolina State L 49-51 - Raleigh, N.C. (Championship Game) 

12/27/1954 at North Carolina State L 61-95 - Raleigh, N.C.12/28/1954 vs Southern Carlifornia L 58-77 - Raleigh, N.C.12/29/1954 vs West Virginia L 71-79 - Raleigh, N.C.

Below, legenday sportswriter, Dick Schaap, recapped Cornell's runner-up finish in the 1951 Dixie Classic for the Cornell Daily Sun.

• Incoming Cornell recruit, David Onuorah (Marist HS) Atlanta, GA, 6-8, 230, F, participated in the prestigious AAU event, the Nike Peach Jam between July 16-22 in Georgia.  Playing with his team, the Memphis-based Bluff City Legends, Onuorah started all five games, averaging 21.8 minutes, 4.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 blocks while shooting 8/20 (40%) from the floor and 5/11 at the FT line.  Bluff City struggled to an 0-5 record in the tournament.  Onuorah's height has been listed between 6'8" and 6'9" on most recruiting websites and was listed at 6'9" at the Peach Jam.