Show Kentucky Gels Gets Favored Spot in Meet By liT MURRAY ROSE nosy NEW YORK March 11 II IP Tn P-Tn In n email select tourney anything can cn happen but nevertheless the experts today prepared to hoist themselves high on the limb for tor old Kentucky Jn In the national Invitation ment at Madison Square Garden The NITs committee after arter examIning examining exam exam- ining the records of ot the eight teams has baa the same idea for tor yesterday they made the mighty Wildcats winners of or 32 out of ot 3 games game and defending champions champIon the top seed aced with West Virginia 18 1 second Duquesne 21 1 third and North Carolina State 24 fourth Seeding however haven't meant much in this court carnival and ll It wouldn't be too shocking It if any any of ot the other four tour Bradley 5 25 Utah 5 16 St St. Johns John's of ot Brooklyn 6 15 and Long Island 4 16 emerged the winner The last Jut two were named to the meet yesterday One Ono e ew r Team Of or the eight classy combinations only N. N C. C State States recently crowned Southern conference champion is Js new to the All the rest have made nt at least two appearances In tn this pressure meet and St. St Johns John's has hall been through the mill seven leven times coming home the winner in 1943 and 1944 L LIU I U won In 1939 a and d 1941 and West Vest Virginia a dark horse if It there ever was one copped in 42 All of ot the teams have played rugged schedules and yet surprisingly surprising surprising- ly have done little HUle mingling among themselves In seasonal competition Kentucky defeated St. St Johns John's 70 50 Duquesne whipped Utah 50 59 and the Utes walloped St. St Johns John's 62 48 Kentucky and West Vest Virginia have been placed in opposite brackets and the feeling is stron strong that they will meet in the finals March 24 Both lives fives are deep in material last fast tall and can shoot Utes vs Duquesne For Saturdays Saturday opener West Virginia Vir Vir- ginia will take on Bradley and St. St Johns John's will wilt tangle with N N. N C. C State Mondays Monday's pairings match Utah against Duquesne and Kentucky Against L LIU I U. U The semifinals will vili willlie be lie held Wednesday March 19 While the NIT was filling its Hs field yesterday the National Collegiate A. A A. A committees came close to rounding out their tournament Wisconsin Wis Big hig Nine was picked for lor the district four tour berth leaving only district two a dark secret at the moment Oklahoma and St. St Louis are slated to square off ort March 17 for tor forthe forthe the right to represent district five lve The district two mid-Atlantic mid area choice is expected to be made shortly Gunning for tar the berth arc Columbia's Ivy league champions 5 14 City College of ot New York 14 14 1 l- l 4 and Syracuse 5 19 The draw for lor the eastern astern N C A A championships champion champion- ships to be staged at the Garden March 20 and 22 will be held by Thursday Besides Wisconsin the theother theother theother other two teams already named to the eastern show arc are Holy Cross 3 23 and Navy 3 16 Wt Draw Made Inde The western draw already alread has been made nade Texas 24 1 Southwest conference con- con ference titleholder goes up against Big Seven champion Wyoming 4 22 and Oregon State Stale 4 27 Pacific Coast winner conference meets the survivor of at the St. St Oklahoma Louis-Oklahoma That playoff end bt U the N C A A Ashow show how will be staged in Iii the Kansas City a auditorium March 21 and 22 After Alter that the first two teams in I each tach section will tangle tanEle In the thc Garden March 23 25 for tor the over-all over N C A A title with the two winners meeting I for lor the crown and the runners up up for lor third place Oklahoma A. A and Ms M.'s 1946 champions champions' champions cham- cham cham cham- I plans wont won't be present having lost losta a playoff berth when St. St Louis captured captured cap cap- the Missouri Valley title I |