1957 Dixie Classic Explained

Type:Dixie
Gender:Men's
Year:1957
Season:1958
Teams:8
Finalfourarena:Reynolds Coliseum
Finalfourcity:Raleigh, North Carolina
Champions:North Carolina
Titlecount:2nd
Runnerup:NC State
Gamecount:7th
Coach:Frank McGuire
Coachcount:2nd
Mop:Pete Brennan
Mopteam:North Carolina
Attendance:69,200

The 1957 Dixie Classic was a mid-season college basketball tournament held December 26–28, 1957 at NC State's Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was the ninth iteration of the Dixie Classic, and it was part of the 1957–58 NCAA University Division men's basketball season.

Coming into the tournament, the clear favorite to win the tournament was North Carolina, the reigning champions with a 5–1 record so far in the season.[1] For the third consecutive year, the Big Four teams swept their first round opponents. In a slow-paced final, North Carolina defeated NC State 39–30. In the third-place matchup, Duke's Bobby Vernon scored all 14 of his team's points in overtime to pull out a 79–75 victory over Wake Forest.[2]

Pete Brennan of North Carolina was voted most valuable player, having tallied 53 points and 28 rebounds in the Tar Heels' three wins.[3] Across the three days of six double-headers, the total attendance was 69,200.[4] [5]

Teams

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 1957 teams were:[6]

Notes and References

  1. News: Williams . Jack . Carolina Rules Favorite as Dixie Classic Opens Today . Durham Morning Herald . 26 December 1957 . 12 . en.
  2. News: North Carolina Downs North Carolina State to Keep Dixie Classic Honors . . Associated Press . 29 December 1957 . sec. 5 p. 4 . en . subscription . .
  3. News: Most Valuable . The News and Observer . 29 December 1957 . sec. II p. 1 . en.
  4. News: Classic Crowds Reach 69,200 . Durham Morning Herald . United Press . 29 December 1957 . sec. B p. 2 . en.
  5. News: Crowd of 69,200 . The News and Observer . 29 December 1957 . sec. II p. 1 . en.
  6. News: Pairings, Ninth Annual Dixie Basketball Classic . The News and Observer . 25 December 1957 . 29 . en.