Hidden World
Sports Illustrated|November 6,2017

The author has long had a fascination with the 1951 point-shaving scandal , as well as with a shadow y figure who was (unintentionally ) at the center of it all.

William F. Reed
Hidden World

WHAT IS STILL the biggest point-shaving scandal in college basketball history broke on Feb. 18, 1951, when crusading New York City district attorney Frank Hogan arrested several members of the City College of New York team. Just 11 months earlier, under coach Nat Holman, the Beavers had won the National Invitation Tournament and the NCAA championship, both at Madison Square Garden. They remain the only team ever to achieve that double.

The news rocked college basketball, but it was of special interest at Kentucky, where coach Adolph Rupp was presiding over a dynasty. The Wildcats had claimed NCAA titles in 1948 and ’49, but had been eliminated 89–50 by—you guessed it—CCNY in the quarterfinals of the 1950 NIT tournament, the worst loss of Rupp’s career. Hogan’s roundup happened a month before the ’51 NCAA tournament, which Kentucky would enter ranked No.1 with the nation’s premier player, 7-foot junior center Bill Spivey.

The Lexington media rushed to Rupp to get his reaction to the arrests. Imperious and scornful as ever, the 49-year old coachs norted,“[Thegamblers]couldn’t touch my boys with a 10-foot pole.”

Well, actually, they had. Three players on the 1948 and ’49 title teams—Ralph Beard, Alex Groza and Dale Barnstable— would be arrested on Oct. 20, 1951, for accepting bribes to shave points in an NIT game against Loyola of Chica goat the Garden in 1949. Three more Wildcats, including Spivey,would be implicated as well. In all, 32 players from seven colleges would be arrested for their involvement in fixing a total of 86 games between 1947 and ’50.

One of Rupp’s friends, a dapper fellow named Ed Curd, provided another connection to the scandal. Curd worked with Rupp in various businesses and charities and was always good for a free meal.(Rupp was not oriously tight.)Curdalso attended Wildcats practices and traveled with the team.

This story is from the November 6,2017 edition of Sports Illustrated.

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This story is from the November 6,2017 edition of Sports Illustrated.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.