For too many years the meager crowds at Anderson University’s O.C. Lewis Gym for men’s basketball could have fit comfortably in the old Roundhouse of previous eras.
That makes the excitement over this year’s Ravens, who made it to the second night of NCAA Division III first-round play at Kenosha, Wis., last weekend all the more welcome. Under coach Tom Slyder, the Ravens made their first NCAA postseason appearance since teams in the Heartland Conference left the NAIA at the loop’s 1987 formation.
“It’s good for the school and the community to advance in the tournament,” observed former Raven coach and athletic director Barrett Bates, who was Slyder’s college coach. “It was doubly exciting for me.”
The Ravens’ last national tournament appearance occurred during Bates’ playing days in 1961 in the 32-team NAIA tournament. Anderson also played in NAIA tournaments in 1938 and 1958.
“Back then we took the train all the way to Kansas City,” Bates recalled. “Kansas City embraced the tournament. It was a different style, playing all week long.”
The comparison, of course, was apples-and-oranges. Qualification for the national tournament was through district playoffs, in which Anderson participated numerous times both before and after the 1961 Kansas City trip. “We were in five or six district tournaments while I was coaching,” Bates said, “and we made it to the final game once.” The present 61-team NCAA Division III field has several regionals around the country, and in fact the NAIA now has two divisions and early-round regionals.
There were similarities and differences between the two teams, Bates noted.
“This particular team is about the same size we were,” he recalled, “but overall, kids today are bigger, taller, stronger and quicker. Not necessarily more skilled, though. The three-point shot has made it a different type of game. And shooting is the big thing that’s improved; for us 40 percent was a good shooting night.”
The 1961 team had great athletes such as prolific scorer Ken Strawn, rugged Dienzel Dennis, high-leaping Pete Culp who jumped center at 5-11, and 6-6 freshman Nolan Reed. Bates, then a 6-foot stringbean, and Dick Leach were hot-shooting guards. The bench included Don Brandon, who retires this year as Ravens baseball coach.
In those days, unlike today at Division III schools, athletic aid was available at Anderson, though Bates confesses “very little.” He said statistics show fewer college students stay around till graduation and believes it’s true for athletes as well. “But if we get kids to their junior year, they are more likely to want a degree and the team stays intact,” he added.
Good news for the Ravens, who could return all but two varsity players next year. The bad news: All of the top five HCAC teams have their best players back.
But if the Ravens can fill a gap or two through recruiting, Bates believes, another postseason run next year could be in the offing.
Jim Bailey’s column appears on Wednesday. He can be reached by e-mail at jameshenrybailey@earth link.net.
