Dec. 1, 2012

Stanford Hosts Denver Before Finals Break

STANFORD, Calif.- Stanford's 1942 NCAA Championship season will be recognized during Sunday's game against Denver, as the NCAA and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) continue to celebrate 75 years of March Madness by commissioning one-of-a-kind paintings honoring each of the national championship coaches.

The original art piece, designed and painted by world-renowned artist Opie Otterstad, is part of a collection of 75 individual paintings, representing one for each of the 75 national championships from 1939-2013. Sunday's art piece honoring legendary head coach Everett S. Dean, who led Stanford to a 28-4 record during the 1941-42 campaign, will first be unveiled at Kissick Auditorium prior to tomorrow's game at 1 p.m.

Dean's daughter, Mrs. Nancy Baxter, and her three children will be in attendance and participate in a halftime presentation. The original piece of art will then be auctioned online starting Monday, Dec. 3, at www.NCAA.com/Art. A coffee-table book containing each of the pieces will go on sale later next year and will be published by MomentumMedia.

Limited edition reproductions will also be made available for purchase via the same website on the same date. A portion of the proceeds from the auction will benefit the NABC Foundation, which supports TTRR (Ticket to Reading Rewards), the College Basketball Experience (CBE) and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

"We're pleased to celebrate the crowning achievements of the coaches who have guided their teams to championships over the past 75 years," said Jim Haney, executive director of the NABC. "This collection of artwork will serve as a unique and permanent reminder of these coaches' accomplishments on the court and their incredible contributions to the game of basketball."

"Coach Dean is one of the greatest coaches and teachers in the history of college basketball," said Dan Gavitt, NCAA vice president of men's basketball. "The NCAA and Stanford University are eternally grateful for his impact on the lives of the student-athletes he coached and thrilled to honor Coach Dean's place in the tradition of March Madness with this painting."

The NCAA also will incorporate the art into Bracket Town, its official fan fest at the Final Four in Atlanta, as part of its 75th anniversary celebration.

Stanford defeated Dartmouth 53-38 to capture the 1942 NCAA crown, following up victories over Colorado (46-35) in the West Regional final and Rice Institute (53-47) in the West Regional semifinal.

Stanford captured the national title behind a pair of All-Americans, Jim Pollard and NCAA Tournament MVP Howie Dallmar. In Stanford's win over Dartmouth, Dallmar scored 15 points and Jack Dana chipped in with 14 points off the bench. Pollard was ill and did not play in the championship game.

The championship game actually wasn't even broadcast live back to the Bay Area. Instead, the contest was recreated from wire reports by KSFO. The gate gross for tournament in Kansas City was $23,500. Expenses, mostly for travel, were about $22,000. Of the remaining $1,500, half went to the NCAA. The other $750 was split eight ways among the Eastern and Western tourney teams. Stanford's share of the NCAA pot was $93.75.

For complete information about the NCAA and programs celebrating 75 years of March Madness, visit www.ncaa.com/marchmadness.

About the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)
Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest "Phog Allen", the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.org.