Bethany Bradsher has been covering North Carolina athletics since 1995 and has been a journalist since 1990. She is the author of Coaching Third: The Keith LeClair Story, which was published by Whitecaps Media in 2010, “The Classic: How Everett Case and His Tournament Brought Big-Time Basketball to the South” in 2011 and the co-author, with Tony Collins, of “Broken Road” in 2012. She is a 1991 graduate of the University of North Carolina with degrees in journalism and political science. In 1995 as a sportswriter for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, she covered the inaugural two seasons of the Carolina Panthers and the preparations for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. She has written for the Associated Press, the Durham Herald-Sun, the Orlando Sentinel, and the Houston Post, as well as several magazines. She and her husband Sid live in Greenville North Carolina with their four children.
Today she was at the March meeting of the Piedmont Triad Sports Club, where she spoke at great lengths about “The Classic: How Everett Case and His Tournament Brought Big-Time Basketball to the South”.
My basketball knowledge pretty much starts with the BIG FOUR, that was held in Greensboro for years. The Classic was held in the brand new Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh from 1949 until 1960.
Her book details how Everette Case changed the face of basketball in North Carolina through recruiting, hiring and scheduling basketball at NC State.
The Classic WAS the basketball tournament in North Carolina, it was played over the Christmas break at NC State. From the crowd in attendance today, it was a very popular tournament by the show of hands who had attended the tournament over a half-century ago.
Bethany talked a little about the Point Shaving Scandal that ended the Classic’s run.
She was able to interview many of the players, coaches and administrators that played or where there for the Classic’s 11 year run.
It was an informative meeting, leaving me wanting more info.
Here book is available at Amazon in print and electronic versions.
I am sure it’s an interesting book, but why did she drop the “Dixie” from the name? It was “The Dixie Classic”, and I can still remember going there to see UNC, State, Mich. State, and Cincinnati play the year they were 1,2,3, and 4 in the nation. State played Carolina in the finals and I think Michigan St. and Cincinnati both went 1 and 2. A lot of history there in Reynolds Coliseum and Woolen Gym, and Carmichael. Gotta’ give Duke credit for not succumbing to their alumni who want tickets.