March 1939

December 23, 2013
With the historic events of 1939 rapidly spinning into global conflict, Frei ('77: Denver, the Broncos, and a Coming of Age) looks back at the first NCAA Basketball Tournament when head coach Howard Hobson guided the underdog Oregon Webfoots to the national championship against all odds Hobson, in his fourth year as Webfoots coach, recruited in a competitive collegiate market, personally going after two titans, Lauren "Laddie" Gale and Urgel "Slim" Wintermute, who towered over 6-foot-8 inches, then proceeded on a reign of hoops terror. Wisely contrasting the mayhem of college sports and Hitler's Third Reich onslaught, Frei goes behind the scenes to examine Hobson's methodical game strategies of his team, "The Tall Firs," against all comers, juxtaposed against the Nazi leader's shrewd march across Europe. Along the way, the author, an admirer of Long Island University coach Clair Bee, tips his hat to the man who led the LIU Blackbirds to the second annual national invitation tournament in New York, the NCAA tournament's rival. Carefully crafted, fast-moving, and refreshing, Frei's study of the scrappy Oregon Webfoots' campaign from a 29-5 season record to best the finest at both ends of the basketball court, ending with the first NCAA tournament victory over Ohio State Buckeyes, is quite memorable.

June 1, 2014

Ostensibly about the 1939 University of Oregon men's basketball team the Webfoots, winners of the very first NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) tournament, Denver Post journalist Frei's book also tells the story of the Long Island University Blackbirds men's team from the same year, as they were winners of the second-ever NIT (National Invitation Tournament). Much of the narrative is framed by the buildup to World War II in Europe, all chapters in Part 2-which makes up the bulk of the title--being interspersed with fact-based "newsreel" items clearly written by the author. Frei's purpose here is difficult to discern since it is otherwise unclear whether the players, nearly all of whom later served in the war, were at the time aware of or concerned about these events. Frei also focuses on who the real national champion was for 1939. Solid arguments can be made in favor of both teams, and leaning toward one team over another seems to be based less on fact than on which criteria are considered. At any rate, Frei's case for Oregon is not entirely convincing. VERDICT Though well written and thoroughly researched, the title lacks focus. Still, those interested in basketball's early years and the origins of the NCAA Tournament will find much to interest them and a lot of new information.

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