2005 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
Everett Case
The excitement and tradition that is college
basketball in North Carolina can be traced back
to 1946 when Indiana native Everett Case signed
on as head basketball coach at North Carolina
State University.
Born at the turn of the 20th century, Case, a
legendary high school coach in Indiana, had a
vision of what college basketball could be and
he brought that vision to Raleigh. Where others
saw a partially built Reynolds Coliseum, Case
saw an arena that would hold 12,500 fans. While
others saw football as the major college sport,
Case saw arenas full of cheering, loyal, rabid
basketball fans.
At first, Case recruited out-of-state basketball
players who knew the nuances of the game. Even
so, he spent many hours visiting North Carolina
high schools and civic clubs, encouraging cities
and towns to build better gymnasiums, so North
Carolina lads could eventually compete for
college basketball slots. He wanted to see hoops
tacked up on pine trees, and backboards and
baskets on almost every vacant lot. Within five
or six years he did.
Case’s first 10 years at N.C. State have to be
among the greatest of all time. His teams had
267 wins against 60 losses, six consecutive
Southern Conference tournaments, three straight
Atlantic Coast Conference tournaments. They won
six of seven Dixie Classics. Tired of being
doormats to N.C. State, the 1950s found nearby
colleges hiring top caliber coaches, and
recruiting quality players from around the
country, eventually making college basketball
“King” in North Carolina.
In addition to being a legendary coach, Case was
a skilled promoter. The Dixie Classic, a Case
brainchild, was the forerunner of today’s many
popular holiday tournaments. Case introduced
such practices as cutting down the nets after a
championship and shining a spotlight on players
as they were introduced. The installation of an
applause meter in Reynolds Coliseum, the
invitation to high school coaches for clinics,
and his open-door policy to the media were other
Case trademarks.
Case resigned from N.C. State in 1965 and died
in 1966. He was the first basketball coach
enshrined in the State of North Carolina Sports
Hall of Fame and was inducted into the National
Basketball Hall of Fame in 1981.
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For more information, please write:
Raleigh Hall of Fame
PO Box 6128, Raleigh, NC 27628-6128
Or email info@raleighhalloffame.org or call (919) 787-9617. Please check our website often for updates regarding the upcoming 2007 Raleigh Hall of Fame!
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