50 years later, Purdue basketball's 1974 NIT title stands test of time

WEST LAFAYETTE — It's March 1974 and the Purdue basketball team is about to embark on an experience that is still remembered fondly 50 years later.

Mike Steele and Bruce Parkinson, sophomores on that team, packed for a weekend trip.

The Boilermakers ended up being in New York City for 11 days.

"At least I packed a week’s worth of clothes," said John Garrett, Purdue's starting center and leading scorer that season.

What the team had or didn't have to wear was irrelevant.

What the Boilermakers accomplished over four games in Madison Square Garden certainly was relevant, though.

In 1974, the NCAA tournament was 32 teams and the only entry into the bracket was to win your conference. The Big Ten's bid belonged to Michigan that season.

"Our hopes were all set on winning the Big Ten that year and going to the NCAA tournament and making some noise," said Frank Kendrick, who averaged 18.5 points and 10.1 rebounds as a starting forward that year.

Purdue was one of 16 teams included in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT).

Today, the NIT is viewed as more of a consolation prize. Back then, some of the top teams in the country were relegated to the NIT, such as the tournament's top seed North Carolina, which just happened to be Purdue's first opponent.

"You had to win your conference in order to get a bid into the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, we were trailing right behind," Garrett said. "We got the NIT bid and won that tournament. It was a big thing. There were a lot of great teams in that tournament that we played against and beat."

Coach Fred Shaus, who before Purdue had played and coached in the NBA, made sure if his Boilermakers were getting a trip to New York to play in Madison Square Garden, his team would live a semi-NBA lifestyle.

The hotel laundering service made sure the Boilermakers had clean clothes, probably beneficial most especially to Parkinson and Steele. The fanciest restaurants were not off limits.

New York Knicks players, including superstar Walt Frazier, roamed around Madison Square Garden allowing some Purdue players a glimpse at the icon.

The legendary Hot Rod Hundley was on the broadcasts.

And here, you had Purdue from West Lafayette, Indiana, smack dab in the most famous arena in the biggest city in the United States.

A roster of guys like Garrett, Kendrick, Parkinson, Bruce Rose, Dave Luke, Jerry Nichols, Dick Satterfield and Tom Scheffler as its major contributors followed up the first-round win over North Carolina with wins over Hawaii, Jacksonville and Utah.

"The best thing about that team was the quality of young men we had on that team, not just as players but as people," Kendrick said. "What they’ve gone out in the world and done and the success they’ve had, they’ve shown their real character."

Purdue avenged regular-season losses to Hawaii and then Utah in the NIT championship game.

Bruce Parkinson's father, Jack, a former All-American guard who led Kentucky to the 1946 NIT title was able to experience that thrill again from the vantage point of rooting on his son.

"Our schedule ended up being one of the tougher schedules that clearly I played in," Bruce Parkinson recalled. "We ended up that season ranked 11th."

Parkinson would later help Team USA win a gold medal in the Pan-Am games. Scheffler and Kendrick played in the NBA. Garrett was drafted by the Washington Bullets, as was Parkinson, who is still Purdue's career leader in assists. Kendrick later became an assistant coach at Purdue under Gene Keady.

For some, they've been regulars around Purdue's program since that monumental NIT run 50 years ago. For others, like Garrett, it's been 25 years since he's been around everyone.

"Winning the NIT is a big deal, but it was a huge deal in the early '70s," current Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "There were teams going to the NIT over the NCAA.

"It was a great time for Purdue basketball. The '70s had a lot of success, so it is great to see those guys be honored and come back."

At Saturday's Purdue home game against Penn State, the crew from guys from that 1973-74 NIT championship team will be in attendance at Mackey Arena. They'll be honored on the 50th anniversary season of a magical perceived two-day trip turned into 11 days of unforgettable memories.

"We were not expected to win the tournament. We played well," Garrett said. "We had a great team that year. It would’ve been wonderful if we could’ve gotten into the NCAA tournament. We didn’t, but we did prove some things in New York."

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.

Penn State (8-8, 2-3) at No. 1 Purdue (14-2, 3-2)

Saturday, 2:15 p.m.

TV: BTN

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: 1974 NIT title run timeless for Purdue basketball