1953 Dixie Classic
Cover of the tournament program | |||||
| Season | 1953–54 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | 8 | ||||
| Finals site | Reynolds Coliseum, Raleigh, North Carolina | ||||
| Champions | Duke (1st title) | ||||
| Runner-up | Navy (1st title game) | ||||
| Winning coach | Harold Bradley (1st title) | ||||
| MVP | Rudy D'Emilio (Duke) | ||||
| Attendance | 60,000 | ||||
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The 1953 Dixie Classic was a mid-season college basketball tournament held December 28–30, 1953 at NC State's Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was the fifth iteration of the Dixie Classic and it was part of the 1953–54 NCAA men's basketball season. The Duke Blue Devils won the final, defeating the Navy Midshipmen 98–83.
Coming into the tournament, 9th-ranked host NC State, who had won the first four Dixie Classics, and 12th-ranked Oregon State were favorites to win the tournament. However, the final was contested by Duke and Navy. Duke won 98–83, breaking Navy's six-game unbeaten streak.