1983 TIP-OFF CLASSIC North Carolina State Cougars vs Houston Wolfpack TICKET STUB PSA 3 JIM VAVANO's WOLF PACK Stops COUGARS in Very Good Condition (PSA 3). Encapsulated Authenticity from PSA / DNA 63804580.

By Peter Alfano, Special To the New York Times

The experts had predicted that the result would not be close. Unlike the final of the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament last spring, when North Carolina State defeated Houston by 2 points, this game more or less figured to be a showcase for Akeem Olajuwon, Houston's 7-foot center and the basketball fraternity known as Phi Slama Jama.

Well, the experts were right about one thing - the score wasn't close today. But it was North Carolina State that won, 76-64, in the Tipoff Classic game that signals the opening of the college season. And if Jim Valvano, the Wolfpack coach, was pleasantly surprised, then his counterpart Guy Lewis was somewhat embarrassed by his team's performance.

''I'm disturbed,'' Lewis said. ''How in the world could we come up here to play in a game like this and not play with any enthusiasm or hustle? We were just soundly outplayed.''

Lewis was the one who first first proposed the idea to play a game to benefit the Basketball Hall of Fame here. That was in 1977. The first game was played in 1979 and Lewis has eagerly waited for an invitation to participate. Now, he might not think that the national television exposure was such a good idea.

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