DAILY CAPITAL e

 

 

SPORTS

Thursday, March 7, 1940

 

Authority on Playoff Arrangements

‘Press query on what is what in
the cage game and why, the na-
tion’s coaches and observers all
agreed on one thing—the growth
in popularity of the game is the
most encouraging and universal
sign noted.

N. Y. U. Plays Before 18,318

As a prime example, the collegi-
ate doubleheaders in Madison
‘Square Garden this year played to
212,672—and baskethall’s biggest
crowd, the 18,318 for the New
York University-St. John’s and
Long Island doubleheader was sur-
passed only once all winter and
that. by a fight mob of nearly
20,000 that turned out to see Lou
Ambers give Al “Bummy” Davis
a boxing lesson.

In the New England area there
has been increased interest both
in number of spectators and
schools playing the game,

Holy Cross has put a quintet on
the floor now, and Boston College
will follow suit as soon as it has
a gym. Other New England schools
to take up basketball recently are
Maine, Bates, Colby and Assump-
tion College—and the Maine col-
leges have been playing to packed
houses all this year!

Grows in Southwest

Possibly the next most impor-
tant growth of the game has come
in the Southwest. The tip-off that
basketball has finally reached an
unquestioned status there are
those crowds of 7,000 that filled
the beautiful new Texas Univer-
sity fieldhouse all season.

2 :
University of Michigan intra-
‘}mural department is experiment-
ing, with convex basketball back-
boards.

 

 

 

Sooners Want Vote
lf Race Is Tied;
Games to Wichita?

Allen's N.C.A.A. Dates
Force Aggies to Fly;
K. U. to Norman Friday

Norman, Okla., March 6.—(A.
P.)—Bruce Drake, University of
Oklahoma basketball coach, ex-
pressed surprise tonight when in-
formed that Dr. F. C. Allen, Kan-
sas coach, had announced a Big
Six Conference playoff—in event
of a tie—would be held at Wichita,
Kan.

“It’s news to me,” said Drake.
‘I don’t know a thing about it.

What’s more, I don’t care—much..

All we're thinking about down here
is Friday night’s game with Kan-
sas.”

Jays May Cinch Title

Oklahoma,and Kansas wind up
the season here. Friday night.
Kansas must defeat. the Sooners
to earn a clear-cut claim. to the
title. If Oklahoma wins, the title
will be shared jointly by Kansas,
Oklahoma and Missouri.

The playoff then would be neces-
Sary on March 11 and 12 to deter-
mine the Big Six representative
in the N. C. A. A. Fifth District
against the Oklahoma Aggies, Mis-
souri Valley champions. —

“However,” Drake said, “it looks
to me as if we should have’ a voice

jin selecting the site of a playoff

than 2:50 o’clock the afternoon of
the sixteenth. That won’t slow
our boys down any more than a
train ride from Nebraska or Kan-
gas would, and they’ll still have
five or six hours to rest.”
The Aggies qualified for the N.
C. A. A. district playoff by win-
ning the Missouri Valley title.
Kansas now leads the Big Six race.

NO CHANGE IN DATES
Kansas City, Maren 6.—(A. P.)
—Dr. F. C. Allen, Kansas Univer-

|sity basketball coach and manager

of the Western N. C. A. A. final
tournament, said today the Big
Six representative and the Missouri
Valley champion would meet in
Oklahoma City March 16 to de-
termine one of the meet’s entrants.

Oklahoma A. & M., Missouri
Valley titleholder, will compete in
a New York tournament March 11
to 15 and will fly to Oklahoma
City during the night for the game
next day. ;

If Oklahoma defeats Kansas
Friday night the three Big Six
teams, Missouri, Oklahoma and
Kansas, which will share the con-
ference title will select their repre-
sentative in a playoff at Wichita
March 11 and 12.

A Jayhawk. triumph ‘Friday

would give Kansas the title and

eliminate need of the Wichita

meet.

Three other quintets from west
of the Mississippi and the March
16 winner will compete here March
22 and 23 for the right to oppose
the Eastern champion on the same
ie March 30 for the national

itle, ;