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card against the likes of Towa, defending Big Ten ohanpy Oregon State,
defending PCC king, and BYU, Otheranked in the latest AP. poll. Five
of six pre-tourney starts are on the road.

With conference members, plus this year's guest Beam, Cornell,
scheduled for 13 more games before Tuesday this picture could changes
But the Tigers, with Guard Norm Stewart leading pre-tourney seorers with
@ 2565 average and Chuck Denny playing better than expected at center,
command the most respect at this writing.

If they maintain that edge another week they will be facing
not only what is taking shape as the best-balanced field in meet history,
but a high precedent hurdle as well, Wo defending champion ever has
repeated successively. Fact is, only one repeat-seeker has reached
the finals the year following its title haul, Kansas lost an 87-93
verdict to Kansas State in 1952, following a conquest in '51 by its
‘NCAA champions. :

Missouri whaled Kansas State, 89«71, in last year's chanpionship
round to bag its first crow since 1919. It rolled over Nebraska,
7558, in the opening round, and throttled Oklahoma's Nimble Nubbins,
95+87, in the semifinals ‘The Staleups came into last year's auditorium

fixture with a he2 log, which included wins over Lowa, Indiana, and
Wisconsin, They were favored for the title and played smoothly to
that pattern all the way. Two regulars, Center Bob Reiter and Forward
Med Park are gone from that clubs

MU again has drawn Nebraska as a first round foe, leading off
the second night of first round play et 7:30 wednesday, Kansas and
Cornell play the nightcap, : :

BYU tore considerable gloss off Colorado, the league's early
surprise, with a fearsome double flogging at Provo, 7053, and 84-53,
over the weekend, The defending conference champions were fresh
from & 60+57 conquest of Iowa and carried a 3«0 into the Utah highlends,

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