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can show a more rigid early card wtkhxfsunvefx fivevsvarts xonv thavx

ruadx against th likes of Iowa, defending Big Ten champ; Oregon State
; | in
defending PCC king, and BYU, Sth-rankedxm the latest AP poll. Pive cf

.., @1x pre-tourney starts are on the roads

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with conference members, plus this year's Sumx team,

Cornell, scheduled for 13 more games before Tuesday this picture
could change, But the Thgers , with Guard Norm Stewart leading ativ
pre-tourney scorers with a 25.5 average and Chuck Denny playing
better than expected at center, command th most respect at this
writinge

| ii’ they maintain that edge another week they will be
facing nét only what is taking shape as tle best-balanced field in mee t
history, but a high precedent hurdle as wells No defending champion
ever has repeated successively. Fact is, only om repsat-seeker has
reachedthe finals the year following its title haul. Kansas lost a &
57-93 verdict to “ansas State in sma 1952 , following a conquest in #5 1
by its akymptavieamy NCAA champions,

Missouri whaled “ansas State, 89-71, in last year? s
championship round to bag its first crown since 1949. It rolled over
Yeobraska, *0evx 75-58, in the opening round, and throttled Oklahom's
Nimble Nubbins, 95-37, in the semifinal, The Stalcups came xuxwiktkhvavx
into last year's auditorium fixture with a 422 log, which ine uded wins
over Iowa, indiana, and wisconsin. They were favored for the title
and played smocthly to that pattern all the way . Two regulars, Center

Bob “eiter and Forward Med fark are gone from that club.