risy Quine Dug, cu rues. :
The point is that the defending}
tourney champions, are only a}
few rimmers away from an un-
_ blemished . slate against the
second-stiffest slate being played
by any league team, Only Colo-
rado can show a more rigid
early card against the likes of
Iowa, defending Big Ten cham-
pion; Oregon State defending
Pp. CAC, King, anda B. Y. U., 8th-
ranked in the latest A. P. poll.)
Five of six pre-tourney starts
are on the road. :
With conference members,):
plus this year’s guest team, |
Cornell, scheduled fo thirteen

 

this picture could cfange, But
‘the Tigers, with ard Norm
Stewart leading / pre-tourney
scorers on a 25.5 faverage and|

pfaying better;

- If they maintain that edge an-
other 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. No defending
champion ever has_ repeated.
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 con-
quest in ’51 by its N. C, A. A.
champions.

. Missouri whaled Kansas State,
89:71, in last year’s champion-|
ship round to bag its first crown
since 1949. It rolled over Ne-
braska, 75-58, in the opening
~ round, and throttled Oklahoma’s

. Nimble Nubbins, 95-87, in the
semifinal. The Stalcups came)
into last year’s auditorium fix-
ture with a 4-2 log, which includ-
ed wins over Iowa, 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 club.

‘ Play the Huskers First,

.M. VU. again has drawn Ne-|
braska as a first round foe, lead-
ing off the second night of play
at 7:30 Wednesday. Kansas and
Cornell play the nightcap.

-B. Y. U. tore’ considerable
gloss off Colorado,~ the league’s
early surprise, with a’ fearsome
double flogging, at Provo, 70-53,
and 84-53, over the week end.
The defending conference cham-