ever erected in the finals.
has cornered five championships,
State in °47, 50 and °52; KU in
51 and 53;

Kansas lost, 46-49, to SMU in the
*46 finals and to Oklahoma, 49-52,
in 1948 in addition to its 1952 loss
to K-State. The Cats toppled, 71-89,

, to Missouri last year.

State faces the stiffest sole |

tes when the classic opens a’
day run Tuesday. It has d
Iowa State, ranked only behin
Missouri in pre-meet forecasting,
in the nightcap of a two-game
card which sends Oklahoma
against Colorado’s defending con-
ference champions at 7:30 p.m.
The Cyclones come in wih the
best won-lost record, 5-1, of any
‘tournament team. Most recent, and
and significant, conquest, was an
87-76 win over previously unbeaten
Vanderbilt Friday night in Ames.
Only a 62-65 defeat at the hands
of Denver at Denver, separates
the Iowans from a perfect slate.
Gary Thompson, their clever
little guard, exploded the heaviest
|one-game shot of any tournament
‘entry in that one with 40 points.
' K-State has played in slightly
rougher going to reach it 3-3
level. It lost to Indiana’s highly-
ranked Hoosiers, 72-96, to Drake,
64-70—The Bulldogs lost only by

 

Big Seven Meet
Tips Off Tuesday

By DON PIERCE
(Daily Oklahoman Correspondent)

Those twin sunflower basketball powers, Kansas and. Kansas
State, face the slimest chance of reaching the Big Seven tourna-
ment finals since 1949 when the tenth annual drible derby un-
winds next week in Kansas City’s Municipal auditorium.

The absence of one or the other of these clubs in the king)
row is almost unique in meet history. Only once, in the event’s|
previous nine years, has there been a final not involving one of,
them. Missouri edged Oklahoma, 44-42, in the 1949 title round.
Before and since, the Jayhawkers have moved into the home |
stretch five times; the Wildcats four.

In 1952 they played for the crown with State rolling to a:
93-87 victory, highest winning score and highest combined score |

 

Between them, the sunflower tandem ,

lowa State ...
Kansas
Missouri eae

wu Pct. Pts. Op
+833 441 363

 

BOW OO 0S 09 ee Or
pak pda as
Pape

400, 408 471
-400, 441 491
KANSAS
91 N’ western
56 Wichita
74 Wisconsin
62 SMU
62 Denver 66 Rice
87 Vanderbilt 62 SMU
MISSOURI CORNELL
83 Buffalo
82 Colgate
59 Harvard
82. Brown 63
50 Wash. (SL) 55
KANSAS STATE
= Texas Tech 7%
¢ ars 96
64 D 70
92 Eavole (LA) 66
74 Wash. U. 69
79 Houston 86
OKLAHOMA
65 di 55

47 R
69 Vanderbilt

82 Idaho

COLORADO
= Oregon St,

U

3 Colo. A&M

NEBRASKA
51 Iow
69 Texas Tech
74 Michigan
46 Wichita
71 UCLA
52 Wisconsin
48 Vanderbilt

62
"8
89
59
"1
66 82
three to Indiana—and to Houston,
79-86. The latter effort must be
considered a good one since it was
played in Houston. Boh other de-
feats also were on the road.

If the Wildeats can get by their
opeuer they have a better than

66
58 Illinois

“even chance of reaching the finais

ag ainst the Colorado-Oklahoma
winner.

Cornell, this year’s sibs team,
is capable of upsetting Kansas in

| the final game of the lower bracket |

Wednesday. The Big Red will!

|present a 6-4, 6-5, 6-4 front line,

hubbed by 220-pound center Ray,

‘Zelek, and is starting four seniors.

Player, team
Stewart, g, Mo

z ay ft-fa
Thompson, g, Ja. St.

tp. Avg. |
157 26.2

 

MPRA AMG

kwall, cs Neb
Stone, £, K. State |

es