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Makes Them the Favorite in
Big 7 Cage Tourney.

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|. Fielded a Crew With Such
ae Potential Power. —

© (This is the first of a series
| of analyses of team personnel

 
 
 
  

of the clubs which will partict-
| pate in the annual Big Seven
‘| conference tournament. The
day affair opens December
4 27 in Municipal Auditorium.)

-\. TIGER SCOREBOARD.
- Record to date—44, Illinois 77; 64,
'j.Indiana: 61; 97, Iowa 94; 67, Wisconsin
toe 7. Arkansas 58—Won 4, lost 1
f Returning lettermen (8)—Charles Denny,
“¢: Lioyd Bimore, g; Gary, Filbert, 2;
Lee Fowler, f; Med Park, f; Red Reichert,

- Bob Reiter, c; Norm Stewart, f.
1954 Big Seven Finish—Third, 6-6; all

ames, 11-10. 4 ed
‘ Previous Tournament Finishes—1946,

seventh; 1947, sixth; 1948, sixth; 1949,
first; 1950, seventh; 1951, second; 1952,
third; 1953, third. (14 W. 10 L. .583).
wees Pre-tournament Schedule—
December 23, Houston at Houston.
First Round Opponent—Nebraska, 9:45
p. m, December oT.

Barring a defeat of Missouri
by Houston Thursday in Hous-
ton, the Tigers will come into the
ninth annual Big Seven tourna-
ment a perceptible favorite. The
4-day extravaganza opens De-
cember 27 in Municipal Audi-
torium.

There is little doubt now that
the present Bengal edition is
Sparky Stalcup’s best in his 9-
year tenure at Tigertown, One
is obliged to look back fifteen
years, in fact, to find a Mis-
souri squa
it. George Edwards had Blaine

Queen

 

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8

-© Currence, Haskell Tison, Clay].

*

» Cooper, Marty Nash, John Lob-
» siger and Herbie Gregg in those
*days and won co-championships
gevith them in 1939 and 1940.
“'« M. U.’s known qualities were
‘Impressive even before the
* season started. Its early record
» is equally imposing. The Tigers
* qwon their fourth game in five
' Starts, all from well-regarded
. opposition, last Wednesday with
4 a 77-58 thumping of Arkansas
‘“. at Columbia. Previously they
‘Achained together three consecu-
“tive Big Ten scalps, most prom-
wAinent of which is Iowa. The
eos fell, 97-94, at Colum-
ia, as the Bengals established
a new single-game scoring high.
Indiana was nipped, 64,61, on the
' front side of the Iowa‘wictory;
- Wisconsin, 67-56, on thésback,
side. : oF
A Potent Combination.
_ Stalcup’s present club is built
of veterans of proven ability and
youthful talent of blooming
strength, Bob Reiter, the 6-foot,
9-inch center with the sweeping
ambidextrous hook, and Med
Park, the 201-pound backboard
hercules, are playing their fourth
seasons—they were good enough
to. letter as freshmen.
“= Norma Stewart, who likely will
‘go down as one of the finest

4

it

Impressive Record of Tigers

CLUB IS SPARKY’S BEST

Not Since 1939 ‘Has Missouri

d that compares with}

/\averaged only 2.6 last year and

pressure. Only eight men played
in the victories over Indiana and
Iowa. The Wisconsin and Ar-
kansas. decisions were under
control all the way and the 44-79
loss to Illinois so wide that ten-
sion was removed,

Denny Must Improve,
The sécond-line problem is un-
steady only at the pivot, however.
If Réiter is victimized early, or
losf# altogether on fouls, the
Wgers will drop off sharply at
Mhat spot. The 6-514 Denny

 

is not close to Reiter in finesse,
rebounding or defense, Behind
him are two sophomores, Arnold |
Kaestner, 6-642, and Tom Gra-'
ham, 6-6. as
Filbert and Fowler can hold
the fort capably behind Stewart
and Park. With Elmore side-
lined, Stalcup must turn to four
other rookies—Truman  Black-
man, Gary Rust, Eddie Ronsick
and Bill Ross—for - backline

 

depth.