10, | “The Sie Dally Capital, Friday Dee. 24, 1954 oe gees

But the little guys are going to have a lot to say about what

°

j cee and Iowa State’s Jim Strange, 6- %, who also played - Kansas, 82; 1951—Clyde Lovellette,
© center, have been notable backliner's. Knostman, C,’ ‘Bansas State, a

~
=
&
ae

championship on 64 points.

‘feet—or, in the case of Colorado, one under 6-0, and an

little men can play the front line of defense, against the
‘enemy’s smaller men, thus keeping the big players against are: 4, Chuck Duncan, c, Iowa State, 17.5; 6. Rex Ekwall, f,

 

   

ee ies old ‘ourney’s Key
Tal | Men May Take Back eat
In Big Seven Cage M Meet

LY DON. PIEKCE
: Special. Correspondent
NY BASKETBALL coach still will welcome a 6-9 pivot
man when he goes after the Big Seven tournament title.

team captures the ninth annual meet, which opens a foumday
run Monday in Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium.

Fact is, the: ever-increasing fleet of little men in the mid-
lands circuit is threatening to swing much of the spotlight
away from the towering denizens of the keyhole. Oklahoma’s
Lester Lane, a nifty 5-10, 170-pound guard, may have signalled
such a trend last year when he won the. tournament scoring

In so doing, he outdistanced | Kansas’ All-American B. 8.
Born, 6-9; Burdette Haldorson, Colorado’s 6-7 center who
later won the conference point scepter; Bob Reiter, Missouri’s
6-8 hook-shot artist; Nebraska’s Bill Johnson, 6-7, and Kansas
State’s brace of Roger Craft, 6-7, ‘and Jerry Jung, 6-11... +

For seven years previously pivot men—none of which” =
stood less than 6-4—had monopolized. _ individual:
tournament scoring crown...

 

Lane, and his stablemate, the 5-9, 155-pound Jimmy Peck,
typify the backlines that most conference | teams now have : -
in operation. Iowa State will come in with a pair of compara- : KENT POORE .. e A K-State Shorty
tive midgets in Gary Thompson, 5-10, and Larry Wetter, 5-10.
Kansas is mounting Dallas Dobbs, 5-11, and John Parker, —
5-11, in its backline. Colorado floors Charles Mock slightly
out of the midget class at 6-0, and Tom Harrold, 5-11, Kansas
State. alternates three; Kent Poore, 5-8%;. J. R. Snyder,
5-104, ank Pachin Vicens, 5-9. Nebraska’s regulars are Duane:
Buel, 5-10,.and Billy Wells, 5-11.

Only favored Missouri and California, ‘this year’s guest
team, will not start backlines containing two men under six

 

tourney are > Gel Frank Hess ‘of California and the 6-14 Lionel —
Smith of Missouri. ;
As reflected in Lane’s 1953 tournament scoring champion-
ship, the shooting shorties are not without imposing credentials.
Thrift pre-meet games of December 18, that same Lane leads.
~ all teueneereat scorers ‘with a 24,5 average. This has been
Mon 98 points in just four games, all of ‘which the

  
  
  
  
  
 
  
 

Dob bSeis “mecond at 18.7, and Thompson, a sophomore, third
oat 1, Haldorson is no better than fifth at 17.2. Reiter is
Riinth at 16.0. Bob ‘McKeen, » California’s 6-7, 220-pounder, is

exactly at that level. 1
Ar tenth. at 15.7. Craft and Jung are not among the top fifteen.

This trend can be traced to three points: 1. The
nimbler little men can bring the ball up quickly and fh

efficiently, especially against various pressing defenses. 2.3
FOR THE RECORD the remaining members of this elite

the board for rebounding. This serves a dual.outlet for the ‘Nebraska,.17.0; Jim Smith, f, Kansas State, 16. 3; 8. Chuck
fast-break. 3. The advent of increased importance-of speed in Smith, f, ‘Nebraska, 16.8; 11. Norm Stewart, f, Missouri, 15.2;
the game has forced all coaches to, employ more small, elusive 12. Larry Friend, f, California, 15,2; 13, Med Park, f, Missouri,

   

   

scooters, ae Or ae oi 13.2; 14. Lyn Hart, f ens 12.5; ae pene, Elstun, a
ha : if ot 1. Kansas, 12.5. Urey se
IME WAS WHEN the aeend was joadad ‘with’ towering It Lane is “ele to retain his’ scchieg ‘title, he: will be the first 4
guards. Fifteen years ago Nebraska floored. perhaps the and only repeater since Clyde Lovellette, the old Kansas
tallest backline tandem the conference ever has seen, in Don mastadon, was. winning three in a row from 1949 thru 1951,
Fitz and Don Held, both 6-4. Missouri had the 6-4 John Here is the roster of tournament point kings:,
Lobsiger in its rear defense. Iowa State boasted. the 6-5 |. 1946—Gerald Tucker, c, Oklahoma, 64; 1947—Bill Waters,
Carol Schtieider. Kansas State carried the 6-3 Larry Beaumont. c, Oklahoma, 40; 1948—Gene Peterson, c, Kansas, 51; 1949—

Since the war Claude Houchin, 6-5, and Bill Hougland, 6-4, of | Clyde Lovellette, c, Kansas, . 64; 1950—Clyde Lovellette, c,
Kansas, 76; 1952—Dick _
: neo See sae & ;

 
  
   

in contract, the tallest guards slated to start in next week's — ___ Oklahoma, 64.

jks ohn Sa aa sa :
ts