“ Syd in a series of 4

Most important itemxexpected question expected
to be answered in the eighth amual Big Seven tournament, opening
Saturday night in Kensas City, is a forecast of how much tightening
will be for hcoming imx from top to bottom in ths 1954 conference racee

It already is being conceeded that the twin Sune
flower powers, Kensas and Kansas State, will not hotdxthedyx be able to
restrict the fl ag chase to a private affex duel by mid-season as they
have done the past three seasonse “t also is bel elved that Nebraska,
Oklahoma ami Missouri will be impr oved.

The question thus resolves into these points;l) How
much weeker are Kansas and KeStat ef 2! Can thax NU, OU, and MU improve
enough to overheail them ? First test in this department will be provided
by Kansas State am Nebraska which lead off Monday's first-rouni set
at & pm. Oklahoma is matched against this year's guest five, Washington,
at 9:45 th same ewninge

eb. Kansas meets Coloraio in Saturday's 8 Pelle lid~
lifter wi th ‘Wis sour 4 ami Iowa State following.

As Phog Allen, Kunsxex coach of Kansas' defending
league menpion , pointed out «+... " Apparantly there is no cutstandin g
team in ow conference at present. This means a tougher tournament in
Kansas Citys It could be the best we've ever had. "

This thought can be transferred wholesale to
the '54 conference race. For in five of the seven previous meets, the
tournament chanpion or rujner-up hxsxgtmevatay thavweagvtextkex also has
captured the circuit races The only emceptions were 1946. when SMU
ed ged Kansas in the f inal, and 1949 when Missouri clipped Oklahoma