Major K. 8. Wilson, 0-917704,
Hdqs. 50th Fighter Group,
APO 374, c/o P.Jl.,

New York, Bet«

Dear Major Wilson: |

, I am very happy te render any service that I am able, but your

assignment is rather @ifficult. I would rather be an.oil cup than e
file, in this case, and for me to give a personal opinion would be
unfair to our visitors from Indiana and Ohio, so I had better discreet-

ly observe that Indiana and Ohio have wonderful basketball organizations.
And when it comes te Alabama, let's talk about football. But Alabama is
coming along rapidly in the round-ball sport.

: dnsweHing your questions to the best of my ability: (1) Indiana
has long been known as the basketball state. That was when Piggie
Lambert's Purdue team, and Everett Dean and Branch MacCracken had great
teams at the JU. However, Tllinois has taken the play away from Indiana
at the present time. Doug Mille “whig kids" and other fine Illinois
teams have rather everbalanced Indiana's clain.

The wealmess of Indiana is that their state commissioner refuses
Indiena bigh scheols to schedule games with any
other state teams. ‘That has eaused inbreeding and a false evaluation
of Indiana's claim because she eannet reasonably justify it by never having met
any ef the outstanding high school teams of other states.

Ten or fifteen years ago Indiana built fieldhouses for her high school
teams that were bigger than the high school buildings themselves. It was
not uncommon at all for high achool teams to have fieldhouses with five to
six thousand seating capacity, and they were filled to the rafters. Dr.
Meamwell, at Wisconsin, used to eulogize the Indiana set-up. :

Indiana has a style all its om. If you have seen one Indiana team
play, you oan just know how the rest-of them are going. It is a four-man
offense with a big rear guaré under the basket, and a short fast front
guard running with the two forwards ani center on a fast break - lote of
shooting - a - good basketball - fight - and color. They were great
basket shots, but I do not believe Indiana basketball is up to some of the
ather etates at present due to this inbreeding. .

(a) 1 do not believe that Indiana can lay claim that “more basket-

‘pall is played in Indiana then any other state in the Union by the mmber

of teams and basketball attendance". I had some definite figures on this
but have not been able to lay my hands on them here of late. I have de- —

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