homa, and Kansas were facing their final games in the Big Six Conference
Championship race, with possibilities of a triple tie for honors.

Kansas was scheduled te meet Oklahoma at Lawrence, Kan., and on the
same night Misseuri was to meet Kansas State at Manhattan, Kane Should
Oklahoma defeat Kansas and should Misseuri win from Kansas State, the Big
Six would be deadlecked with the three state universities ina dogfall.

Kensas had lest her first two conference games ef the season, but
after the less ef these games had remained undefeated. Oklahoma was cruising aleng
- ata terrific rate, and Missouri was leoked upen as a most dangerous contendere
The Kansas team seemed to pick up increasing power with» ach victory.

Upon Bill Jehnson, a serier and an elengated and versatile rapier of the
basketball court, Kansas pinned her chiefest hepes. For two years, Bill had
shown the way to all Big Six centers. He had ne peers in his pesitien. And
since Kansas had held the Big Six Cenference on for the twe preced-
ing years, the rece took en a Kansas hue.

As the season advancéd, the. Kansas Siatniinie were moving in high gear--
mowing dewn all eppositien with relentless and ruthless regularity. This
hectic struggle fer the champbonship had gripped the imagination of the entire
region ef the great plains states. Column after column of newspaper space
was devoted to this unusual race, and everybody was on edge ever the outceme.

But, as is se often the case in man's best laid schemes, something
happenede On Wednesday afternoon, the Kansans had their last grueling work-
cute We had planned to pdish off during the remaining three days. Our :
scrimmage was most satisfying. Infact, tee satisfying. Everything clicked.
The machine glided with no lost motion. Jehnson and the rest ef his team-
mates were superb, shooting, passing, and hitting with uncanny skill. Surely
if'they ceuld funetion like this ontheir game night, just three days away,
ne Oklahema team could stbp them.

But, even then, I had 4& premonition that everything wes too perfect.
After practice, press correspondents queried me as te the probable outcome
ef the game. A stsnge fereboding gripped mee I seemed to feel that s omething
would happen te my ace, Bill Johnson. The bugbear of injuries haunted me.
I teld them, "If Bill Johnson doesn't break a leg, Oklahoma will be in for a
busy ———— night."

On that same Wednesday night, while I was at dinner, the telephone rang
and a friend informed me that Bill Jehnson's father had died suddenly in his
home at Oklahoma City, 400 miles away.

Bill left en the night train and with him, so it seemed, went Kansas’
chances fer its third censecutive Big Six Champienship.

Norman, the home of the University ef Oklahoma, is just 18 miles from
Oklahema City, the home ef the Jehnsons. The athletic authorities at the
University ef Oklahoma were besieged by the press threugheut this conference
area te postpene the game until the follewing week, so that the two teams could
meet at full strength. But the Oklahomans wanted te play the game en schedule.

The funeral hour of Bill Jehnsen's pioneer father, originally set for
Friday, was ehanged te Saturday at 2:30 pem. in order te accommedate relatives
frem a distance.

All Kansas home games were scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Apparently there was
188.