or knots, --or fathoms, --or something. At any rate, the opposition could
not "fathom" how he does it.

It was he 26th year at the helm for the Crimson and Blue, his 19th
championship crew. The team was ever-victorious in conference competition,
the third Allen squad to make such a record in 20 years. Others were
those in 1923 and 1936. A new Big Six record in average margin of
victory was established at 15.9 points, which just exceeded the 15.4
record set up by Kansas in 1936. Furthermore, in spite of gas rationing
and no participation in a national tournament at the end of the season,
this vear's team played before the greatest number of persons ever to
see a Kansas team perform. Total attendance was 96,526. Gross recépts
for home games were down this year, totaling $12,915 as compared with
$13,396 last year. The effect of rationing was shown in these figures.
Away from home games brought in $10,430 as compared with last year's
$7,708.

Surveying the year's events, a highly colorful season is revealed
in retrospect. It included:

l. A faltering organization at first with poor co-operation among
players and the star of the team being dismissed temporarily for "lack
of interest," then e sudden unification on the Eastern Christmas trip
into one of the most powerful court machines Kansas ever had. It bowled
over by lop sided scores some of the country's major teams. It set
up a new Big Six high score record with 69 points against Missouri.

It beat Oklahoma on the Sooners’ own court, a feat not accomplished by
Kensas since 1958 with Pralle, Schmidt, Harp, Ebling, Corliss, and
Golay pitted against the famous Boy Scats.

2. Exclusive use of five superior men in early games developed a
great name, the "Iron Five." However, the original Iron Five combination
was never available after January 31. It was composed of Charley Black,
Junior forward of Lawrence, Otto Schnellbacher, Sophomore forward fron
Sublette, John Buescher, senior center from Beardstown, I1l., Ray Evans,
All-American guard from Kansas City, Kans., and Armand Dixon, sophomore
guard from Hermosa Beach, Calif. Black, Evans and Buescher will doubt-
less go down in K.U. history as immortals. The two sophomores were not
far behind them.

McSpadden, Ballard, Kissel 6ome Thru

 

When Charley Black dropped out with illness, early in February,
diminutive "Sparky" McSpadden proved to have the spark necessary to
keep the remaining four in the running. Then when Armand Dixon left
for a pre-indiction visit at home just before the crucial Oklahoma game
at Lawrence, Jack Ballard, 6-foot 7-inch guard, rose tothe occasion and
made that victory possible. Later Max Kissell furnished the marginal
drive and scoring power to beat the Tigers on their own court. Others
who got into the game were: Hoyt Baker, football quarterback, Bill
_ Forsyth, Paul Turner, Bob Fitzpatrick, John Short, Don Blair, and George
Dick. Each looked good working with the regulars but complete or near
complete delegations of the second stringers proved inadequate in games
against the Olathe Clippers and Creighton. All sixteen received letters
and gold basketballs. Attention was called to the fact that every Kansas
player who has wom three letters since 1922 has been decorated with
at least one gold football, some as many as three,