ST. THOMAS SEMINARY ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

BASEBALL - HOCKEY - BASKETBALL - TENNIS
BLOOMFIELD, CONNECTICUT

January 25, 1940

Dr. Forrest C. Allen

Director of Physical Education
University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

Dear Dr. Allen:

It has been quite some time since I have written oh ou, although I
still follow up with a great deal of interest, sek TP aceanee
the other night against Missouri) with dismay, the doings of your
Kansas team. I have your books, both of them and still find them
not only interesting but decidedly helpful.

I have a problem on my hands and wish you would help me. We start off
with the man-to-man, and stick to it until things go bad, then we
switch to the zone. We play the 3-2, although when the man comes
back in the bucket, my center drops back quite a bit.

Here is what puzzles me. Perhaps if I tell you what we do first, then
you will be able to correct me. Assuming that we line up in the 3-2
position, and the bail is passed directly behind one of the forwards,
then my guard on that side comes up immediately and the forward turns
around. These two players, guard and forward, are supposed to smother
the ball and stop the second pass.

When this occurs, the other guard comes over immediately from his zone
and takes up a position under the basket, and is ready to shogt into
the zone vacated by his fellow guards, ae.
In the meantime, the center drops back and, depending on whether we

are behind or ahead, the other forward drops back to the vacated
guard zone or makes a fast break up the floor.

How do you play it? Putting the question another way, when the ball
is passed behind a forward, what do the two men on the other side of
the court, guard and forward do? I wish that you would outline the
positions that the other men take when the ball has been passed inside.
I think that we play it better than any of the other teams around here
and yet, I am unable to find in your book where you have outline the
new positions for the men once that pass has been made inside.

Again, when the shot is taken over the heads of the players, that is
the long shot, what do your two forwards do? Some time when you have
a little time on your hands, I shall appreciate greatly your clarifying
the situation for me. There is a very decided difference of opinion
in this particular section as to just what should happen once that first