BASKETBALL IN SOUTHWEST SECTION ©

IS NOW ROBUST SPORT

Confabs of Coaches and Officials Bring Vast Improvement of Play

By CHARLES BURTON
Sports Editor, Dallas News

 

OUTHWESTERN bas-

ketball went rugged
this season, much to the
delight of the fans, the
players and even the
coaches. It was great,
college players agreed,
that a man didn't have
to become a mouse when
he put on his basketball
uniform, and went out on
the court to play.

An off - the - record
pow-wow between
coaches and officials last
spring is the reason that
Southwestern—and that
largely means Texas —

ROBERT KINNEY
Rice Center

_teams played more interesting basketball than usual.

Coaches suggested that the officials save some of
their wind to recite bedtime stories to the children
when they got home after a game insead’ of using
it all tooting their whistles, officials agreed.

This winter there was a noticeable drop in the
number of fouls called. No longer did a whistle blow
the second two players got their hands on the ball.
Mfficials waited for the boys to at least tug at the
ball before they called it a tie-ball. They weren't so
technical on “'traveling'’ and other items that in
the past had brought forth a sharp blast on what
often appeared to be a little more than suspicion.
Teams in this sector long had suffered when they
went forth into other parts of the nation to play
what was supposed to be the same game they had
been engaging in back home. Officials in other
sections were more lenient; their whistles were
slower. The southwestern teams were at a distinct
disadvantage. That is no alibi; merely a fact that
fellows like Clair Bee, ''Phog'’ Allen and Sam Barry
noted. :

James W. St. Clair, Long-time Southern Meth-
odist coach, member of the National Rules Com-
mittee and Executive Secretary of the Southwestern
Basketball Officials Association thought something
should be done about it. So did the officials and they

 

have been working for some time toward the goal
of standardized officialing over the country. This,
of course, in cooperation with basketball leaders in
all sectors. This winter several officials from the
neighboring Big Six conference worked in the South-
west conference. In some instances these neighbors
from the immediate North were paired with South-
west Conference officials. They learned from each
other, one giving a point here and another one
there. All in all, it seems to have been an excellent
step. More interchanging, while it might be expen-
sive, would help.

Robustness of the game in contrast to the dis-
gustingly polite sport exhibited on the same courts
a year ago was the main development in basketball
in the Southwest there was little change in the
styles of play as used by major teams. West Texas
State's ‘tallest team on earth" gave its border con-
ference and other rivals the jumping jitters with
its somewhat simple game—winning formula of aver-
aging about ninety shots per game and making a
neat percentage of them good. The Canyon quintet,
coached by Al Baggett went into Madison Square
Garden against Long Island U. on January 28th,
with a record of |7 victories against one defeat and
with an average score of 67 points per game.

The University of Arkansas Razorbacks continued
to feature their jump shots, with every member of
the squad being proficient as this kind of goal-pop-
ping so well taught by coach Glen Rose. Rice In-
stitute Owls tutored by Bustor Brannon, played along
fire department lines — and well. Other Southwest
conference teams, including Southern Methodist,
Baylor (under a new coach, Bill Henderson), the
Texas Aggies (coached for the first time by Marty
Karow), Texas Christian (another new mentor, H. R.
McQuillan), and the University of Texas used a bit
more deliberate and orthodox styles of play, al-
though all employed a fast break at times.

The Lone Star Conference and the Texas Confer-
ence again had successful seasons. There were no
drastic changes in officiating technique in these five
basketball circuits, for their teams never have been
compelled to play as gingerly as those in the whistle
conscious Southwest Conference.