JOURDET PREDICTS RETURN SOON OF JUMP AT CENTER

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 14---Lon Jourdet, coach of the University of Pennsyl-
-vania basketball team, now in his 17th season, believes that a greater use of the
pivot play among college teams will be made during the coming season,

"We expect to make more use of the pivot this season than we have since
1934, when Donald Kellett graduated," Jourdet said, "I think other college
teams also will make extensive use of the play which many coaches and specta-
tors believe to be one of the most spectacular and at the same time one of the
most effective offensive vesapons in basketball,"

The restrictions placed on the pivot a number of years ago almost com-
pletely killed the play. The new three-second rule, however, has revived the
play considerably and Jourdet believes that this season it will return not to
its former high estate but as a definite part of most offences,

The three-secoénd rule and the fact that the pivot must work from out-
side the foul circle on either side will not prevent a good pivot from execut-
ing the play. It will teke capable, fast ball handling to make the play work,
but I am sure there are enough good ball handlers in college circles who can
work the play,

The speeding up of the court games durins the past few years as a re-
sult of the elimination of the center jump causes Jourdet to make his annual vre-
diction that the center tap will return to the game before long, Jourdet has
found a definite trend among the veteran coaches and a sprinkling of the younger
ones, toward the return of what he regards as a basic play of the sport that sh-
ould never have been removed,

The trend toward the return, according to Jourdet, will result in mod-
ifications within a few years with the possible complete return of the play
within five years, Jourdet says he will never change his attitude toward the
center tap regardless of the type of squad he coaches, This season, for instan-
ce, for the first time in many years, he has a squad tall enough to get the ball
_off the backboard,

FOURTH ANNUAL INVITATION GARDEN TOURNEY IN MARCH
By Everett B, Morris

Dates for the fourth anmal national intercollegiate invitation bas-
ketball tournament at Madison Square Garden next spring were decided upon ten-
tatively at a meeting of the Metropolitan College Basketball Committee recently.
‘This group, organized last year by representatives of all the colleges and uni-
_versities in the city excevt N, Y. U., selected March 18, 19, 22, and 24 for the
post-season fixture,

With four dates at its disposal, the committee will be able to invite
eight teams, instead of six as in the past, if that many high-ranking candidates
are available, An eight-team tourney will obviate the first-round byes hereto-
fore granted to teams traveling the longest distances to compete, and will make
for a better-balanced, more representative competition,

Professor Walter Williamson, director of athletics at the College of
the City of New York, was elected chairman of the committee, and Clair F, Bee,
of Long Island University, was named secretary-treasurer,