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PROSPECTUS

Lack of material, both in size and quality, the past two seasons
found Missouri finishing up in the Big Six cellar for the only times
in Coach George R. Edwardst sixteen years as Headman. This year the
material which Edwards is working with, as he prepares for the seven-
teenth campaign, is definitely top grade, both in size and quality.
But there is one qualifying factor to consider before tabbing Missouri
as a potential championship-contender. That factor is spelled inex-
perience. :

Seventy per cent of the Missouri basketball team this season will
be made up of men who have never competed in Intercollegiate Athletics ©
before. Only one member of the Tiger squad has had two years. of col-
lege varsity experience, that playsr being center Lee Roy Storm. Only
two other members of the team have had one year of varsity play behind
them, Capt. Harl Stark, a guard; and Ed Matheny, a forward. The rest
of the first ten men Coach Edwards believes will carry the brunt of
the seasonal play are comparatively untried sophomores in eligibility.

There is gold, however, in those hills. For the last year Mis-~
souri was blessed with what probably was ths greatest freshman basket-
ball team in the school's history. As a matter of fact, the yearling
cagemen twice played the Varsity and both times walked off the court
victoriously. The way these newcomers go, so will go Missouri.

Naturally, Coach Edwerds is hopeful of the squad developing into
& powerful aggregation. Ue believes there is every possibility that
such will be the case. But hs cautions against over-optimism, espe-
cially in the early season contests, when the players will be orienta-
ting themselves to the’Missouri style of play and to big-time competi-
tion.

The Tigers of 1942-'43 will be big and fast, bigger than they
have been in a good many years and perhaps as fast as the championship
tzams of 1939 and 1940. If ths sophomores come through, the Bengals
may again scale the heights. If not, the team still will be stronger
than last year's and can bes considered a fine choice to wind up in the
first division of the Conference.

The Missouri chances for getting off to a good early start are
further handicapped by ths fact that three good ball players will not
be in shape for immediate competition because of football duties. They
are Ralph Carter, a two-time lettsrwinner, and Jim Austin and Wilbur
Volz, a pair of sophomores who starred on last winter's great freshman
quintet. Austin and Volz, mors than Carter, are expected to give the
team a decided lift when they are ready for duty.

It is very likely that only one letterman, Capt. Earl Stark, will
be in the starting linsup this winter and early.spring, unless senior
center Roy Storm continues to beat off the challengs of sophomore Or-
rel Hahn, who has yet to display the outstanding form of his freshman
days. At the other guard, Pleasant Smith, a lanky sophomore, appears
to have the inside track, although stocky Walter Robinson may make
trouble for him. At forward, letterman Ed Matheny will have to bsat
off the challenges of Thornton Jenkins and Bob Garwitz to land a start-