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University Daily Kansan Thursday, November 30, 1961
Hawk Basketball Lies Between Great Tradition, Bright Future
By Bill Sheldon
Kansas has been playing intercollegiate basketball for 61 years and during that time there have been only 11 losing seasons for Jayhawk quintets. In conference play, spanning 53 years, there has never been a last place finish and KU squads have finished in the second division only five times. But on the eve of a new era of basketball, the outlook is dimmer than it has been since 1948 when the Crimson and Blue had a 9-15 mark.
Certainly this season, which opens tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. in Allen Field House here with Arkansas, marks the low ebb of Coach Dick Harp's tenure as head man after the retirement of Dr. F. C. "Phog" Allen.
HARP, A LONG TIME assistant to Dr. Allen, has compiled a 109-62 won-loss record in his five seasons at the Hawk helm. This includes an outright championship, a title tie, a second, a runner-up tie, and a third place deadlock in Big Eight competition.
But this could be the season when the Hawkers finish in the lower half of the standings for the first time since the Big Eight was formed in 1958 and the first below the middle mark since 1956.
It is no secret that the Jayhawkers are, for all practical purposes, out of the title picture and will have to struggle to end up in the top four. With the traditional Kansas-championship combination out of the picture and hopes already looking towards next winter, how is the present squad and Coach Harp preparing for the 25-game schedule facing them? What is their attitude?
KU PLAYS SOME of the top teams in the nation again and this makes the season even longer. One of the big worries of the KU mentor is that his squad will get overly discouraged if it gets beaten too much
or by some wide margins. After all, Jayhawker basketball players have traditionally not been accustomed to losing, and not many have gone through a season where defeat by an embarrassing score was even occasional.
"The team spirit now is real good. But this may be a big problem if we get beat a lot," said a long-faced Coach Harp.
Harp must depend upon the experience and leadership of guards Jerry Gardner and Nolen Ellison to carry his team into the upper echelon of the league. His major problem is along the front line, and especially at center.
SLATED TO START for KU at the pivot is rangy junior John Matt. Behind this strong 6-6 letterman will be only footballer Lee Flachsbarth who has had only a couple of days of practice.
"I lie awake for hours every night trying to think of something, someway we can help John," said Harp.
"John has got to go after the ball and rebound for us and if this problem can be solved to a certain degree we can do a lot to help ourselves in other areas," commented Harp.
The leader on the floor will be Gardner.
"WE HAVE TO SOLVE our own problems before we can start worrying about the other team." said the senior playmaker when asked if he had seen any movies of Arkansas of last season. (KU hasn't played the Razorbacks since 1946.)
"We have had some good practice this week with the emphasis on offense. When we get in trouble during a game, we have to know what to do with the ball." continued Gardner
There is very little optimism among any of the team members on this year's squad, but yet practice operates at a very fast, spirited pace
with abundant enthusiasm and tremendous effort in evidence.
The reason? The freshmen.
COACH HARP HAS the top 10 members of assistant Coach Ted Owens' fresh team work out with the varsity during practice. Since KU has what Harp has called "the best freshman team in 12 years," having a joint practice strengthens both groups.
"It will be fun bringing along some of the freshmen and working with them. They, along with the men on the varsity, are all outstanding," said Harp with a longing pause in contemplation of the future.
Thus, although the picture is bleak for this winter for the Kansas basketball team, it appears as though the transition back to title contention will be a quick and pleasant one with definite results showing in the next couple of seasons—a return to the tradition of championship basketball which has long lingered on Mt. Oread.
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