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University Daily Kansan Thursday, March 1, 1956
By KENT THOMAS (Daily Kansas Sports Editor)
With a record of eight victories and two losses, Kansas State can wrap up the Big Seven championship by defeating Missouri Saturday or Kansas Tuesday.
It's highly improbable, but possible, that K-State could lose both games and throw the race into a real frenzy. In that case the conference could possibly end in a two-, three- or four-way tie for first place.
Since a four-way tie would be the most unusual and interesting, let's see how it could happen. Assuming K-State would lose to KU and MU, Iowa State could tie by winning its lone remaining home game over Nebraska. For Missouri to tie, it also would have to down Nebraska, besides of course K-State.
The fourth team with an outside chance of earning a share of the title is either Kansas or Colorado, but not both since they play each other in two of their remaining three games. Besides sweeping the Colorado series, KU would have to defeat K-State. Colorado would have to beat KU twice and Oklahoma.
Since only one team can represent the Big Seven in the NCAA regional tournament, a tie complicates matters considerably, at least under the Big Seven's ridiculous ruling.
In case of a tie, the Big Seven allows no play-off games to determine the conference representative in the tournament. Instead, the team which fared best during the regular season against its co-champion is selected by league officials, which leaves quite a loophole.
The ruling doesn't take into consideration the amount of improvement a team can show. The best team at the end of the season may have lost games early in the season to a team it could beat by 10 or 15 points at the end of the year. Still, since the teams tied, Big Seven officials would pick its representative on the basis of the early season results.
If two, three or four co-champs split with each other during the season, then it's even worse. A flip of a coin or the drawing of a straw picks the representative. It must be tremendously disheartening for a team to fight its heart out during the season with the goal of playing in a national tournament and see it all go up in a puff of smoke by mere chance.
This isn't fair to players or fans. The best team should represent the conference, not merely the luckiest. Under the present farce, there's always going to be some team and its fans feeling as if they've been cheated—which they have.
Play-off games on a neutral court would silence the complaints the present system will always get. If a team loses the play-off game it would have no gripes coming. It could be that simple.
Big Seven teams can play only a limited number of games, but they could allow for a possible play-off game by scheduling one less game during the season. Sure a few teams would lose some money by playing one less game, but it would still be better than this mess we're in now.
Cats, Phi Delt Play For Title
The Cats, Independent A champions, will be out to defend their Hill championship against the Fraternity titlist, Phi Delta Theta, at 7 p.m. today at Robinson Gym in the final intramural basketball game of the season.
The Cats won the crown last year by defeating this same Phi Delt team 46-43 to become the first Independent Hill champion since 1939. Phi Delt last held the title in 1953.
The teams have identical defensive records for the season, with their opponents scoring an average of only 31 points a game. The Cats appear to have an offensive advantage, averaging 63 points a game as against Phi Delt's 54-point average.
Mo Courville is the Cat scoring leader with an average of 12 points a game. Ray Johnson and Bruce Wenger of Phi Delta Theta each has an 11-point average.
Prep Mile Ace Now At KU
Tom Skutka, holder of the national high school mile record with a time of 4:19.5 set last June in Rockaway, N.J., is working out with the Kansas freshman track team after transferring to the University from Notre Dame for the spring semester.
The addition of Skutka gives KU three national high school record-holders. The others are Al Oerter, New Hyde Park, N.Y. sophomore, New Hyde Park, N.Y. freshman Charlie Tidwall of Independence Kau., in the low hurdles.
Skutka will become eligible for varsity competition the spring semester of 1957.
Basketball Scores
Fordham 81, Columbia 68
Dartmouth 78, Yale 67
Duquene 87, Dayton 86
Dresdner 90, Duluth 78
Lehigh 81, Rutgers 59
Penn State 76, Carnegie Tech 66
Canisius 76, Syracuse 73
Providence 78, Brown 64
Bright 76, Milwaukee 64
LaSalle 71, Villanova 64
St. Joseph's, Pa. 74, Muhlenberg 63
Mermont 87, New Hampshire 70
Nebraska 78
Kent State 93, Bowling Green 91
Washington at St. Louis 65, Beloit 58
Notre Dame 87, Marquee 69
Louisville 83, Davenport 79
Detroit 87, Davenport A & M 66
The most points scored by a Colorado player in a single game so far this season was 28 by center George Hannah against Oklahoma in the Big Seven pre-season tournament.
Manhattan (15-6) landed its berth by winning nine of its last 11 games and will be in the regional at New York, March 12, against one of four yet-undetermined conference champions.
Some folks have been saying that Duquesne is in the National Invitation Tournament field "on a pass," but a rousing upset of high-ranked Dayton served as blunt warning today that the Dukes mean business in defense of their NIT crown.
Texas Tech, Manhattan Gain NCAA Berths; Dayton Upset
By UNITED PRESS
Dayton, the nation's No. 2 team figures to be top-seeded for this year's tourney starting on March 17, but Duquesne whipped the Flyers 87-86 Wednesday night on a stunning performance by all-American Si Green.
Texas Tech wrapped up the border title with an easy 87-66 victory over New Mexico A&M, sinking 44.2 percent of its shots. The Red Raiders thus qualified to meet SMU, the Southwest Conference champion in a first-round game March 13 at Wichita.
On the NCAA tournament front, Texas Tech and Manhattan College became the 12th and 13th teams to gain berths in the 25-team tourney starting at various sites March 12. Texas Tech clinched the Border Conference championship and Manhattan was selected as a "member at large."
The NCAA also announced that the Idaho State-Seattle first-round game will be at the University of Washington, March 13;
Memphis State will play Oklahoma City in a first-rounder at Wichita, March 13; and De Paul will compete against an undetermined foe at Fort Wayne, Ind., March 12.
Utah can become the 14th team in the NCAA tourney by clinching the skyline Conference championship tonight with a victory over Colorado A&M.
Clvde Paces Laker Victory
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YOUR EYES
Clyde Lovellette scored 30 points to lead the Minneapolis Lakers past the Syracuse Nationals 98-94 Wednesday night in NBA basketball contest. The victory moved Mineapolis into a second place tie with the St. Louis Hawks in the western division.
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Injuries Mar Majors' Drills
CLEARWATER, Fla.— (U.P.) — Lefty Curt Simmons is at last throwing all-out in the Philadelphia Phillies' training camp to test his fitness. The veteran southpaw started throwing hard Wednesday after several workouts. Simmons has not yet signed his contract.
Meyer, who was obtained from Brooklyn in the big trade for Randy Jackson, reported the slight trouble Wednesday. But after throwing to several batters, he told manager Stan Hack, "the arm feels fine, no pain."
TUCSON Ariz. — (U.F.)— Veteran righthand Sal Maglie, battling to stick with the Cleveland Indians, was sidelined by a bad bruise on his left leg today as a result of being hit by a line drive in Wednesday's workout.
ORLANDO, Fla. - (U)R.) - Clint Courtney, a scraper on the field, emerged the winner today in his contract dispute with the Washington Senators. Courtney, who had asked for a raise, said he got "all I asked for" when he signed his contract Wednesday.
MESA, Ariz. —(U.P.)— Pitcher Russ Meyer planned to pitch in batting practice in the Chicago Cubs' first full workout today to get rid of a "kink" that gave the Cubs a momentary scare.
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