MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1950
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
PAGE FIVB
Along the JAYHAWKER trail
By BOB NELSON
By BOB NELSON
Daily Kansan Assistant Sports Editor
Lexington, Ky., Dec. 17—Last night we witnessed what we'd consider all that any college basketball fan could ever ask for.
Here are a few things that help to make Kentucky cage fans the most proud and lucky in the nation in our way of thinking. First of all, they have the nation's No. 1 basketball team and they looked as potent as any collegiate five we've seen, at least last night against Kansas.
Kentucky plays its home games now in a new 4-million dollar Memorial Coliseum that is probably the finest on-the-campus basketball arena in the country. They also brag of owning an all-time home winning streak of 88 games without a setback and we can see nobody breaking it before it passes the century mark at least.
And the future is extremely bright for Coach Adolph Rupp's Wildcats. Why? Well, only two men on his 14-man squad are seniors and one of these is a sub center. The only man to be lost through graduation next year will be Capt. Walt Hirsch, a forward, and that will only slightly affect the team's personnel.
Kentucky had eight juniors, four sophomores, and a highly regarded freshman suited up for last night's game. In the starting lineup "Colonel" Rupp started one senior, three juniors, and an outstanding sophomore. Kansas started four juniors and a senior so you can see that these two clubs resemble each other in the "future book."
The Wildcats will gain the services of Cliff Hagan, a highly talented freshman when he becomes eligible for second semester play. This 6-foot 4-inch 210-pounder is regarded as one of the greatest prospects ever to don a Kentucky basketball uniform.
Coach Rupp says, "Hagan has the greatest touch of any player I've ever seen." So you can see, the material at the Blue Grass institution isn't lacking or likely to be during the next couple of years.
Coach Rupp, better known in Kentucky as "The Man in the Brown Suit," also provides the Wildcat fans with the nation's most successful coach.
-KU-
And if you doubt this, take a look at his record for the past 20 years as head basketball coach at Kentucky. His teams have won 415 games and lost 77 for a .843 percentage. And even more impressive is his record for the past five years. During this time his clubs have won 160 games and lost only 15 for a .914 percentage.
This record includes two N.C.A.A. championships, a National Invitational Tournament championship, and a Sugar Bowl classic title.
After watching his club mow down Kansas last night, we're wondering if this year's club may not become as dangerous and powerful by the end of the season as his famous "Fabulous Five" (Alex Groza, Ralph Beard, Cliff Barker, WaWa Jones, and Kenneth Rollins). This year's club has everything a good club needs and seems to get better with each game.
to get better with each game.
Following the game, Coach Rupp seemed much relieved to have the Kansas tilt out of the way. "This game really had me worried and I thought Kansas would probably beat us and end our winning streak," he said, "and I told our players that the outcome would hinge on Bill's (Spivey) play against Lovellette. I was sure proud of his play tonight. This was beyond any doubt his finest game."
He made the rounds congratulating his players and termed their play, "Just about as good as you can play." Coach Rupp was quick to add that, "I took Spivey out because I didn't want anyone to say he played longer than Lovellette in their personal duel tonight and thus gained an unfair advantage."
Cleveland, Los Angeles Pros To Play For National Title
Cleveland, Dec. 18—(U.R.)Nothing personal, you understand, but Coach Paul Brown of the Cleveland Browns hopes that the Los Angeles Rams suffered a few casualties in their big game Sunday.
"We're in pretty bad shape this week," said Brown as he surveyed the squad that won the American conference championship of the National Football league Sunday with a dramatic 8 to 3 playoff victory over the New York Giants.
"I just hope the Rams took as bad a beating as we did," he added.
The Browns and the Rams, who won the National conference title Sunday by, beating the Chicago Bears in another playoff, 24 to 14
will battle here next Sunday— Christmas eve-for the league championship.
by Lou (the toe) Groza and a safety, suffered two important injuries in the process—defensive fullback Tony Adamle with a turned ankle, and defensive end George Young with cracked ribs.
The Brown's, who beat the Giants on the strength of two field goals
Buy your K.U. Calendar.—Adv
OU Is Big 7's Only Unbeaten Team
The Browns calmly accepted their victory, which had 33,054 standing on the seats during the hectic final minute. They grew accustomed to such things as winning championships while they parade to four straight titles in the now-dead All-American conference.
Kansas City, Mo.—(U.P.) Oklahoma, generally overlooked in preseason Big Seven basketball ratings, stood alone today as the league's unbeaten team.
Kansas fell off Saturday at Lexington, where Adolph Rupp's Wildcats of Kentucky rubbed right through the Jayhawks' aura of invincibility, 68 to 39.
Kansas State, almost unanimous choice to finish second behind Kansas this year, thudded to the floor of its new fieldhouse before 11,000 fans and a spirited assault by a fine Indiana University team.
son Square Garden Thursday night.
Also on Oklahoma's slate is Minnesota at Minneapolis Saturday. The games should throw a parcel of light on Bruce Drake's Sooners, winners so far over SMU, Texas, and Minnesota.
This week's card includes both a few nobodies and several good teams, including CCNY. City is Oklahoma's foe in New York's Madi-
Kansas, Kentucky's 88th straight victim at home-the Wildcats lost last at Lexington in 1943—will play once this week, meeting Springfield College at Lawrence tomorrow night.
It was a shame what Kentucky did to Kansas. Clyde Lovellette, who had been counted upon to make things hot for the Wildcats, was held to four field goals and two free throws before he fouled out at 8:00 of the second half.
Current Kentucky Quintet Will Be One Of Greatest
New York—(U.P.)—It's just about official now that wily Adolph Rupp, the "baron of the bluegrass," has another great basketball team at Kentucky.
Whether the 1950-51 Wildcats are quite as good as the recent fives which starred the likes of Alex Groza, Wallace (Wah Wah) Jones, and Ralph Beard, remains to be seen, but judging from their 69 to 38 rout of Kansas Saturday night they aren't far from it.
Missouri, winner of three in a row since it lost to Washington U., of St. Louis in the season's opener, is playing host to Arkansas tonight in its only game this week.
Kentucky is ranked first in the nation by the ratings of the United Press board of coaches, but Kansas was ranked fourth and such a lopsided score was hardly expected.
However, the Wildcats throttled Clyde Lovellette, the Kansans' 6-foot, 10-inch center, and that was the big factor. Lovellette scored only 10 points before fouling out while 7-foot Bill Spivey, Rupp's All-American hopeful, hooped 22 and soph guard Frank Ramsey sank 19. It was the Wildcats' 88th straight win on their home court.
This week the Wildcats make their regular yearly appearance in New York City against St. John's, ranked eighth in the nation, on Saturday. Since St. John's lost, 52-11, to Kansas, another Wildcat rout appears in the offing, although the Redmen's 6-foot, 6-inch scoring star, Bob (Zeke) Zawoluk, may cause Spivey plenty of trouble.
St. John's squeezed to a 51-49 victory over Holy Cross on Saturday night.
Kansas State (4-2) will meet Wisconsin at Manhattan tonight and Springfield College Thursday, also at home. The K-Staters were frigid against Indiana, hitting only 22 per cent of their shots.
Other highly-rated teams which added luster to their records during the weekend were second-ranked Bradley, third-ranked North Carolina State, fifth-ranked Oklahoma A. and M., and 10th-ranked Indiana.
Bradley's Braves had the easiest sort of a time downing Georgia Tech, 85-55, and make their next appearance Tuesday night as host to U.C. L.A., ranked 14th, in one of the leading intersectional games of the young season.
Texas CHLB coach.
In other leading games on Saturday:
Canisius beat Utah, 49-43;
Washington State trounced Buffalo,
North Carolina State scored its sixth straight victory, 83-61, over Temple and tonight plays host to Michigan; the Oklahoma Aggies edged Southern Methodist, 51-45, for their fifth straight and Indiana made its fourth straight an impressive one, 56-52, over ninth-ranked Kansas State.
The K-Staters will try to rebound tonight against Wisconsin. Other nationally-ranked teams that will be in action are Iowa, ranked 18th, against Notre Dame; Washington, ranked 13th, against Maryland; Missouri, ranked 11th, against Arkansas; and Syracuse, ranked 16th, against Niagara.
Other leading, games tonight include: Baylor-San Francisco, Texas Tech-Bowling Green (O); Colorado-Stanford; San Diego State-Drake; South Carolina-Duquesne, Florida-Vanderbilt, Georgia-Clemson, Gettysburg-Las-Salle, Georgia Tech-Louisville, Beloit-Washington State, Wake Forest-West Virginia, Springfield-Creighton, New Mexico-Wyoming.
Syracuse was upset on Saturday night, 77-75, by Baldwin Wallace, and 17th-ranked DePaul bowed to Illinois, ranked 20th, 69-68; but 14th ranked Minnesota beat Pittsburgh, 72-43, 19th-ranked St. Louis downed Texas Christian, 62-52.
Iowa State (3-1) has only Drake at Ames to contend with, but the Bulldogs will be plenty troublesome. The game is scheduled Friday. Drake trounced Iowa State earlier, 65 to 47.
70-49: Cincinnati beat West Texas State, 60-41; Villanova downed Louisville, 79-69; Washington and Jefferson nicked Penn State, 55-52.
Colorado's Buffs, off to a poor start with a 2-4 record, will play on the west coast, meeting Stanford tonight, Santa Clara tomorrow night, and San Jose State Thursday.
Nebraska, winner only twice in six starts, should handle its only assignment of the week when it meets the Iowa State Teachers at Lincoln tomorrow night.
Big Seven teams have won 21 of their 34 games to date for a 617 average. It's not as good as the Missouri Valley's record of 29-11. The latter also boasts three unbeaten teams in Bradley, St. Louis, and Oklahoma A. & M.
Buy your K.U. Calendar.—Adv.
Charlton Insurance Agency Insurance Bldg. 689