PAGE FOUI
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 1942
So much talk was made about Gerald Tucker's great scoring performances this year that Big Six fans must have forgotten about a couple of Kansas boys.
In Sunday's Kansas it was pointed out that Ralph Miller scored an even 100 points in his last five games. This was one point better than Tucker's record in the last five games of Oklahoma's Big Six schedule.
ENGLEMAN'S MARK TOPS THEM ALL
But go back to last year and you find even a better record. Howard Engleman popped 102 points in his first five games last year for an average of 20.4 points a game. "Rope" continued on his scoring ways for the next three games as he totaled 51 points to give him 153 points or an average of 19.125 points a game. He dropped off territorially in his last two games, scoring only five and seven points, to wind up with an average of 16.5 points a game and set his new record.
It is only natural to believe that Tucker would have been stopped eventually in his Big Six competition. The Oklahoma Aggies put the handcuffs on him at Stillwater and the two substitutes, Sam Aubrey and Gene Bell, held him to seven points. Last night he did a little better, scoring 13 points in the Sooner win, but these two Aggie games were two of Tuck's three worst performances.
After the game in Stillwater the other night Hank Iba, the Aggies silver-haired coach, made the following comment, "They're wrong if they think we used a zone defense against Tucker. I haven't used a zone defense in the 15 years I have been coaching and if I coach 15 more I won't use a zone. The plain facts of the case are that our boys were playing good defensive basketball. We figured before the game that Tucker had three places to go and we were lucky enough to be there. But it was stricty man-to-man defense. The kid is a great basketball player. He fought us all the way, but he didn't take many shots. For that matter, he didn't get many shots. He might have hit a few overhanders had he taken them, but he didn't. Bruce Drake has a well coached team and they're tough if you let them have a two count on you when they bring the ball down court. But we didn't and we won the game."
A SCORING-CONSCIOUS GROUP
Just when it looks as if a basketball scoring record to top all records has been set, along comes a spindly legged kid by the name of John "Brooms" Abramovic of Salem (W. Va.) college to threaten the latest mark. Stan "Stutz" Modzelewski, Rhode Island State's all-star center, has only New York Invitational Tournament remaining on his intercollegiate card before packing away its equipment but he has totaled 1,714 points which is the highest total in the history of major-college basketball. This broke Stanford's Hank Luisetti's mark of 1,596 points set in 1938.
Higher than Modzelewski's mark, however, is the record set by Ken Griffith last year for Alderson-Broaddus college of Philippi, W. Va., of 1,941 points. This stands as a record for schools playing minor schedules.
Last year it was thought that Griffith's mark was unbeatable but now along comes another cager from West Virginia, Abramovic, and it looks like he will raise the quota quite a bit. He has scored 656 points in 22 games this season for a 29.8 point average. He still has two games to play this year and has already totaled 1,407 points in three years of competition.
His 656 points already have broken Griffith's single season mark of 632 points and his 53 points in a game against West Virginia Wesalyn have ousted Luisetti's mark of 50 points against Duquesne from the record books. Next year Abramovic hopes to break the West Virginia conference mark of 632 points and the national small-college mark of Griffith's. If he continues at this year's pace he will accomplish all of these things and total well over 2,000 points. A mark like that will make even the cockiest freshman blink twice before betting that he can break it.
NOT EVEN HIGH SCHOOL CALIBER
Jottings from the mail-bag: It looks as if this column has an apology to make. . . . In a recent issue Oklahoma's tactics on the basketball floor were condemned as being reminiscent of high school players. . . . Word comes from W.R. Horn, principal and coach of Randolph (Kans.) High School and veteran of 27 years of coaching, stating that high school sportsmanship has passed many years ago the standard that Oklahoma exemplified against Kansas. . . . Now just where does that put Oklahoma? . . . Continuing in an Oklahoma vein, it is noted that Lester Layton, the Wichita lad who was included in the Allen-Drake verbal combat of two months back, was in the starting line-up yesterday as the Oklahoma Sooners opened their baseball schedule against Texas A. and M. . . . And as for Drake's whimpering concerning Oklahoma's ousting from the N.C.A.A. playoffs, it was too childish to even give thought to.
Glass in Effect As Backboards In NCAA Games
In commenting on the committee's decision, the Doctor, whose Jay-hawker quintet meets Henry Iba's Oklahoma Aggies in the Fifth District playoffs Tuesday evening, remarked: Rules Say It's Illegal
Announcement by the N.C. A.A. committee that clear plate glass backboards would be used in the Western finals at Kansas City, and in the national championship contest, drew a poignant observation from Dr. Forrest C. "Phog" Allen, today.
"The law of averages is against our getting in to use the glass backboards at all, inasmuch as we have defeated the Aggies in two previous playoffs for the right to important representations. But whether we get past them or not does not alter the fact that the use of such backboards is clearly illegal. Here is a tournament to determine the national collegiate basketball champion and the N.C.A.A. is sanctioning the use of illegal equipment."
Psi's Draw First Blood
In making the charge, Dr. Allen quoted Rule 2, Section 1, page 165 of the manual of official basketball guide for 1941-42 issued by the National Basketball Committee of the United States and Canada, which reads:
"The backboard shall consist of plate glass, steel, or wood, or of any other material that is flat or rigid. Each face shall be a plane surface, and shall be painted white."
St. Petersburg, Fla., March 13.—(UP)—Joe DiMaggio, powerhouse New York Yankee outfielder voted the most valuable player in the American League last season, became baseball's highest salaried player of 1942 today by signing a contract reportedly calling for $42,000.
While Dr. Allen prefers the new kidney shaped backboard in use in the Big Six conference, and in many other regions of the country, he does not object strenuously to the N.C.A. A.'s decision to use the 4 x 6 rectangular board, which is also legal, but which, he declare, is outmoded. He believes that the visibility of people sitting behind the goals is increased at least 50 per cent by the use of the streamlined stops. And he believes emphatically that the players should not be penalized to accommodate the visibility of the spectators by the use of glass backboards.
Allen Likes Present Backboard
DiMaggio Gets 42,000 For Tops In Salaries
"A white backboard and a white net with a black rim, makes an excellent target," he said. With the use of clear glass, the efficacy of the target is reduced to too great an extent."
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2nd Game of Series In Robinson Tonight
TONIGHT'S PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
Phi Kappa Psi Phi Gamma Delta
Bill Hodge F Roscoe Hambrie
John Krum F Larry McSpadden
John Hallberg C Chain Healy
Steve Meade G John Conley
Clayton Kyle G Wally Hinshaw
Roscoe Hambric led the Fiji scorers with four field goals, as he repeatedly drove around his guard. Larry McSpadden, the Purple ace, hit three goals from center court, while big John Conley was the Phi Gam defensive standout.
The defending champions started out like a house on fire as Conley, Hambric, and McSpadden all hit goals before Hodge broke the scoring drought for the Phi Fsi's. At the end of the first quarter the Fiji's still held an 11 to 6 lead, largely due to Hambric's three goals.
A rampaging Phi Kappa Psi intramural basketball squad will try to make it three straight over Phi Gamma Delta when the two teams clash at 8:30 o'clock tonight in Robinson gym in the second game of the final championship playoff series. The Psi's take the floor one game up on their opponents thanks to last night's 37 to 30 win.
It was the second triumph of the year for the Phi Psi's over the defending champions, Ralph Miller's protegees having previously downed the Fiji's 42 to 32 in a regular season contest. The two Phi psi athletes are
test. The two Psi setbacks are the only Phi Gam losses of the year.
Last night the two squads battled neck and neck all the way, with a last quarter Phi Psi spurt proving too much for the defending champions. More than any thing else it was the sensational shooting of forward Bill Hodge that downed the Purple Machine. Hodge counted for eight field goals in all, many of them coming on downright sensational shots. Hodge received able scoring assistance from John Krum, his dependable running mate at the other forward position, who racked up nine tallies. Clayton Kyle turned in a fine defensive game for the winners, while tall John Hallberg took care of the rebounding chores. Halftime Score Is 17-All
In the second quarter the Phi
Hodge Is Star of Game
Should the Phi Psi's repeat their previous victories tonight, they will become the 1942 champions without further play. A Fiji victory would necessitate a third contest, scheduled for tomorrow morning at 11 o'clock.
Psi's began to put on the pressure, and with Hodge connecting from all over the court took over the lead midway in the period. However, a goal by Fiji reserve "Swede" Olson tied the score at halftime 17 to 17.
Phi Gam's Fail in Crisis
In the third period the lead changed hands with almost every goal as Hodge exchanged two-pointers with the Purple team. Going into the final quarter he and his mates held a 29 to 27 lead. Olson once again closed up the gap, but the Phi Gam's were unable to match the winner's last minute burst of scoring power as Meade, Krum, Kyle, and the ever-present Hodge all contributed to the growing Phi Psi total.
The winners showed no ill effects from the hard game they had played the previous night against Beta Theta Pi. Their passing was in spots ragged, but their shooting more than made up for it.
Phi Kappa Psi -37
G FT PF
Hodge, f ...8 0 1
Krum, f ...4 1 0
Hallberg, c ...3 0 1
Kyle, g ...0 3 1
Meade, g ...1 1 3
Glover, g ...0 0 0
Phi Gamma Delta—30
G FT PI
McSpadden, f ...3 0
Hambac, f ...4 0
Healy, c ...3 0
Conley, g ...2 0
Olson, g ...2 1
Hinshaw, g ...0 1
Totals ... 14 ... 2
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