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University Daily Kansan
Monday, Dec. 1, 1958
BOB BOOZER—Big Man in the Big Eight
Top Big 8,Big 10 Teams Battle at Manhattan
The Kansas State Wildeats, everyone's pick for the Big Eight Conference basketball championship, open their season tonight against Purdue at Manhattan.
Purdue returns all five of its starters from last season when it finished in a tie for second in the Big Ten Conference with a 14-6 record. Kansas State defeated the Boilermakers 79-73 last year.
Bob Boozer, Kansas State's All America, will be starting in his new position at center for the Wildcats. He will be joined by last year's starters, Don Matuszak, 6-foot guard and Wally Frank, 6-foot, 8-inch forward, Jim Holwerda, 6-foot guard and Glen Long, 6-foot, 4-inch forward, will fill out the lineup.
Purdue's starting five will average 6 feet, $5 \frac{1}{2}$ inches a man. This height advantage and Coach Tex Winter's concern for his Wildcats' defense and depth should make an interesting game.
Winter has moaned about the way his varsity played against the freshman team, but Kansas State is still the favorite for the Big Eight championship.
Purdue will start 6-foot Harvey Austin, and 6-foot, 5-inch Willie Merriweather, guards; 6-foot, 6-inch Robert Fehrman and 6-foot, 6-inch Bill Greve, forwards, and 6-foot, 5-inch Wilson Eison, center. Eison was voted the most valuable player of the Boilermakers last season.
Floyd Is Top Pass Catcher
Homer Floyd, who finished his college football career with a sensational performance against Missouri, won the pass receiving championship of the Big Eight Conference.
Floyd, with 307 yards on 15 catches, edged out Oklahoma State's
Jim Wood with 273 yards on 20 completions.
Dwight Nichols, Iowa State tailback, emerged as the leader in rushing and in total offense. He rushed for a total of 815 yards on 220 carries—an average of 3.7 yards a run.
The Big Eight basketball battle is all over except for a minor skirmish for second place. Conference coaches pick Kansas State, last year's winner, to repeat.
Big 8 Coaches Pick Wildcats For 1st Place
Iowa State and Oklahoma were picked to fight it out for second place honors. Kansas was not mentioned.
The Wildcats were a unanimous choice. In the balloting, in which the coaches gave one point for a first place vote, two for a second, etc., K-State received the minimum—seven points. Coaches did not vote for their own teams.
The coaches all agreed that the conference race would be closer and K-State would not have an easy time wrapping up the conference laurels.
Iowa State and Oklahoma received 17 points and Oklahoma State, playing for the first time in the Big Eight conference, was voted to finish fourth.
Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Colorado were picked to finish in that order behind the first four.
The Wildcats had a 10-2 record last year and Iowa State and Kansas tied for second with 8-4 records in conference play.
University Daily Kansan SPORTS
His chances of boosting that average tonight are good. Coach Dick Harp will start a shorter man in 6-foot 5-inch Monte Johnson opposite Robitaille. Johnson was a regular at forward during the first part of last season.
Jayhawker basketball fans who have been floating on a cloud seven feet above the ground for the last couple of seasons will return to earth with a sharp thud tonight.
Jayhawkers Meet Rice Owls Tonight
The ball takes the first bounce at 7:35 p.m. when Kansas meets the Rice Owls in Allen Field House.
Athletic director A. C. (Dutch) Lonborg said everything was in "good shape" for the coming of the Rice Owls.
The opening of basketball season tonight will find few changes from last year at Allen Field House.
For the first time in several years, the tallest player on the court will not be a Jayhawker. Rice captain and center, Tom Robitaille, is 6 feet 9 inches tall. He finished last season with a 14.9 point game average. He is expected to improve this year.
Few Changes at Field House
Mr. Lonborg said the floor is usually refinished once a year, but will not be worked on until Christmas vacation this year.
Mr. Lonborg said there is still adequate parking room near the field house and no problems are expected.
The north and south bleachers have been repainted and renumbered.
Parking facilities have been changed slightly this year. The new baseball field south of the field house will soon be sodded and no parking will be allowed in this area.
Fraternity Jewelry,
Badges, Rings, Novelties,
Sweatshirts, Mugs, Paddles,
Cups, Trophies, Medals
Balfour
411 W 14th VI 3-1571
AL LAUTER
Al Donaghue, a 2-season letterman, will probably start at forward despite a shoulder separation he suffered just before Thanksgiving. At the other forward Coach Harp will start 6-foot 4-inch Gary Thompson.
Starting guards will be Bob Hickman and Bob Billings. Both men have been troubled by recent injuries. Hickman has suffered from a knee injury and Billings has missed practices with pulled muscles.
Rice Coach Don Suman will start four 2-year lettermen and a sophomore against Kansas. The sophomore is Jim Davis, a speedy, 5-foot 11-inch guard.
At the other guard will be Dale Ball, the team's third highest scorer last year. Forwards will be Willie Preston, 6 feet, 6 inches, and Gary Griffin, 6 feet 5 inches.
Rice finished fifth in the Southwest Conference last year with a 7-7 league record. The over-all record was 13-11.
The number of student cars registered on the campus is 4,960.
DON CRAWFORD - BOB BLANK
721. Mass        VI 3-0330
after every shave
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