Easton Compiles Fantastic Record
Year after year. Coach Bill Easton's track teams attract nationwide attention by shattering records and claiming nearly every available title.
Year after year, the trackmen turn out to be Kansas' only consistently winning group. The result is a Kansas dominance in conference track equal to Oklahoma's dominance in Big Eight football.
by capturing the Big Eight outdoor door title at Columbia, Mo., last May, the Jayhawkers completed a oneomenal seventh-straight grand slam—championships in indoor, outdoor and cross-country track.
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Since he came to Kansas from Drake University in 1947, Easton has coached teams which have piled up a near-fantastic record.
Friday, Nov. 7, 1958 University Daily Kansan Page
Nebraska Had Grand Slam
Nebraska is the only other Big Eight school to achieve a grand slam. The Cornhuskers did it once. Kansas will be trying for its eighth this year.
Bill Easton
Kansas teams have also won 57 relays championships and 44 individual crowns during the past 10 years at the Texas, Drake and Kansas relays.
Easton-coached men have achieved fame and recognition all over the world. Men like Al Oerter, Wes Santee, Bill Nieder, Emaniel Shelby and Kent Floerke have become All Americans, Olympic champions and members of internationally competing teams.
What Makes a Winner?
What, to Easton, is the most important factor in producing men who will become consistently good performers on the track or in the field? Does the hopeful need to be a superman?
"No, he does not," Easton answers. "We want an individual that is willing to work hard, train correctly and aim toward a goal. This type of man can win."
"I the man we want must have desire to excel," he continued. "But, just as important, he must have pride and intelligence. We don't want any problem child on our team."
Easton goes one step further than trying to develop a good man who can win for Kansas and possibly attain national honors.
"We try to make sure that our men are good students and topquality individuals. Then they have a better chance of being excellent trackmen."
Certainly we want a man who can win. But, if we are just trying to beat somebody else all the time, we have missed the whole point of athletics.
"We want our men to be good citizens. That is the purpose of a degree from KU, and that is one of the goals of athletics."
Many schools in the nation, including some in the Big Eight Conference, have tried to boost their track programs by bringing in foreign stars. Easton has not done this.
How About Foreign Stars?
1 don't object to other schools bringing in foreign runners," he said. "However, it is my personal opinion that any boy who comes to KU should be one who can help our American Olympic team.
"If we're going to spend time money and effort to make a good track man, he should be able to try for the Olympic team.
"The American man will work toward a goal. Our training program at Kansas gives him that goal. It's up to him to succeed."
2 Former KU Players Now Harp's Assistants
Kansas' assistant basketball coaches have a solid background for teaching the game. The records show they played just as well as any of their current charges.
Both Jerry Waugh and Jack Eskridge played three years on Kansas varsity teams.
Eskridge lettered here in 1948, 1947, 1948, after coming out of the Marines in World War II. He played both forward and center while at Kansas.
Waugh played for KU for three and one half years and was a regular on the Jayhawker Big Seven co-champions of 1950. He doubled at center and guard on the Kansas teams.
Scoring 30 points in the second half of the Nebraska game in 1948. Eskridge is the current holder of the conference record for most points scored in a half. This was also his high game score.
"I was injured in the first half and didn't see much action. So I had no points the first half and 30 in the second." explains Eskridge.
Following his graduation, Eskridge played one season of professional basketball with the Chicago Stags and the Indianapolis Jets.
"I enjoyed playing with the pros very much and I learned a lot about the game," he said. "George Mikan, called 'Mr. Basketball,' taught me a lot about the center position.
"Since my playing days there has been a difference in the ability of
the individual player. Because of better high school coaching, the boys are more advanced when they enter college than when I played," Eskridge said.
"The style of play has also changed. There is more emphasis on defensive patterns in today's game."
"There is also a lot more height in the game today. In 1950 we began hearing of one or two tall boys around the country, but now every team in the nation has to have a good tall man. These tall boys are also fast."
played to today's, Coach Waugh said. "It has speeded up tremendously. Now all the kids can shoot well. In my day there were only one or two real good shooters to a team.
coming season, Coach Eskridge said. "We are going to win more than we lose. This team has a lot of traditions to uphold.
"The team has experience and good height. On any given night we will be capable of beating anyone."
Missouri Gridders On Baseball Team
Speaking on KU's chances in the coming season. Coach Eskridge said:
Comparing basketball when he played to today's. Coachaugh said
Four Missouri football players were regulars on Missouri's 1958 baseball team which lost the national collegiate title to Southern California in a 12-inning game.
They are Hank Kuhlman, catcher; Gary Starr, second base; Bob Haas, left field, and Bob Meyers, center field.
Mowry, Loneski and Kindred Ready for Rebound.
Jayhawks Intend to Prove They Don't Need a 'Stilt'
As Chamberlain goes, so goes Kansas. And Chamberlain went right to the Harlem Globetrotters after choosing to bypass his final year of elegibility at KU.
That leaves the Jayhawkers considerably weakened as they attempt to fill the gap left by the 2-time All America center. But all is not lost.
Head basketball coach Dick Harp is optimistic about his team this year.
"We feel that with hard work and normal improvement we can compete on even terms with all the teams in the Big Eight conference with the exception of Kansas State and Iowa State," Harp said.
"Pre-season practice has been coming along fine. Although we lack the height we have had in the past two seasons with Chamberlain in the line-up, the team is trying to make up with more hustle."
Coach Harp said the most likely replacements for Chamberlain are two holdover squadmen, Gary Mowry and Dick Keith, plus a sophomore, Bill Bridges.
Mowry stands 6-feet 7-inches. The 174-pound St. Joseph, Mo., senjot has been a member of the Jayhawk squad for two seasons, but was never lettered. Keith is 6-feet 7-inch tall, and weighs 195 pounds. He is a junior from Blue Springs
Bridges Sparked Fresh Bridges, although he stands only 6-feet 6-inches, sparkled as a freshman last year. His rugged 217-pound frame proved valuable in rebounding. Improvement in his shooting ability could move him into Chamberlain's vacated spot.
This is the questionable spot in the Kansas line-up. At guard and forward the Jayhawkers appear to be stronger than last year.
Starting guards Bob Billings and Bob Hickman are both back. At 5-
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feet 11½" - inches. Billings came into his own late last season and proved to be the outstanding floor leader. Only a chronic back ailment, which knocked the Russell senior out of three games last year, could keep him from being a team leader this year.
Hickman, a 6-foot 2-inch junior from Terre Haute, Ind., also improved during his sophomore year and should be a standout on this year's team.
These two should receive able support from promising sophomores. Russ Marcinek, a 5-foot 9-inch product of East Chicago, Ind., has shown outstanding performance during the open workouts. Dee Ketchum, at 6-feet, is an excellent ball handler, dribble and shooter.
Will Have Help
Dick Gisel, a transfer from Hutchinson Junior College, and Lynn Kindred, a holdover letterman, will also challenge for a starting berth. These six, plus the addition of Doyle Schick, a 6-foot Lawrence sophomore who doubles as fullback on the football team, should give the Jayhawkers plenty of strength at guard. The picture is just as bright at
The picture is just as bright a forward.
All-Big Eight forward, Ron Loneski, leads at this position. The 6-foot $^{4}$2-inch senior from Hammond, Ind., is expected to lead in scoring and rebounding this season.
Backing the 215-pound Loneski, is 6-foot $4\frac{1}{2}$-inch Al Donaghue, Donaghue, a sophomore last season, moved into the starting line-up after mid-season last year and should provide a solid rebounding twosome at the forward slots.
Monte Johnson and Jim Hoffman add extra depth to the forward position. Johnson, an early season starter last year, stands 6-feet 5-inches. Hoffman, at 6-feet 31-
inches, also saw considerable duty. Johnson is a sharp-shooting senior, while Hoffman is a high-jumping junior.
Gary Thompson, at 6-feet 4-inches,
is another fine prospect. A knee
injury might sideline the Wellington
senior.
Although these men seemingly lack the height to compete with Kansas State and Iowa State's exceptionally tall teams, their speed and ability should make up for the loss of Chamberlain.
"It is inevitable that there will be somewhat of a decrease in attendance this season due to the absence of Chamberlain," Coach Harp said.
"But we certainly believe that attendance will be good because of the fine basketball tradition Kansas has established."
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