Page 4
University Daily Kansan
Monday. Feb. 3, 1958
Crucial Hurdle For KU
By GEORGE ANTHAN
(Daily Kansan Sports Editor)
Tex Winter's parting comment after an interview Sunday night was, "It'll be an interesting game."
He was, of course, referring to tonight's Kansas-K-State game which may determine the Big Eight champion and influence the outcome of the NCAA regionals and finals.
Winter and his Wildeats are in the driver's seat now with visions of Louisville dancing in their heads but they may have to move over and share it by 10 p.m. tonight.
For Dick Harp and his Kansas basketball team, tonight is the first of many upcoming crucial hurdles to the conference title and a berth in the NCAA's Lawrence regionals.
Since Oklahoma stunned Wiltless Kansas with a conference defeat the Jayhawkers are backed up against the proverbial brick wall while the Wildeats can afford a loss and still win by defeating Kansas in Manhattan March 8.
TV Keeps The Cats Away
Television has apparently kept many of K-State's wellmannered basketball fans at home. As many as three thousand were originally believed coming but television parties are reported the new fad in Manhattan's collegiate circles.
Although Winter was not anxious to give away any secrets before game time he said he had special plans for this Kansas game, "just as we have for every game we play."
Coaches who play Kansas have two basic defenses to choose from.
They may, as did Northwestern, Marquette and St. John's, sink two, three, or even four men on Wilt Chamberlain, slowing him down but leaving other KU players open.
This has been effective, especially when the open Kansas players have not been able to find the range.
"I have too much respect for the rest of KU's team to leave them open and I think Chamberlain will get his average anyway." Winter said.
Winter has not tried to play a slow-moving, ball control game against Kansas. But neither has he won any games against KU since Chamberlain's heralded arrival.
In the KU-K-State game in Lawrence last year Winter did sink two men on Chamberlain and K-State led until the final four minutes when Jack Parr and Bob Boozer fouled out. With only two minutes to go Kansas had a 2-point lead and won by five points.
In the second game against Kansas in Manhattan last year the Wildcats played an open game, did not try to control the ball and lost decisively.
No Excuses Tonight
In Kansas City's Big Eight finals Dec. 31 K-State lost by 15 points. Parr alone guarded Chamberlain.
But Boozer and Hayden Abbott sat on the bench, ill that night. Would it have made a difference? It would have, is the popular opinion. But Winter feels K-State must have a "good" night while Kansas is having an "average" night in order to win.
A good night for Kansas State was Saturday when the Wildcats defeated Colorado 83-54, hitting 50 per cent of their field goals.
Against Kansas in K.C., K-State hit 30 per cent; Kansas had 40 per cent.
"We'll have to play the best ball we've played all year to do any good against Kansas," he said.
So it's Kansas and K-State again tonight, for the 135th time. It promises to be many a year before the Wildcats get their heads above water in the series—KU has won 90, K-State 44
But for Kansas State fans, a victory tonight would undoubtedly make up for a few years of losing.
Basketball GameHere Tonight Highlights Big Eight Week
Tonight's KU-K-State game takes priority. If the Wildcats win, they are all but holding the Big Eight trophy. If Kansas wins it will set up a showdown game in Manhattan March 8.
There is, of course, the possibility that one of the lesser Big Eight squads will trip up one of the Kansas teams but that's remote.
It was comparatively quiet on the Big Eight scene last week but the storm is about to break.
Both KU and K-State will be at home to Big Eight rivals Saturday night. The Jayhawkers entertain Nebraska and K-State plays a return engagement with Iowa State.
Other league games this weekend Colorado against Oklahoma at Norman tonight and Missouri at Colorado Saturday night.
The Saturday night meeting between high ranking Bradley and Oklahoma State will probably be the week's best games beside tonight Wildcat-Javhawker clash.
Kansas State, with a 4-0 record.
is sitting atop the standings while Kansas is second at 2-1. Oklahoma and Iowa State, both with 3-2 marks, are tied for third.
BOB BOOZER
. Top 'Cat Threat
Only football jersey ever "retired" at K.U. is the No. 42 of Ray Evans, all-American halfback.
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By BOB MACY
(Assistant Sports Editor of The Daily Kansan)
A few Wichita sportswriters had a good time last week criticizing Wilt Chamberlain for what they believed to be poor public relations tactics. What it all boils down to is the fact that they were a little sore because they didn't know how to approach Chamberlain to get an interview. $ \textcircled{4} $
Granted, Chamberlain may never win All-America honors in public relations but a lot of that can be blamed on the people who gripe the most—the sportswriters themselves.
Chamberlain's experiences with the press have not been rosy. He was probably the most sought after basketball player in the history of the game. Over 100 colleges and universities wanted to sign the 7-foot Philadelphia. With this kind of a build up, Chamberlain made news wherever he went. He had become a star even before he donned a college uniform.
Rumors Fly Easily
Then it got to the point that Chamberlain couldn't be seen anywhere before the rumors began flying.
After the NCAA finals Chamberlain happened to be sitting on the bench at one of the Harlem Globe Trotter games. Immediately the rumors started flying. Wilt was leaving Mt. Oread to become a Globe Trotter.
This rumor started the sportswriters the country over placing calls to Lawrence to talk to the Dipper. The callers used little discretion in their calling. Sticking to the old motto "If at first you don't succeed try, try again," the calls would come long into the night. This kept up and Chamberlain had less and less time for such unimportant things as studies and sleep.
The calls all brought the same question—was he considering leaving Kansas? This was a question that Chamberlain had already answered publicly many times.
Still writers, hoping for a big story, would keep after Chamberlain no matter what the time or circumstances.
Abuse From All Sides
The writer also overlooked the fact that Chamberlain and teammate Ron Loneski spent a great deal of time posing with crippled children and signing autographs for little kids. Some who witnessed the "interview" said that the newsmen did very little to pump information from the Jayhawker—that it was an unorganized affair with questions being thrown to Chamberlain eratically.
Wilt Chamberlain has taken abuse from every side. Basketball fans, many not noted for their sportsmanship, have booed the Dipper for many reasons. Some accuse him of dirty tactics on the floor. These are the people who just don't know what they're talking about. The main reason fans don't like Chamberlain—underneath it all—is because he isn't playing on their team.
Chamberlain also comes under fire from the coaches. Some coaches "warn" the referees to watch out for Chamberlain hoping that this sort of maneuver will draw the officials' eyes from their own players.
Chamberlain takes a beating on the floor. He's been bitten in Columbia, had his legs purposefully knocked out from under him in Stillwater and has been roughed up on every court he's played on. The thing we like about Chamberlain is that he has taken all this abuse like a man and a real sport.
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