Action begins Thursday
KU hosts Mid-West regional
The NCAA Mid-West regional basketball tournament begins Thursday night in Allen Field House with Houston facing Drake and Kansas State meeting New Mexico State in first round action.
Fifth-ranked New Mexico State must be rated the favorite but each of the four teams could win it all and advance to the finals in College Park. Md.
New Mexico State is led by 6-2 senior guard Jimmy Collins who has averaged 24.7 points this year. He is noted for his unstoppable two-hand jump shots and his sticky defensive play. He is rated by many to be an excellent pro prospect because of his excellent one-on-one play.
New Mexico State beat Rice University, Southwest Conference champion, 101-77 in a first round game in Fort Worth to earn the right to compete in the regional. Coach Don Knodel of Rice said after the game that NMS could go all the way. He said Kentucky could be the only team that could handle them.
Besides Collins NMS has Sam Lacey, 6-8 center who averaged 18 points and 15.4 rebounds, Jeff Smith, 6-8 forward averaging 13.6 a game, John Burgess, a 6-5 defensive standout, and little Charley Criss, 5-8 guard averaging 12.4.
New Mexico could be surprised by Kansas State's Wildcats as was the rest of the Big Eight Conference. Although K-State lost games to such unnoted teams as Wichita State and Athletes in
Action, they won the important conference games to sack the title with two games to spare.
The Wildcats, who own a 19-7 mark, were knocked out of the top 20 after they lost to KU last Saturday night. Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons said after the game that the loss hurt because it took all of their momentum away from the team.
K-State presents a balanced attack led by 6-5 Jerry Venable who is averaging 15.5 for the year. Sophomores Bob Zender, 6-7, and David Hall, 6-6, have made enormous contributions to the squad with their 12.6 and 11.4 averages, respectively.
At the guard positions K-State has 6-4 Jerry Webb, 11.1 average, and 6-1 Wheeler Hughs, 8.2 average. The Wildcats boast a strong bench headed by 6-6 David Lawrence and 6-3 Terry Snider.
The late game Thursday night will be a reunion of former teammates. Ollie Taylor of Houston and Jeff Haliburton of Drake were standouts on the San Jacinto, Texas, Junior College team that won the national title in 1968.
Ollie Taylor is a 6-2 forward with unbelievable jumping abilities. The muscular Taylor leads the Cougars in both scoring and rebounding, 24.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per game.
Although the calibre of their schedule might be questioned,
Houston has one of the highest scoring teams in the nation. Dwight Davis, 6-7 center, averaged 17.6 during the season. Forward Jeff Hickman netted 12.4 a game and the guards, Poo Welch, 6-3, and Tom Gribben, 6-2, put 13.2 and 10.0 points through the hoop this year.
The Drake Bulldogs came into action with a 21-6 season record and the Missouri Valley crown. They are ranked 14th nationally. Last year they surprised the experts by winning the regional and battling talented UCLA down to the wire in the semi-finals. They lost four starters from that team but built back up with strong junior college recruiting.
The only returner, Al Williams, 6-5 forward, averaged 16 points and 12.7 rebounds a game this season. Haliburton also averaged 16 points a game with his quick, shifty moves. Another returner who does not always start is Gary Zeller, who has averaged 12.3.
Bobby Jones, the quarterback of the Bulldogs, is a transfer from Paducah Juco where he won the Most Valuable Player award by helping Paducah win the nationals last year. He is averaging 13.7 a game. Other transfers who played a large part in Drake's winning year are Tom Bush, 6-7 center averaging 9.9 points and 10.6 rebounds, and 6-4 Carl Slay-
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Jayhawks seek second straight indoor title
Kansas will be fighting to become the first school to win back-to-back NCAA indoor track championships this weekend in Detroit's Cobo Hall Friday and Saturday.
The Jayhawks lost all but three of their individual scorers from last year's championship squad. They return only the 13 points that shot putters Karl Salb, Steve Wilhelm and Doug Knop piled up in their one-two-three sweep of that event.
Kansas lost mile winner Jim Ryun and long jumpers Ron Jessie and Stan Whitley who finished first and second. Other scorers who left because of graduation were George Byers, third in high hurdles, Bob Steinhoff, tie for third in the pole vault, and Ken Gaines, fourth in the triple jump.
Coach Bob Timmons is hoping his new faces who carried the 'Hawks through the indoor season in admirable fashion can make up for the loss of 28 $ \frac{1}{2} $ of their last year's points.
Kansas will send 18 men to the meet. In the 440 Julio Meade, who has a best time of 48.3, will team with Marvin Foster who ran a 48.7 this season.
Brian McEilroy, freshman stand-
out who took the Big Eight indoors
two weeks ago, and Jim Neihoe will take the 880 for
the Jayhawks. MsEilroy has been
clocked in 1:50.0 and Neihoe
in 1:51.9.
Doug Smith, second in the Big Eight indoor with a time of 4:09.2, will run the mile. Jay
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Mason had his best time in the two-mile in the Astrodome Relays with a clocking of 8:44.6. Mike Bates rounds out the individual runners for the 'Hawks in the 60-yard High Hurdles.
KU's mile relay team which has won every meet this year except the Big Eight will be manned by Foster, Mike Larimore, Randy Julian and Meade. The two-mile relay team will have Dennis Stewart, Paul Mattingly, Smith and either Solomon, Neihouer, Roger Kathol or McElroy.
Jan Johnson reached his season peak in the Big Eight pole vault with a leap of 16-6 $ _{1/2} $ and will be shooting for the 17 foot mark in the Nationals.
Phil Reaves also notched his career high in the long jump finals. He will be Kansas's hope to pick up the slack caused by the departure of Ron Jessie and Stan Whitley.
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