WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1948
Lions Court
Depends on
Backed against the wailing wall and clothed in the traditional
coach’s mourning togs, John Lawther, skipper of the Penn State
basketball squad, went on record yesterday as saying that the Lions’
1948 court outlook is, at the present time, extremely obscure, but
that several big “Ifs” could brighten the picture considerably.
The squad has been practicing
since Registration Week, and out
side of a few minor ache?, is in
excellent condition for the tough
17-game schedule on this year’s
agenda. The card will open this
Saturday at Pittsburgh (there’s
that name again) and close
March 5.
Now in his 13 th year at the
helm of the Blue and White,
Lawther gave a Pagliacci-like
laugh and said, “We hope dif
ferently, but we’ll be lucky if we
do as well this year as we did in
’47 when we won nine and lost
ten.”
HEIGHT
The major handicap that the
Lawthermen will be striving to
overcome is lack of height. Out
side of two or three big men, the
Lions will be forced to harness
spirit and speed to buoy up their
backcourt defense.
Lawther wept a few bitter tears
over the loss of such stalwart per
formers as John Kulp, Irvin Bat
nick and Captain Jack Biery. all
state nominee who has been
forced to drop the sport because
of a stiff academic schedule.
The genial mentor lauded the
trio as being three of the best
sharpshooters in this area last
year. Together the threesome ac
counted for 428 points.
“IF” number one, and the most
pressing situation facing Law
ther, concerns Milt Simon, bril
liant senior forward, whose loss
to the team because of a severe
‘charley-horse’ has struck a
body blow at the State hopes.
SECOND
One of the key men on last
year’s Lion squad, Simon placed
second in scoring with 143 points.
It is believed that the blond
bombardier will not be in tip-top
shape before January.
Lawther was hopeful of build
ing his attack about Simon, but
the injury necessitated a change
of nlans.
“IF” number two is junior
Martin Costa, a basketball oddity,
who has apparently nailed down
the center slot. Costa, who
reaches 6 feet 6 inches, had
never played the cage game be
fore his sophomore year at Penn
State. The tall lamplighter made
the squad last year, and is now
beginning to show the effects of
Lawther’s work with him. Costa
is being counted on heavily as a
backboard guardian.
Two reasons for optimism are
the return of senior guards Carl
Nordblom and Terry Ruhlman.
Also returning for another cam
paign is veteran forward Willard
Parkhill, a senior, who ranked
fifth among scorers last year
with 74 counters.
tocci
A newcomer to the Lion court
scene who is attracting much at
tention is Joe Tocci, junior guard,
from Mohawk Junior College.
The midget courtster stands only
S feet 5 inches off the boards but
NOT BEING CATTY, but be hasn't even asked his
girl for
HARVEST BALL
Only days till the big night
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Success
Many 'lfs'
By Ray Koehler
Lawther has gone all out in label
ing him a comer. Tocci will prob
ably share front court duties with
Parkhill until 1 Simon returns to
action.
Closely watched reserves, who
with a little more experience may
step into regular roles, are Lee
Schisler, 6-foot 3%-inch all
around utility man; Ken Weiss,
scrappy sophomore mite; Syl
“Stretch” Bozinski, senior, who
saw action last year, and Robert
McKown, who fits into Lawther’s
plans as a defensive measure.
Lawther plans to use several
variations of a single pivot,
stressing a lot of running, plus a
five-man weave, for his offerfse,
while using a mixed defense.
CHANGES
Several important rule chahges
have been made, chief of which
gives the O.K. to coaches giving
instructions from the sideline
during the game. All jumps, no
matter where committed, will be
delegated to the closest of the
three circles on the floor. If with
in the final two minutes of play
the ball is declared dead, time
will be out without any official
notification.
Elmer Gross, who captained
Penn State’s ’42 cage outfit in the
nationals, is acting as assistant to
Lawther.
The schedule follows
Dec. 4—Pittsburgh ..
14— American U away
15— Georgetown away
18— Wash. & Jeff.. . . home
Jan. B—Colgate . ... home
15—Carnegie Tech. .. home
19— Navy away
Feb. 2—West Virginia ... away
s—Syracuse home
9—West Virginia ... home
12—Temple away
19—Pittsburgh home
23—American U home
25 Colgate away
26 Syracuse away
Mar. 2—Temple home
s—Georgetown home
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THE DAILY COLLEGIAN. STATE COLLEGE. PENNSYLVANIA
Opportunity Knocked
What was dubbed a “fly-by
night bowl scheme” by some
Penn State officials was quickly
gobbled up by Villanova yester
day when that college accepted
a bid to play Nevada in the Har
bor Bowl in San Diego, Cal., New
Year’s Day. Penn State had re
fused the bid earlier because it
“lacked the well-established,
reputable qualities of other
bowls.”
It is true that the Harbor
Bowl is not well established—
-1 it was dreamed up by the Na
tional Broadcasting Company
this year when that firm found
itself without a New Year's
Day game to broadcast.
But we think NBC certainly
must be what one can call a
“reputable backer,” and the re
ported $50,000 guaranteed to Penn
State if it accepted should not
have been spurned, we think,
when the College needs a more
adequate athletic plant to keep
pace with over-all expansion.
What do the players think?
When the news broke—via. the
grapevine, not through official
channels—late last week that
College officials had turned
down the Bowl offer, the Nit
tanymen were disappointed.
They showed it in nraciice ses
sions before the Washington
State tussle.
Although we could not reach
Coach Bob Higgins for comment,
a survey of team members con
ducted Monday indicated that the
majority wanted to play in the
post-holiday encounter.
Only three said "no." Even
Lion players who are now be
inq wooed bv the annual East-
West and North-South names
indicated that they would give
up all-star invitations "if the
team and coaches wanted to go
to San Diego."
That was when NBC was still
hunting an Opponent for Nevada.
When Villanova accepted the bid
yesterday, an impromptu student
committee formed to seek recon
sideration on the part of Penn
°tate was disbanded.
We believe a "good deal" was
by-passed by Penn State in not
accenting the bowl bid. It
would not. in our opinion, have
blemished the school's refllifa
tion—athletically or otherwise.
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{ ANTES
Between the Lions
By Tom Morgan
SPORTS EDITOR
AT PENN STATE
ELLIOTT SHAPIRO
has the edge in
Campos Journalism
MOTOR SALES
14 Mi. North Route 322
STATE COLLEGE
DIAL 2505
Phi Sigs Capture 25-24 Win
In IM Cage Competition
Phi Sigma Kappa, rallying from a 10-7 halftime deficiency,
swept to a 25-24 edge over Theta Kappa Phi in the tightest of nine
IM basketball games at Recreation Hall Monday night. Led by Pas
qual Astore who chalked up nine points, the Phi Sigs pounded into
the lead with moments to spare.
But big-point-man of the night was Paul Norton of the inde
pendent- Berletics who dropped in
18 markers to lead his abbrevi
ated squad to an astounding
41-12 victory over the Gazelles.
Other scores were:
Kappa Sigma over Theta Xi,
28-14; Beta Sigma Rho over
Lambda Chi Alpha, 34-15; Delta
Tau Delta over Beta Theta Pi,
19-17; Phi Sigma Delta over Pi
Kappa Alpha, 19-14.
Alpha Epsilon Pi over Phi
Rogel, Kelly Make
NEA All-America
All-American honors were
awarded two Nittany Lion grid
ders this week when Fran Rogel,
hard-plunging fullback and Paul
Kelly, standout guard, w ( ere
named to the National Editorial
Association’s All-American sec
ond and third teams, respectively.
Picked by sports writer Harry
Grayson, the two football players
were named to the teams for their
combined offensive and defensive
play.
And how many times in the fu
ture will the Nittany Lions be
extended a post-season bowl
bid after the current crop of
football talent is gone? Pros
pects were never greater than
now.
The argument can be advanced
that we are not on the top of the
heap, footballistically, as last
year wher we were undefeated,
and should therefore not accept
a bowl bid. This is absurd when
one considers that only two major
unbeaten, untied teams—Califor
nia and Clemson—will play in
major bowls come New Year’s.
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“WEEK-END TEST”
proves:
Cleaner shaves quicker!
DON'T JUST GUESS WHAT GIVIS YOU THR BIST SMAVI
—MAKI THIS MOLU "WUK-IND TISL"
1. Let your beard grow dur
ing the week end.
2. Monday morning, when
your whiskers are at their
longest and toughest, put
your present cream on half
your face.
3. Put Molid, the heavier
brushless cream, on the other
half of your face. Spread it
thin!
4. Go over your face JUST
ONCE with your razor . . .
and feel the difference.
Double your money back ...
Gamma Delta, 19-18; Phi Kappa
Psi over Phi Kappa, 20-11; Kappa
Delta Rho over Triangle, 20-12.
SCHEDULE
Tonight’s schedule follows:
8:45 p.m.—Dorm 33 vs. Dorm
43, court one; Dorm 37 vs. Dorm
41, court two; Whiz Kids vs. X.M.
Boys, court three.
9:25 p.m.—Dorm 39 vs. Dorm
40, court one; Omega Phi Psi vs.
Delta Sigma Phi, court two;
Alpha Phi Delta vs. Theta Chi,
court three.
10:05 p.m.—Alpha Zeta vs.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon, court one;
Tau Kappa Epsilon vs. Phi Epsi
lon Pi, court two; Penn State
Club vs. Nittany Co-op, court
three.
Where Is
Center Stage
Uh—Let me thinkl
Oh, yes—l knowt
It’s the theater located at
Hamilton and Allen Streets—
where PLAYERS have been
doing those terrific arena pro
ductions.
What's there now?
"TEN NIGHTS IN
A BARROOM"
A play about the evils of drink
—with can-can girls and oleo
acts between and after the
show.
Don't waste a minute getting
your tickets for this weekend
—or it may be 100 late. There
are only a limited amount of
tickets available.
PAGE THRE£