PAGE SIX
. sport-scanning
No Bowl fox Lions — |
Just a Long Season |
Penn State’s football team will quietly close out
its season at Pitt next week and then, for the first time
in five seasons, spend the Christmas holidays at home.
There is no bowl for the Lions to go to tbis year,
no season-ending regard for an unexpectedly success-
ful season.
There are many reasons for this, but a key one is
the reluctancy of southern bowl promoters to take an
interest in eastern teams.
This all dates back to last year when the Lions, with
a 9-1 record and the Lambert Trophy, were completely
overlooked by the major southern bowls. Instead, the
players were pressured into accepting a Gator Bowl bid
and the result was painfully apparent to millions who
saw it on national television. !
So this year there is no pressure being applied from
any direction and State’s players have voted to veto
any bowl invitations. They know the only ones they
could qualify for anyway are the Gator and the Liberty
bowls.
The Gator Bowl, played the last. Saturday of the
year, is the only southern bowl that makes a conscious
effort to schedule an intersectional game and there are
reports that this year either Pitt or Syracuse may wind
up as the visiting team. The Liberty Bowl goes wild for
the Nittanies every year but haven’t gotten them since
1960.
“There’s no feeling for a bowl here this year,” coach
Rip Engle said. “Last year we went when there was no
feeling for it and everyone saw what a mistake it was.”
But Engle knew where it all started —last year’s
snub by the Orange and Cotton bowls. This year again,
the Lions were mentioned in Orange and Cotton bowl
talk but when it comes down to the final decision, the,
only eastern team with a chance at either is Navy—
and only because of the national appeal the academies
possess.
The players, from whom must come a vote of ap
proval, are bruised, battered and tired from one of the
toughest schedules in the country.
The long season, made even longer by the two-week
postponement of the Pitt game, has had its effects and
few of the players are interested in prolonging it any
more.
None of this bowl talk was much of an issue until
Athletic Director Ernest McCoy issued his now-famous
and much-publicized “No Bowls” proclamation about a|
week or so ago. He said at the time that “under noj
circumstances” would State accept a post-season invita
tion. This was before the players had cast their veto,
but their feelings were well known.
In many quarters of the University, McCoy’s decree
raised an angry outcry by people wanting to know why
thfe Lions would elect to .’Stay'at home.
Basically, the reasons are simple:
• The Lions knew they had no chance for a major
berth. Of the six spots in the Orange, Cotton or Sugar
Bowl, two are tied up by contract and the rest, as if
by an unwritten law, are usually given to the South
eastern Conference. In the'last 20 years, eastern teams
have made three appearances in the Cotton Bowl, three
in the Orange Bowl and one in the Sugar Bowl.
• Injuries have made the season seem a lot longer
than it is to many of the Lions. Almost all the regulars
have been hobbled at one time or another by various;
ailments and they just have had enough football. This, 1
and the fact they must spend three weeks preparing for
Pitt, means that to go to a bowl would mean virtually!
no rest from September to December.
• Conditions at training sites the last two years!
have been something less than ideal. If you have ever
spent two weeks of your Christmas vacation at a deserted
army base, you might know what I mean.
So when McCoy issued his decree, he was merely
affirming what everyone close to the scenevlong knew.
The players don’t want to go to a bowl, Engle doesn’t
want to go to a bowl, and McCoy himself doesn’t want!
to go to a bowl. j
It has been pointed out by some people that while
McCoy may be the athletic director, he has no absolute
veto power in policy matters and this rests solely with
President Eric A. Walker.
But Walker prefers to leave such decisions to people
who know what is going on in those particular areas.
Unlike Pitt’s Chancellor Litchfield, he doesn’t try to
run the football team, nor does he tell McCoy how to
run the athletic department. And this is as it should be.
Posi-season bowls serve as a fine reward for teams
desiring such a reward. But they can't have bowls forced
upon them, as the Lions learned to their sorrow last
year. Next year may be a different story, but as for
this one, it's Christmas-at-home. And this, too, is as
it should be—this year.
Pitt, in a position much like the one the Lions
occupied last year, also finds much the same situation
with the southern bowls. They just don’t seem interested.
The Orange Eowl even goes so far as to say “Pitt doesn’t
play a representative schedule.”
If that is so, then I guess a representative sched
ule must include teams like South Dakota State, lowa
State, Kansas State and Oklahoma State (all played by
Nebraska) or possibly Houston, Chattanooga, and Ten
nessee (all played by Auburn, Nebraska’s likely op
ponent in the game at Miami).
An Associated Press survey before the season indi
cated that Pitt, Penn State and Notre Dame play the
nation’s three toughest schedules. Add UCLA and I
would go along with that. And it’s interesting to note
that the two eastern teams (Pitt and State) thrive on
such competition, while Notre Dame, and UCLA have
won four games between them.
By IRA MILLER
Assistant Sports Editor
* *
Cagers Face Duke
Nittanies Tangle With Blue Devils,
N.C State on Two-Game Road Tour
An upset-minded Penn State basketball team kicks off its 1963 schedule to
night at Durham, N.C., against the highly-touted Duke Blue Devils.
This is, the first of a two-game tour for the Lions. Monday evening, John Egli’s
cagers will meet North Carolina State in Raleigh. They will then return home to
face Maryland in the home opener at Rec Hall next Saturday.
The Lions will be distinct underdogs tonight against Duke. The Blue Devils are
ranked 4th in the country in pre-season polls and have 10 of 14 ballplayers ,back
from last year’s squad which finished third, in the NCAA playoffs.
Leading the list of returnei
is All-American candidate Ji
Mullins. The 6-4 senior, wl
can play either guard or fi
ward, averaged 20.3 points
game last year while hittij
54.9% of his shots.
He is expected to take
much of the slack left by ti
graduation of Art ' Heyma;
college basketball player-r
the-year.
However, Blue Devil fa
feel confident that Mullins will
step right into Heyman’s va
cated spot.
Egli feels that Mullins is as
good a ballplayer as Heyman,
if not better.
“Both’ are great ballplayers,”
the Lion coach said, “but Mul
lins is a team leader and.can
rally the team, behind him. He
is more of a team player too.”
Egli said that Mullins is
deadly both inside and out. “He
drives and also is deadly ac
curate with. ...one-hand , push
shots from the corners,” Egli
Terry Hoover, the Lions’ sixth
man, may miss tonight’s game
at Duke due to a death in his
family, it was learned last night.
said. ■ “And he is also a good
ball-stealer and usually the
first man to reach a loose ball.”
Mullins will team in the front
court with a pair of 6-10 giants.
Jay Buckley will jump center
for Duke while Hack Tison will
play the other forward spot.
Big Front Line
“They must have one of the
biggest front lines in,, college
ball,” Egli lamertted. “I don’t
I see how we're going to be able
to battle them on the boards.”
In the back court, coach Vic
Bubas will use Buzzy Harrison,
a 6-3 senior and Ron Herbster, a
6-2 junior.
The Blue Devil bench is loaded
[With talent and Bubas can call
!on any one of a half dozen ball-
Gymnasts Appear
Loaded; Face WVU
In Opener Dec. 14
When it comes down to choosing a lineup for Penn
State’s gymnastics opener Dec. 14 at West Virginia, no
doubt Lion coach Gene Wettstone will have a problem.
The Lions are knee-deep in talent for 1964, with
several performers of nearly-equal ability vying for each
event. The addition of an outstanding group of sopho
mores makes Wettstone’s choice all the more difficult.
“Our key to success lies
around our three all-around
men,” Wettstone said. The trio,
juniors Mike Jacobson and Jim
Culhane and sophomore Ed
Isabelle, were steady perform
ers last year and have-shown
improvement in early work
outs this fall.
This is especially true in the
case of Jacobson, heir apparent
to Tom Seward as State’s No. 1
all-around gymnast. Jacobson
was always close to or at the
top of the scoring in dual meets
last year and promises to blos
som into a real star this sea
son.
Culhane Valuable Member
1364 could also be a big year
for Culhane. “Although he has
been hampered by several in
juries,” Wettstone said, “he ap
pears to be a very important
member of the squad because
of his all-around ability.”
Isabelle, who captured 11 of
a possible 12 first places for
State’s .fabulous freshman
squad last year, “is also being
counted on to come through
with some important scores,”
according to the coach.
While the three all-arounders
are the prime candidates for
the free-exercise event, here is
the way Wettstone sizes up the
rest of the team at this stage:
Long horse: “The leading
contenders here are junior Pete
Saponaro and senior F. P. Stor
za. Saponaro is a man to watch
this year and Sforza, who won’t
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN, UNIVERSITY PARK, PENNSYLVANIA
By JIM BUKATA
Sports Editor-
JEFF MULLINS
players to perform more than
adequately.
Bubas is especially high on a
pair of sophomores from Penn
sylvania, Jack Marin and Steve
Vacendak.
I Marin at 6-6 is counted on to
spell Tison. He is the brother of
Lion reserve Chuck Marin.
Vacendak, a guard, played his
ball in Scranton. He will be the
top reserve in the back court.
Others on the Duke squad are
Ted Mann Jr. (6-5), Ray Cox
(6-0), Denny Ferguson (6-0) and
Frank Harscher (6-3).
Egli is not too optimistic about
upsetting the Blue Devils but
feels the team has a better
chance than it would later in the
season.
"I’m glad we’re catching them
early,” Egli said. “Boy I’d give
my heart to beat these guys.”
Lion Starters
, The Lion coach said he would
start sophomore Ray Saunders
(6-6) and junior Ron Avillion
(6-5), at forwards; senior Tom
Malinchak (6-6) at center and
senior Bobby Donato (5-10) and
junior Bob Weiss (6-2) at guards.
“Our boys are going to have
to be patient and wait for the
good shot,” Egli said. “It doesn't
look like we’re going to get too
pressed to duplicate or top last
year’s 15-5 rocord.” A tough read
schedule and general overall im
orovement of all the teams are
By JOHN LOTT
be eligible until January, is
beginning to show improved
form, The other spots are wide
open with Tom Burtnett, Gene
Schofield and Doug Collins
fighting for a regular position.”
Side horse; “Senior A 1 Por
ter still appears to be No. 1 on
this event. The return of Ray
Cherry, who has been practice
teaching, gives us a valuable
addition while sophomore Den
nis Paoletti also promises to
be of some help.”
High bar: “In addition to the
three all-around men, we feel
Bill Keller could aid the squad
here providing he develops
more mastery of his routines.”
Parallel bars: "Here again
the all-around men are on top
with Stu Altman also battling
for a place.”
Still rings: “As usual, this
event is wide open with a lot
of fellows in contention. One
of our better boys is junior
John Martin (whom Wettstone
recruited from a physical edu
cation class last year). The oth
er candidates for the rings are
Bill Jenkins, Gary Williams,
Keller and A 1 Marshall.”
Following the Lions’ opener
with the Mountaineers, they
travel to the University of
Massachusetts Jan. 11. The
local fans will get to see the
State G-men in action for the
first time Jan. 18, when they
meet Springfield in Rec Hall.
the two main deterrents toward
a banner year.
Monday evening, State faces
an inexperienced North Carolina
State team. The Wolfpack have
11 sophomores on their 15-man
squad and have only two letter
men returning.
Coach Everett Case, who in 17
years has had only two losing
seasonfe, said he has never had
a squad so short on experience.
“We're going to have to resort
to a slow-down style of attack,”
Case said. “We must teach our
boys the ABC’s of the game
before we try and do anything
fancy.”
RON HERBSTER
Three sophomores will be in
the starting lineup against the
Lions. Hal Blondeau, Ray Hodg
don and Bill Moffitt will open
•Hong with senior captain Pete
Auksel and junior center Larry
Lakins. The latter two are the
only lettermen Case has return
ing.
The Wolfpack lost a promising
ballplayer when 6-9 center Ron
Gossell was seriously injured in
an auto accident. Another ball
player, 6-4 John ArganbrigHt,
signed a baseball contract.
Another sophomore-dominated
team awaits the Lions in the
home opener.
Maryland has six veterans re
turning from last year’s squad
which posted an 8-13 record, but
coach Bud Millikan has indicated
he will use three crack sopho
mores in his lineup.
Neil Brayton and Gary Ward,
both of whom averaged over 20
points a game for the Terrapin
frosh, should start along with
6-8 Rick Ward. Returnees Scott
Ferguson and Sam McWilliams
figure to get the other berths.
The Lions then take a week
off before facing Syracuse at Rec
Hall Dec. 14. Coach Fred Lgwis’J
cagers are banking heavily on
sophomores to lead them backj
to respectability after two dismal
years.
Dave Bing, a 6-2 guard who
broke all the freshman scoring
State,” Egli said. “It has to be
one of my better teams.”
Still the Lions will be hard
many second shots with their
advantage in height.”
Egli said that Terry Hoover,
Carver Clinton, Jim Reed, Jerry
Roseboro, Marin and Don Step
anausky would all probably see
action.
“This squad has more depth
than any I have ever had at
marks, is the big reason for
optimism on Piety Hill. And the
(Continued on page seven)
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Wolfpack Young
THE STARTERS: Penn State's starting five for tonight's opener at Duke. Front: Bobby
Donato and Bobby Weiss; rear: Ron Avillion, Tom Malinchak and Ray Saunders,
Saunders Only Sophomore
To Crack Nittanies' Lineup
(This is the fifth of a series
of articles on members of the
1963-64 Penn State basket
ball team. Next is Terry
Hoover.)
Ray Saunders has yet to
play his first varsity game,
but Penn State basketball
coach John Egli is already
expecting great things from
him. Already, he’s the only
sophomore to crack the
Lions’ starting lineup.
“He'll never be a big scorer
for us,” Egli said, “but he does
so many things well and seldom
makes a mistake. This is the big
thing.”
Egli’s only wish is that Saun
ders would be only a couple of
inches taller. Then, according to
the Lion coach, he could hold |
his own with any ballplayer
around.
“The thing you have to admire
about him is the way he tries to
better himself,” Egli continued.
“He is always striving to perfect
new moves and polish the old
ones he knows.”
Saunders was not a big high
school star at West Mifflin, a
suburb of Pittsburgh, but he at
tracted the attention of Penn
State along with Louisville and
Maryland.
He was an All - Section 6
WPIAL choice his senior year
and the other four who made the
team will all start as college
sophomores this year.
Bill Ryczaj at West Virginia,
in Opener
The Lion coach said Saunders
has been improving steadily
since the first week of practice,
but he really showed his stuff
in a scrimmage against Du
quesne last week.
Egli said that one of the rea
sons Saunders seems to be
progressing so well stems from
the fact that he had a high school
coach who stressed fundamentals
of basketball.
“It makes it so much easier to
work with a boy when he has
had the necessary training in
day CAiiMH'PPC high school/’ Egli said. “I know
KAT SAUNUfcKS his coachj Bm Casper He « s a
Stewart Johnson at Murray ( real “bug" on teaching the
State, Buddy Benedict at Clem-;basics of the name”
son and Tim Edwards at Mass, fa fear .
chusetts were members of the Mof is t h e fact that Saunders
team a ong with Saunders. j might fee] nerv ous playing away
Saunders was a high school from home before the big crowds
forward but was switched to ear i y j n the season,
center last year by the then “i kind of wish we were open
freshman coach Snowy Simpson. j ng at home,” Egli continued.
He averaged over 17 points a /‘it makes it a lot easier on a
game for the freshmen and was boy to play in front of a home
instrumental in leading the team crowd. I know Ray will be nerv
to a 7-1 record. . ous a t first, but he’ll overcome
Egli moved Saunders back to that.”
forward this year, but also plans —JIM BUKATA
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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1963
to use him in the post.
“He can shoot well from out
side,” Egli said, “but what I
like about him is the way he
handles the ball in the pivot. He
works the ball smoothly and has
an accurate shot from the key
hole.”
** * *
* * *
* * *
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♦♦ . ♦
S. Pugh St.