Two weeks ago, sports fans from this neck of the woods were
astounded to hear the amazing news that Oregon, yes, our be
loved school, was named the top basketball institution in the
country. We who were reclining in our favorite sleeping post
in economics class, suddenly gasped alound when the printed
news hit us smack between the eyes. The bold face type seemed
to be a foot high. Oregon—our school—here on the campus—
JCugene—Oregon—OREGON the number one cage outfit in
Wie country! . ..
; Surely someone was jestipg. This couldn't actually be true.
Why,’ we had already dropped a few practice tilts, and the
•northern:division egg-sperts had consigned us to a fourth or
-fifth place role in the conferencefinaLstandings.
So, we treated the matter lightly'and drew up a few con
clusions:
(1) The guy that picked the teams in their respective order,
one Dick Dunkel by name, hadn’t had a chance to see the. 1943
.team in action ...
(2) Maybe he was basing his selections on the Oregon team
of the past five years', or maybe he was just taking into con
sideration the 1942 group ... ,
Dunke! Qualified
(3) Or maybe he was looking for a job in the northwest . . .
Frankly, we didn’t know what to think of this unexpected
bombshell. But after a mental review, we recalled that Dick
Dunkel made a business of this prognosticating and survey
^^ting, and we remembered that said Dunkel has been actively
engaged on the Pacific Coast for the last five years with a radio
■ program, and newspaper articles, knocking out these little per
centage digits, forming charts and tables and graphs, etc. in a
final analysis of the relative strength of athletic teams.
But, shucks, Dunkel was supposed to be an expert on foot
ball, not basketball. So what gives? How come he gave our
boys the nod ?
Two days ago, we had our answer from the man who first
received the shocking news, varsity cage boss Hobby Hobson.
Hobby was a bit taken back by the unexpected news, too.
But he unraveled the situation in quick order. It seems that Mr.
Dunkel’s rating was largely based on Oregon’s fine showing in
.eastern barnstorming tours of the past few years. Dunkel has
seen the Ducks in action, and frankly likes the green and gold’s
style of play better than that of any college aggregation in the
country.
But Mr. Dunkel’s survey was not a yarly affair, or a per
manent one. You see, lie whips up one of these charts every
*pek. And although he knew that we had dropped noncon
rence affairs in late December and early January, he rtded
those contests out, on the basis that they were not intercolle
giate games, and therefore not classifiable in the survey.
Nose Dive
But along came the pare of games with Willamette, and after
the second battle, which we grabbed by only a few points,
DunkeBs-imwd began to change. Maybe he had been a bit
hasty. So he hoisted Oregon off her first place perch, and shoved
her down into third place, still plenty high. Think of it, ORE
GON now the third best team in the country. Still a plenty
big honor, something to be enjoyed by all citizens of Eugene.
And then, last week's basketball action blew in. We had four
g'ames scheduled in five days, running into two conference tiffs
with the Idaho Vandals, and a pair of battles with the Wash
ington State Cougars. Well, even the ardent Duck supporters
hadn't clambered aboard the Oregon bandwagon by then.
The talk ran like this: “Yes, maybe we’ll cop a couple from
^aho. But it will be no cinch. And don’t be surprised if they
beat us. It'll probably wind up in a split series.” Overconfi
dence? Hardly. The twin win from the Vandals, therefore, was
a pleasant surprise, especially the first evening affair which saw
our boys waltzing away with a twenty-point margin.
The Sleigh Ride Goes On
And then, the trip to Fuiiman. The die-hards were murmur
ing in their beards: “We haveiv’t got a chance. It’ll be a double
shellacking from WSC!”
But the pessimists were wrong again. We took the first game,
dropped the second, and ended our Inland Empire trip with a
slate showing three victories one defeat. But, aha! The Dunkel
survey had its ears and eyes perked in a northern direction,
and when the news leaked out of Pullman that Oregon had
Jfcpped a game, Brother Dick moved into action.
WIn a measure which seemed as if he had been waiting days and
hours and minutes to perform, Dunkel chopped Oregon from
the select list of the Big Ten, and shoved her down into the
lower basketball ranks. At that, Dunkel was kind enough to
Huskies Get
Loop Lead
Washington’s win over Oregon
last night elevated the Huskies
into first place standing in the
northern division of the Pacific,
coast conference basketball race.
The Huskies bagged their sec
ond win against two losses, and
the Ducks' record ran to three
wins and two losses.
Oregon has played five games,
two games more than her near
est competitor.
The Ducks opened the casaba
race by waxing the Idaho Van
dals in a pair of conference bat
tles at Moscow. Then, continuing
on their scheduled four - games -
in - five - days schedule, our
boys split with Washington State,
winning the first game, dropping
the second.
Washington Splits
Washington, in their confer
ence games thus far, split a two
game series with Oregon State,
losing the first encounter, and
annexing the second battle.
Idaho and' Washington State
opened a two-game series last
niaht.
Nortnern Division ataiiaings
W. Li. Pet.
Wash.2 1 .666
Oregon ..v.3 2 .600
Wash. State .1 1 .500
Oregon State .1 1 .500
Idaho .0 2 .000
oame learns Ulash
Tonight's action pits Oregon
< Please turn t.n Pape six)
CORVALLIS COACH . . .
. . . “Slats” Gill and his gang- of
Beavers earned a split in their
series with the Huskies this week.
Fresh Hoopsters
Face By re leys
This afternoon at 4:00 in Mc
Arthur court, a Portland team
representing Byreley’s Sports,
plays the Oregon frosh basket
ball team, who have won four
consecutive games during the
present season. The frosh will be
seeking their fifth straight win
in this game, and the affair
promises to be one filled with ex
citement.
This game precedes the varsity
game some four hours, and will
suffice to rouse some spirit for
the freshman class for the social
mix that follows the varsity
game tonight.
TROUBLE ON TAP .....
A1 Popick, substitute basket-bomber tor the Duck varsityi will be
out for points tonight.
Public Urged to Attend
Webfoot Swim Trials
By ROLLIE GABEL
Time trials for the Oregon
swimming team will be held at
the men’s pool this afternoon at
2:30, and promises to be a foam
chuf'ning' event as the boys are
intent on cutting down their
times for the coming meet with
the Oregon State water dogs,
January 30.
Improvement Due
Last Saturday’s time trials
were rather unsatisfactory in the
eyes cf Coach Mike Hoyman and
also in the eyes of his boys,
which accounts primarily for the
intense seriousness that the en
tire swimming team has shown
in their swimming for the past
week, especially in the “fooling
around” competition that Coach
Hoyman had the boys doing yes
terday. This “fooling around”
competition opened, the eyes of
the coach in several events, es
pecially in the free styling of
Freshman Goe.tier, who not only
placed his hand on the finishing
rail before varsity man Chuck
Nelson, but also made a rather
remarkable time in the 100 yard
event. This boy Goetier is going
to be a man to watch in all com
leave the Ducks rest as the third best ball club on the Pacific
Coast.
Now It's Creighton
Our basketball fortunes will rise or be lowered in the Dunkel
survey, depending on the current melon-tossing series with the
University of Washington.
Incidentally, Dunkel has chosen Creighton University of
Omaha, Nebraska, as the outstanding team in the country for
this week.
Last night we saw a little score in the paper that was inter
esting: Creighton—40, Drake—31. Creighton, supposedly the
greatest team in the country trims Drake, a second division
club in the Missouri .Valley conference. No slam intended for
Drake, our former alma mater, incidentally, but we’re just
viewing Mr. Dunkel’s little form chart with a questionable
look.
ing meets and will probably take
some qf- the much-needed points
and probable honors from the
Oregon State team next Satur
day.
Power to Be Shown
Tomorrow' at the time trials
will show the power of both the
varsity and freshman team, as
the day will mark the choosing of
the men for these respective
teams, also the choosing of cap
tain and co-captains of both
teams. Consequently all the boys
will be trying hard for berths for
the varsity team.
The time on the freestyle med
ley event convinced Coach Mike
Hoyman that there is hopes for
a strong team, a fact that was
rather dubious in the coach’s
mind.
Following is a tentative sched
ule for the intersquad meet, that
everyone and anyone is invited
to attend. The meet promises to
be one filled with spray and foam,
if yesterday’s competition is any
criterion.
First event: 300-yard medley
which will be swum in the back
stroke, breaststroke, and free
style, each stroke being swum
100 yards by different men. The
men in these respective strokes
are Smith and Tugman, breast
stroke, Huestis, and Houston
swimming freestyle.
Second event: 220 yard free
stroke, swum by Nelson, Allen,
and Gautier.
Third event: 60 yard'freestyle:
Hoffman, Korrell, Foy, and Pen
nington.
Fourth event: 100 yard free
style: swum the first heat by
Nelson and Allen, and the second
heat swim by Hoffman, Korrell.
Pinkerton, and Houston.
Fifth event: 150 yard event:
backstroke swum by Prowell,
Smith, and Tugman.
(Please turn to page six')