DUCK TRACKS
Assistant Sports Editor
By WALLY HUNTER
How long does it take before a sports fan forgets? When
the years roll by the feats of teams and individuals are rele
gated to the score books, and stacked away in dusty piles
ui siauauLb. who rememoers
and who cares? How much
water goes over the dam be
fore the memory of a great
ball player or a team has
lost its significance. The
football player with the trick
knee the basketball player
who never wants to get out
of a slow walk again, the
baseball player with his fore
> head furrowed from squint
ing into the sun, and the
BOBBY ANET
boxer with his squashed nose and rolled down ears might
toss off a quick answer—. . pretty damned quick, brother,
pretty quick.” But is it really pretty quick?
It Was Johansen ... Not Lavey
In yesterday’s Emerald sports page a cut of Wally Jo
hansen, first string guard on University of Oregon's incom
parable 1939 basketball championship team, was captioned
Bob Lavey. Lavey is a frosh member of the 1947 squad. The
question is, “Did anyone but Lavey notice this “mix-up,” and
if they did notice, did they know who the pictured ball player
was?” Aye lad, they did. The sports department was not
heseiged with phone calls on the “error,” but the older heads—
the guys that have been watching them come and go over a
goodly span of years picked it up. They remember all right.
But who could ever forget that combination? As the Ore
gonian Sports Editor L. H. Gregory tabbed them, “The Alley
cats,” so they will be remembered. They were the greatest
Oregon basketball team ever—they went all of the way.
That year Coach Howard Hobson’s guys raced through
a 34-game schedule that included the top teams in the nation
and in doing so dropped only five games. The combination
guards, Wally Johansen and Bobby Anet; forwards, Lad
die Gale, and John Dick, and center, “Slim” Wintermute
slam-banged their way through a heavy pre-season schedule
and took it from there. Of their 16 Pacific Coast conference
games they dropped only two. The first was a 31-50 loss to
Oregon State. The other was to Jack Friel’s WSC Cougars
39-34. ; That’s where they came by the name “Alleycats.”
They had good nights and bad ones, but at their worst they
were head and.shoulders above their competition. They al
ways won the important games. When the chips were down
they came through.
Of the 13 pre-conference tilts scheduled by Coach Hobson
9 were with top-flight college teams. On their swing through
the East the Webfoots lost to City College of New York 36-38,
and to Bradley Tech 52-39. On the Coast the Ducks took one
on the chin from Stanford 46-50. Other than that it was a
winning combination. They rocked and socked St. Joseph,
Miami university, Canisius college, Wayne university, Ma
comb teachers, and Drake university.
The Campus Went Wild That Night
In the Pacific Coast conference playoffs the Hobsonmen
skinned California’s Golden Bear twice 54-49 and 53-47.
This double win gave them the right to enter the Western
NCAA tournament where the Ducks rode heavy-handed
over Texas 56-41 and Oklahoma 55-37. Then in the pay-off
-**’game the Webfoot five won handily from a great Ohio State
team 64-33. That, then was it. That’s as far as any college
team could go. National champions they were and the local
papers proclaimed it in smashing style with four-inch ban
ner headlines. That was the night the Oregon campus went
wild. And it went wild in a big way.
On top ot the National championship the Ducks grabbed an
unprecedented number of individual honors. Named to All
American berths were Forward Laddie Gale, Guard Bobby
Anet and Center Slim Wintermute. Picked as a member of
the Western Regional NCAA all-star five was forward John
Dick. ,
That was a hot-rod combination if there ever was one.
And over and above all it was a combination. There were
five men playing ball on that team every time they hit the
boards. Some shone individually more than others, but
basically they formed a unit that came through. Some
thing very seldom seen today. The jerseys worn by the
first string five on that outfit are still on exhibition at Mac
Arthur court. Those numbers are retired. And they have
^earned a rest. So . . . how soon is it before sports fans
forget a great team or a great individual -performance? It
takes a long time,- -brother, a long time. ..
Betas, Chi Psis, Phi Sigs, SX,
Sig Eps, Theta Chi Win in IM
In yesterday’s intramural “A”
league games, the Betas downed the
Awfus 17-12, the Chi Psis dropped
Stitzer hall 21-10, Phi Sigma Kap
la defeated Merrick hall 21-16, Sig
ma Chi stopped the Rowdies 28-20,
the Sig Epst walloped the Stan Ray
BB five 42-16, and Theta Chi over
whelmed the Yeomen 40-10.
The Beta scoring machine was
slowed down to a walk by the close
checking Awful Awful five, but
still functioned in its usual smooth
way at ball handling and guarding.
Grabbing two quick baskets in the
first minute of play, the Betas man
aged to remain ahead of their op
ponents throughout the entire game
ana neia a live point advantage at
the closing whistle. Art Milne paced
the eBtas with 8 points.
The defensive-minded Chi Psi
quintet stopped Stitzer hall cold in
the second half as they racked up
a 21-10 victory. Just the opposite of
the raging first half battle which
saw the lead change hands twice,
the Chi Psis had things much their
own way in the second half.
While the Chi Psis counted 10 points
during the last half, Stitzer hall was
completeely bottled up by their op
ponents’ defense and failed to score
a point. Chi Psi led by one point at
the half. Preston Holt led the Chi
Psi attack with 8 points.
Phi Sig Game Slow
The Phi Sigs, in a slow, sloppy
game, downed Merrick hall 21-14.
The game was marred considerably
by the inability of either team to
control the ball or hit their shots.
The half time score was 16-9 in fa
vor of the Phi Sigs. Joe Chambers
was high point man for the Phi Sigs
with 9 points, and Bill Plue hit 5
counters for Merrick hall.
Sigma Chi led all the way in their
28-20 victory over the Rowdies. Af
ter handing the Rowdies the first
basket of the game, Sigma Chi un
leashed a smooth attack which the
Aqua-Ducks Journey
(Continued from page four)
Warren and Manager Bill Abbey
will also make the northern trek.
Washington has been tabbed the
team to beat this season and are
heavy favorites to annex the ND
title. They have already cracked
three northern conference records
and looked empressive in every
event. Against the feeble competi
tion offered by Oregon State the
Purple and Gold-clad swimmers
fairly flew through the water as
compared to a ra ther mediocre per
formance displayed by Oregon.
Oregon’s first football coach was
Cal Young.
!&04jul
for wintertime
indoor sport
DORSEY’S
U-BOWL
29 West 11th
Phone 4716
Rowdies were unable to stop during
the entire twenty minutes of play.
Breaking through their oppon
ent's defense, the Sigma Chis scored
repeatedly on easy lay-in shots, and
led 20-4 at the half. The Rowdies
found the basket in the second half
and whittled the Sigma Chi lead
down to 8 points before the game
ended. Sigma Chi's Dick Bums was
the high point man during the game
with 10 points.
Sig Eps Hot
Taking advantage of the faulty
defense of the Stan Ray BB quintet,
the Sig Eps took ah early lead and
proceeded to overwhelm their op
ponents 42-16. Hitting their shots
from all parst of the court during
the second half, the Sig Eps dropped
in 30 points as they ran wild over
the opposing team.
Playing heads up ball all the way,
the Sig Eps stole the ball numerous
times and made good use of their
fast break to score easy set ups.
Paul Smithrud paced the Sig Ep at
tack with 6 baskets.
Capitalizing upon fast breaks
and quick ball handling. Theta Chi
clobbered a weakYcoman squad
40-10. Theta Chi controlled the ball
from the opening jump to the clos
ing whistle, and they playde at a
never-let-up pace. Hitting the bas
ket with phenomenal accuracy, the
Theta Chi quintet led at the half
26-4 and stretched their lead to 30
points before the game ended. Roy
Baughman contributed 10 points to
the Theta Chi cause and was close
ly followed by Glen Kelly and Gene
Hebrard each with 9 markers.
DANCING
Saturday
Nights
to
Art Holman’s
Orchestra
Willamette
Park
Ph. — Springfield 326
Georges Grotto
764 Willamette
• Steaks
® Seafoods
• Chicken Dinners
Sandwiches and Salads
PARTIES AND BANQUETS WELCOME
For Reservations
Telephone 4527
JOHN JAY'S
'Skis in
the Sky5
(in full color)
WOODROW WILSON SCHOOL
12th & Jefferson
Eugene, Oregon
7:30 P. M. Saturday, February 1
50c plus tax
Sponsored by the Obsidian Club