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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 5, 1947)
DUCK TRACKS By WALLY HUNTER Assistant Sports Editor Is the 1947 league-leading Oregon State—basketball team really dropping their time habit of slow set-em-up Slats C.ill style of basketball, or is it playing a type of ball that is nothing more than a flashier ver sion of slow ball? Oregon’s Coach Howard Hobson is of the opinion that the Beavers, as of old. arc not a fast-breaking ball club. And though there are many dissenting voices in the sports writing world, Hobby may have a point or two in his argument well worthy of consideration. Analysis of Fast Break Hobson’s definition of a fast breaking team is one that gets the HOWARD HUDSON Dan ort tne backboard, or out of bounds via a successful shot by the opposing team, and then goes down the floor to take advantage of the first good shot opportunity. In other words a fast breaking team in his estimation, is not a team that goes down the floor and then proceeds to set up plays and shots that are considered a sure thing. The seconds that elapse between the time that the team first gets the ball and then takes a shot is his way of judging whether it is a real fast-breaker. The affable mentor also says that a real race-horse gang will keep up their speed demon tactics no matter what the defensive situation is. Some teams will high-ball it only so long as they have numerical advantage over the defensive team on the way down the floor. An example of this would be when the team with the ball has three men going down court and only two defensive men are there to make the break-up attempt. In Hobby’s eyes a real hook-and-ladder outfit will steam away when the other team has their five man defensive set-up firmly planted down court. The genuine fast mover will definitely not travel under a full head of steam only when they get the jump on the opponent, nor will they ^hot-rod it only so far as th*e front court and then phony it up with the set style. They go all of the wgy. Hec Says They Run Dick Strite in his Eugene Register-Guard sports column the “Highclimber,” quoted Washington Coach Hec Edmund son as answering a definite “Yes,” to the question of whether the Beavers are faking it or doing the real thing. Strite in turn agrees with Edmundson because Hec was the origi nator of the fast break and because he (Strite) has, “seen a tendency toward a faster OSC offense,” in the past few years. Also on that side of the fence is the Oregonian’s L. H. Gregory who believes that the Beavers this year are running the drawers off every team they play. ... In spite of the aligned opposition Hobby says “No.” A Stop-Watch Is the Answer... Maybe There is no pat answer to the question. When gentlemen such as Hobby and Hec disagree it would be a foolish guy indeed that would step up with the answer. Much of this is a matter of definition and interpretation. Just what is a good definition of a fast breaking team? How fast does a team have to travel before they can be tagged with fire horse title? There are a lot of these questions that enter into the argument. It is, however, an interesting question and one that can best be settled with a stop watch. Actually check the time it takes *~a team to get down floor and take a shot and the answer might be there. The final Washington game in the Igloo last night and the coming OSC-Oregon meeting March 1 should supply a goodly part of the answer. If there is an actual difference in speed the watch should show it . . . and to what degree. This does not mean that Hobson is belittling the Beaver ball club. He has the highest regard for the team. He dis agrees only with those that say that Oregon State is running the rest of the teams in the league to death. Football Coach Jimmy Aiken had his first formal meet ing with the Webfoot football squad yesterday and from all indications he made a good solid impression with the team members. Wherever Aiken goes people are struck with his forthright manner in speech and actions. There’s nothing soothing in his voice or manner, but it makes friends. To an Oregon football fan his statements to the effect that his teams will fight and have spirit are music to the ear. Aiken couldn’t possibly say anything that would make a bigger hit with the railbirds. It might be interesting to note that the Webfoots first 1947 football opponent the University of Texas has started spring practice. The Longhorns got underway with a squad of 125 men. Remember Austin in 1941? Frosh Add Two More Ducklings Tromp Gaels, Pioneers for 19 Straight Continuing their elevator-like ascent, the Oregon Frosh added two more scalps to their already crowded victory belt, making it a total of 19 straight, by winning easily from St. Mary’s high school 48-26, and the Oregon City Pioneers 69-33, in McArthur court yesterday afternoon. The Ducklings, running slowly in the first two periods against tlve St. Mary’s Gaels, managed a 23-12 lead at inter mission time. ,--— Back Injury Stops Star Idaho Center MOSCOW, Idaho, Feb. 4—(AP) Coach Guy Wicks said tonight that Fred Quinn, all-coast center for the University of Idaho basketball team, probably will not play much, more basketball this season because of a back injury. The recurrent back sprain which kept Quinn out of action against Washington State last Saturday is not improving rapidly, Wicks said. Gerald Sherwood started the third period for the Frosh with a gift shot and was matched by teammate Elton Lantz with a one handed push-shot from 15 feet out. Bartholomew, St. Mary’s i guard, flipped in a lay-in for the Gaels, their first score since early in the second quarter. A few minutes later, with the Ducklings pouring on the fast break, Lantz holed two more to make the-score 37-18. Frosh Control Boards St. Mary’s small squad was forced to shoot over the Frosh defense, making only a few of their cast-offs. The Ducklings had a great advantage in control of the backboard. In the fourth period sparked by Don Kimball the Frosh coasted to an easy 48-26 win. Against Oregon City the Duck lings found a team that was will ing to run. Forward Bill Green opened hostilities for the Frosh with a lay-in and another field goal. Not to be out-done, Rod Downey added, two more points with a one-handed push shot from the right of the key. He was fol lowed by Rog Mockford with an other basket before the Pioneers could stop the damage at 8-0. Pioneers Rally Rod Thompson, tall Oregon City center, canned a free throw and was accompanied with two buck ets by Forwards Harry Johnson and Roy Schnaible. Thompson came back again with another basket and the score stood 10-7 with Oregon holding the heavy end. Both teams pulled out the throttle and the game became a hard running fast-break. The first period ended with the Pio neers trailing 17-11. Oregon started the second quar ter with five fresh men, who in creased the pace some more. Lantz scored first with a whirl shot from the key and a short one from out. Chuck Rufner and' Ken Johnson plunked two more in as the Ducklings began to pull away slowly. Frosh Defense Stiff The Pioneers found it increas ingly difficult to hang onto the ball let alone work it through the Frosh defense. Oregon City chose the only alternative and tried to shoot over, but with very poor accuracy, makng only three points during the entire third period, while the Frosh were running rampant, racking up 20. The count at the end of the third quarter stood 54-19 for the Little Ducks. In the final period the Frosh slowed to a crawl as compared with their pace in the first three quarters of the contest while the persistent Pioneers came to life behind tsub Don Hoffman, high man for them with eight, and little Bob Myers, a fast dribbling guard. They managed to sink 14 points while the Yearlings pound ed in 15 to win with a 69-33 score. ■ (Please turn to page six) i Duck Locker Room Quiet After Washington Win The Ducks came through last night. They hadn't won a game in the Igloo since January 3 when they defeated Washington State in the conference opening game. Ex pected pandemonium didn’t reign in their locker room last night though. No. They were rather quiet in fact. An unwary visitor might even have thought that it was the losers’ abode. Coach Howard Hobson closed the doors as soon as the team mem bers came down from the maples. It was the “Vertebrates” who had the most spirit and Captain Bob Wren proudly announced to his team, with a sly innuendo to the curious first stringers, that he had become the proud possessor of a wad of money. Yep, “Vertebrate” Bob got dough and he told his boys of a secret rendezvous. All the players commented on the terrific game Ken Hays played, and they were of the general opinion that it was the best tiff he had ever turned in. Ken was pretty tired. He didn’t say much, just accepted the congratulations and readied him self for his resumption of student duties. fcl- . -" Washington’s Les Eathorne pro vided a bit of excitement in an un usual way. The Oregon men were sitting around discussing the game when someone came in looking for Dr. Guldager and announced that Eathorne had had a heart attack. The doc left in a hurry for the Washington locker room and the Ducks just held their seats. Eath orne was OK, according to Guldag er when he returned. The heart at tack was just a paralysis of the stomach, and Eathorne had been, hit pretty hard. The team’s parting glance as they left was at the blackboard with the simple yet stirring message, "Ag gies Saturday," written on it. CLASSIFIED CAMERA WANTED: Good used reflex or 35 mm. Leica, Contax, outfit, by Oreg. grad. 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