By Bob Robinson
Emerald Sport* Editor
Well, the basketball season is all over as far as the Oregon
1 hicks are concerned and it seems only appropriate that same
kind of evaluation should he made of the past season.
Before Bill Borchcr’s capers opened their 1953-54 schedule,
the VVebfoots were conceded little chance of threatening Orc
g01' State for the Northern Division championship or of win
ning more than half of their games over the entire season.
' In both the e respects the experts were wrong. The Ducks
fought the Beavers tooth and nail all the way through the con
ference pennant race and, as it turned out, the title was on the
block when the two teams lined up for opening tip-off in the!
final tussle of their four game series.
l or the whole season the Oregon ended up with 17 wins
against only 10 defeats, much better than the 50-50 split which
they were tabbed to attain.
Good Teamwork
\\ hat can the better than expected showing be attributed to? |
We think that the primary factor in the Ducks’ coming up with!
their respectable record* w as the great all around teamwork |
which the squad displayed throughout the year.
\\ hat the \V cbfoots lacked in ability, they made tip for with
good, solid, and fundemental team play. When the Orcgons took j
to the maple boards on any given night it was just about any
body's gue a* to who would be high point man for the Ducks, j
No one man monopolized the scoring column game after game!
w ith his basket shooting. One night Kd Halberg would be the
pace etter, then Barney Holland, Ken Wegner, or Max Ander-!
son would take over the scoring reins. Upon occasion, w hen |
none of the above were having an on night, Jerry Ross, How-I
ard Page, Ray Bell, or Bob Hawes all were capable of manu-1
factoring a noteworthy point total.
Spirit Helps
Probably just as important as teamwork was the Ducks’ de-j
sire to win. On some occasions the Ducks had this important!
“w ill to w in’’ spirit and on others they didn’t. Many of the Ore- ;
gon los es can no doubt be credited to nights when the Web- j
foots were not quite up for the game.
But, w hen they wanted to win, the Ducks proved to be a very!
tough outfit to cope with for any of their opponents. Some of
the games when the Ducks were their sharpest were in the t\Co
wins over OSC, the 81.-63 triumph over Idaho, the 84-68 walka
way from Nebraska, and the series sweep over San Jose State.
Looking to the season, as a whole, one cannot help but com
mend Borcher and his team for a job well done, one that made
Oregon's name well known in basketball circles all along the
coast.
Next Year?
Many people have been wondering just what kind of team
the Oregons will sport next year and, of course, it is much too
early to give any accurate facts on the matter.
By the graduation route the Ducks will lose some of their top
stars, including Ed Halberg, Barney Holland, Ken Wegner,
Boh Hawes, and Boh Stout. There is no doubt that these gaps
are going to he very tough to fill, but, despite them, the out
look isn’t too gloomy.
Howard Page, Jerry Ross, Max Anderson, and Boh Glaves
were all valuable to the Ducks this season and all of them
should show marked improvement before another season rolls
around. Reserves who saw limited action and will he back
again next season are Kent Dorwin, Gary McManus, Art
Weatherford, Bill Sherman, and Rex Davis. All these players
are capable and only need experience to develop into valuable
assets to the team. *
Add to the above list several outstanding Frosh prospects
and you will about have next year’s squad in a nutshell.
Green and Fast
From all indications it looks as if next year’s quintet will be
similar to Washington’s team of this season, very green but
also very eager. From the list of prospects it appears that the
1954-55 Ducks will have speed to burn with a definite surplus
of fast guards.
In throwing a lpok into the future it appears to us that next
year Oregon will have a team that probably won’t be a threat
for the N. I), championsip, but will definitely be an unpredict
able obstacle for all their opponents.
Washington State Favored to Win
Pacific Coast W^restling Tournev
One of the lar^e«t tournaments
in history is predicted for this year
with seven schools sending full
teams to the fifth annual Pacific
Coast Intercollegiate grappling
tourney to be held at Cal Poly,
March 12-13.
Wrestling Coach Sheldon Harden
of Cal Poly and tournament di
rector, says that Washington State,
UCLA, Oregon State, California,
San Jose State, San Diego State,
and Cal Poly will have men in each
of the 10 weight classes. Santa
Clara will enter four men.
Two schools—Portland State and
San Francisco State — also are
scheduled to have representatives.
Harden said that Stanford may not
have entries because the tourney
falls during examinations.
Three school* have notified offi
cials they will not have wrestlers
in this year's event. They are Cali
fornia Aggies, Lewis and Clark
college, and University of Oregon.
LIVELY MEET
“I look for the liveliest and the
most Interesting tournament ever
held,” Harden predicted. "With so
many full teams entered compe
tition will be high. Also there are
numerous outstanding wrestlers
in each weight.”
Washington State won the
tourney last year with Oregon
State taking second.
Washingtoin State college, de
fending PCI wrestling champions,
are favorites to retain their crown
Yankees Lose
MartintoDraft
Ily the Associated Press
The world champion New York
Yankee baseball team, already in
training for the coming season at
St. Petersburg, Florida, learned
Thursday that they will have to
do without the services of second
baseman Billy Martin for a while.
The hero of the 1953 World Series
has been summoned to army duty.
Martin was told today that he
must report on Monday morning
in San Francisco.
There has been no doubt that
Martin would be called up in the
draft since he was recently re
classified. However, Martin had
believed the call would not come
for a few months.
Martin said he will fly from St.
Petersburg Friday for San Fran
cisco. Martin served five months
in the army but was discharged in
1951 because of his dependents.
The hustling Yankee second
sacker would have found out about
his induction sooner but his moth
er didn’t have the heart to tell
him.
Mrs. Joan Downey, who received
the papers over a week ago, said
the New York Yankee infielder
already had so many worries she
didn’t want to tell him.
Mrs. Downey said she received
the induction notice before Martin
left for the Yankee training camp.
Come in for an adventure
in exotic Cantonese
Dishes
Serving you fine
Chinese and American foods
at moderate prices
FAMILY STYLE DINNERS
CHUNG'S
Jut! s few slept off Willamette
26 West 7th Avenue
Ph. 3-132'
in the fifth annual tourney.
The Cougars, coached by color
fui Bill Tomaras, enter the tourney
with an undefeated season record
of eight dual meets against the
best the Pacific coast has to offer.
THREE CHAMPS
The Washington State matmen
will be headed by three defending
PCI champions, three second place
men, and two third place wrestlers.
Defending their crov/n this year
will be Richard Gibson, 123 pounds;
Byron Nelson, 147; and Dan Mc
Ghee, 167 pounds. In dual meets
this year, Gibson is undefeated in
eight times out. Nelson has lost
two and McGhee one. McGhee’s
lone loss was to Jim Ellis of Fort
Lewis, Wash.
Rounding out the Cougar squad
are Shoba Oyawoye, 115 pounds;
Alden Peppel, who took second
place last year in the 130 pound
class; Jim Dolle, 137-pounds; Ray
Needham, third place in the PCI
last year , at 157 pounds, and Joe
Hoyt, 177 pound contender.
Vaughn Hitehock, who took a
second place iast year at 177
pounds, will step up to the 191
pound class. Skip Pixley, the third
place holder in last year’s PCI
tourney is the Cougar heavyweight
entry.
OSC DANGEROUS
Oregon State could be favored
to take the tourney for they have
three returning champions and one
aecond place matman returning to
this year’s fracas.
However, in dual competition
this year, the Beavers have run
into trouble, especially from de
fending coast champions, Wash
ington State, who dumped the
Beavers 27-6 earlier this season.
Despite this reversal, northern
observers feel that Oregon State
runs a good chance of upsetting
the cart with men like Gary Me
N. Y. Giants Call
Cougars' Berry
By Assoeaited Press
Wayne Berry, Washington
State’s fine halfback, talked with
the New York Giant football offi
cials Monday and said he would
sign a professional contract with
them after the basketball season
is over.
Berry, seventh round choice of
the Giants in the National Foot
ball League draft, is playing with
the Pullman Martin-DeSoto team
in the AAU basketball tourney
which opens in Spokane Wednes
day.
Berry, a senior from La Grande,
Oregon, conferred with Welling
ton Mara, the Giants’ secretary.
I c«in- H5 pounds; Bill Ciester, 167;
i Lew Williams, 191, and Bill Tubbs,
! 157. McClain, Giester and WHliams
i won titles last year and Tubbs an
| nexed a second place medal. Mc
j Clain also was named the tour-*
I ney’s outstanding matman. How
i ever, Giester and Tubbs were a
: weight lighter last season.
SELL IT THRU THE
WANTADS
Don Wenrl, Classified Advertising Mgr.
j FOR SALE — '46 Olds convert.
Rebuilt motor, new paint, Hy
dramatic, radio, heater, and ex
tras. $350. Ph 4-5653. 3-11
j FOR rent—Quiet room. Kitchen
laundry, phone privileges, pri
vate entrance. For couple , or
two men. Close to campus. Ph
5-8145. 3-n
FOR RENT — Room & Board and
board alone. Ask at 874 East
13th St. or call 4-0422. 3-13
FOR RENT — Attractive 1 room
furnished house 2 miles from
campus — $33. Ph. 5-0864. 3-5
LOST —• Black onyx ring, spartln
head engraved. Reward. Call
Keith Shepard, Ext. 388 3-8
FOR SALE — Davenport, $15.
Drapes, slipcovers, misc. Ph. 4
8525. * ' 3-U
FOR RENT — One bedroom apt.
$65. Suitable for graduate stu
dent or faculty. Ph. 4-8525 "
VETERANS! — A reserve recon
ditioning Battalion has Fivfc
openings for veteran EM. Don't
lose your grade by not attend
ing active reserve. Paid train
ing period every Thursday eve
ning at 7:30. For information
phone 5-049. 2-10
SWIM
Winter Swim Schedule
Afternoons 2 to 6
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Nights 7 to 10
Wednesday, Ttaurs., FrL, Sat.
BENTON LANE
NATATORIUM
4 mi. No. of Junction City
on Highway 99 West
Phone Junction City 8-2830
Track Men
There will be a meeting
of all track men . . .
both
Varsity and Frosh
5 p.m., McArthur Court
Friday, March 5
In the track dressing room