Right Down The Line (1-16-55)

LAST NIGHT'S tournament games at Memorial Hall failed to arouse any great stir with everything coming out along expected lines except for the Midvale-Sugarcreek-Shanesville game. The Blue Devils had beaten the Pirates 47-45 earlier in the season and while the flashily-clad Midvale team was still rated as the favorite, the 16-point spread was just a bit higher than expected. Could be that the Blue Devils have improved much more than the Pirates and, if this is the case, Midvale might be the team to watch in the tournament "darkhorse" role. Port Washington and Stone Creek won as expected last night and both will now be in the underdog classification in their next outing. The Panthers get their chance to knock off a "big one" when they meet Tusky tonight while the Purple Riders are pointing for Strasburg Friday night.
*
WE'VE BECOME so accustomed to high scorers of late that when a low-scoring ball player is classed as an outstanding performer, we know he must be a good playmaker, rebounder, floorman, etc. Yesterday we read where Larry Huston of Savennah has scored 939 points in 20 games for an average of 46.9 per game. Then Rex Leach of Vienna had totaled 855 for 19 games for a 45-point per-game average. Carter Howell of Flushing is averaging only 40.6 per game. Where is the defense? Or do all of these 6-5 skyscrapers simply outjump, outrun and outshoot their opponents?
*
THEN WE hear Frank Wade, Columbus East's 6-foot star, described as a "coach's dream". Part of the description of Wade has him as a "great playmaker, calm, wonderful general, terrific dribbler, great rebounder, sensational as a feeder and a good shot". The catch to all this is that Wade is averaging 12 points a game for 17 games. Where does that leave him? Must a player be a tremandous scorer to rank in class of "the best". Do coaches center their attack around a "big boy" and skim over teaching fundamental basketball to the team as a unit. You be the judge of that. Personally we think a good basketball player is just as likely to be found among the "giants". Shooting seems to be the thing these days though and Ohio State's Robin Freeman is a good example of that.
*
THEY SAY Freeman has practiced shooting 365 days a year for many years. That's why he is so accurate with his jump shot and why he's so hard to bottle upl. The average player takes at least eight or nine shots a game, if he's got the basic plrinciple of the game in mind. If he's anyway near average in his shooting, he'll come up with at least six points in field-goals and perhaps add a few on fouls. The rub here is that most players are lousy shots on the run and the way the game is played today, the shooter who can fire while going full speed ahead usually gets many more points than the guy who has to set and shoot. Playmakers and guys who get their share of the ploints mostly o determination and by taking advantage of the breaks are few and far between.
*
*
*
Wednesday, February 16, 1955
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio