Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-14
BY II. c. BYRD.

The Maryland Agricultural College will
not be represented by basket ball team
this year. The status of the sport has
been in doubt at the Maryland school for
some time, but it was not definitely de-
cided until recently that five would not
be put out this season. Lack of suit
able quarters in which to play is the
main obstacle to be overcome before the
| college can turn out another quint.
Last year the Farmers hired a small
hall in Berwyn, which is about two miles
from the college. The facilities for play
I ing In this hall were very poor. not con-
sidering the inconvenience in getting to
and from it when regular contests were
to be played. The practice was held in
! the college gymnasium which was en-
tirely too small for the development of
the five to its highest efficiency.
In spite Of the lack Of facilities which
| surrounded the development of the team
| last year, fairly strong aggregation was
placed on the floor. 1t played New York
University. Washington and Lee and
Georgetown close games, and won from
| several of the smaller schools. This year
| there is plenty Of good material-in fact,
much better than last year-but it will
not be developed for the lack of proper
quarters.
.
will be built at the school before long,
and as soon as that Is done basket ball
will again be recognized by the college
authorities.
The scholastic basket ball league
which has been formed will start play
the first Friday in January. 1t was not
deemed advisable to open the schedule
before that time because of the long in
Permission that would take place during
the Christmas holidays.
Everything points to the success of the
league Five schools are entered and
neither seems to be out of the class Of
the others, and the fact that they are
evenly matched would seem to insure the
success Of the circuit from the standpoint
of good competition at any rate. And at
that there Is no reason why the schools
which support basket ball should not do
it in an organized way. Before this year
they have always played Independently
and the games have always been con-
Quoted more or less loosely, teams can
ceiling whenever they felt like 1t and in
competent oricials having charge of the
contests in many instances. Now, though.
1t is likely that these undesirable condi-
tons will not prevail and the whole
schedule will be played in a systematic
manner.
There has been a great deal of COM
ment because the Georgetown Props were
not allowed to enter the league when it
II a man who has had q great deal to do
with the formation Of the circuit said
that there was absolutely no objection to
the Blue and Gray youngsters entering
the organization il they would conform to
the eligibility rules demanded OF the other
schools. The man mentioned made the
statement that as he understood 1t the
men who played on the Props FIVE were
allowed to. compete with conditions, and
as the other schools barred such men,
it would not be fair to them to allow the
Georgetown youngsters to enter. He went
further, though. and said If somebody
in authority In the georgetown Prep
that institution would be allowed to COM
pete IL he had conditions the team would
be welcomed as member of the league.
The Catholic University basket ball
te I'm played its first game last night and
got away with a victory by a small mar
gin. The BroOklanders took the lead dur
ing the first half and, although hard
pressed. were never headed afterward
and gave indication Of much undeveloped
strength. Although the five against which
the Brooklanders played was hardly up
to the standard of some Of those which
will be met later In the year, IL was
the university men. Although many
crudities appeared in the play. they were
of the kind that can be eliminated by
nara DrdCIlCe duO ny CouiihS III NohtoSt
with strange teams
Mercer Of Pennsylvania is not only
good foot ball player. but is so versatile
along other lines that Mike Murphy says
he is the best all-round athlete ever de-
yeloped at Pennsylvania. not excepting
Kraentzlin, who holds the record for the
hurdles and collegiate broad jump. Be-
sides being one Of the best fullbacks in
the country Mercer can do more than
twenty-five feet in the broad jump can
90 over twelve feet in the pole vault and
can run the hundred-yard dash in close
to ten seconds. Murphy says that II Mer-
Ger performs anywhere near his standard
this year he will certainly be member
of the Olympic team which America will
send to stockholm next summer.
When II is considered that Mercer is fast
and is able to handle himself as Well as he
does with his 100 pounds there is little won
der that he is such line-smashing back
in foot ball. Any man with qualincations
such as the Penn man possesses would be
mighty hard to stop in foot ball game,
even though there were no interference at
all.
At the banquet given the foot ball team