The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-01-06
Minor Colleges Haven't Fair
Show To Get the Best Out
of Coaches and Men
ONLY FEW GOOD COLLEGE
COURTS IN THE STATE
Mt. Pleasant Normal Excels All
Others in Facilities For
the Game
BY RALPH L. YoNKER.

Basketball among the minor col.
iegss OF Michigan Is of a poorer quaI-
.ty than that of the lesser colleges
OF many other states.
The most potent cause for this -
he lack OF good basketball courts. (
With the exception of Hope college
at Holland. the Central State Normal
.chool at Mt. Pleasant. the Western
state Normal at Kalamazoo, and pos.
IDLY Kalamazoo college, there isn't
college In the lower peninsula which
mas court that is good. The Uni.
versity OF Detroit has the best OF the
schools remaining, but that is not all
that might be desired.
Tae poor courts do not give coaches
end players u chance TO develop the
Eest that Is IN them. Consequently.
while the material here may be just
as good rs IS that OF some other
states, the results aren't produced.
Here Is some dope which will show
how Michigan colleges compare with
eastern schools. The University of
Detroit last year defeated 'AGrial,
Nihion, Hillsdale and Ypsilanti while
IIillsdale and Adrian beat Alma.
Detroit won from Adrian at Adrian
&c TO 13, the hosts failing To score
single basket In the second half
after the Detroit men had become
used to the court.
Detroit won from Albion (Which
later captured the M. I. A, A. cham
ilionship) AZ to Is. Hillsdale. too.
Coach Campbell's men defeated 40
TxUn cronfaa Gra nIaVad Wfftt
Ypsi, the first being 62-16 victory
.ar Detroit, the latter a 47-S triumph.
Then the University OF Detroit took
trip east and lost three games TO
college teams on foreign floors.
Coach Bleamaster OF Alma, who
played ad coached In wisconsin.
says that basketball among the minor
colleges In that state Is much FAST
er than II Is here.
Thus Il appears that many states
Lave 1t on Michigan In the winter
game.
Excellence In basketball depends a
great deal on the courts on which
The teams must play. Winning also
depends much on whether team is
nsed to the court II is playing on.
Many OF the Michigan college tcams
play finely on their own courts, but
can't win away from home.
Mt. Pleasant has court that Is
cxccllcd by few In the country. ,t
is I'm the center of three-story gym.
aasium and Ii Is all three stories high
with a skylight. The electric lights are
fine. They shed plenty OF light. but
are SO high that they are out OF the
way. Tho court Is large and there is
plenty OF room in the galleries foc
spectators.
Hope has probably the second best
gymnasium at Holland. II Is also
large and roomy. That Is no doubt
one reason that the Hope college boys
always excel in the game, cleaning
up colleges which are out OF the HOPE
class, although their showing in foot
ball and baseball Is dismal. Vruwink,
one OF the stars of the Chicago Unl-
yersity team which defeated the "Y''
here a short time ago, Is former
Hope man.
Kalamazoo Normal has a good court
but no team. Kalamazoo college has
new gym.
Name these colleges and you have
named those, In the lower peninsula
at least, which have the best courts.
Compared to the others, the u. of ID.
Is paradise. but that Is not saying a
great deal for II.
The II. OF ID. will not accomodste as
many spectators comfortably as II
ought to. However, the ceiling Is
high and the baskets are free from
distractions.
At Alma the court is in the gynr
nasium with a low ceiling and heavy
rafters hanging so low that Ions
passes and long shot at the baskets
are impossible. The court crowds the
walls at sides and ends and spectat
ors must be taken care OF In little
alcoves and along the side lines. The
baskets are placed on the ends ol
the hall against the walls. The Alma
men have TO play the backboards for
their baskets on short shots constant
~ and consequently are poor at Ions
shots.
Adrian has very poor court. II
Is OF the pig.pen" variety, with tho
walls of the room forming the side
lines. There IL no out OF bounds
Some professional teams in the east
- - a