Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-01-16
THREE FLOOR FTVES LEAD
Lincoln Geneva and Omaha Central
Seem to Be Prospective Lead
ers in State Arena.
CRETE SHOWS LOTS OF SPEED

/ Lincoln. Geneva and omaha High
schools appear to be the prospective lead
ers in the state basket ball arena. judg-
ing from the Developments of the last
week Crete, however, runs close be-
hind, having made q whirlwind week
OF it by defeating Coach Schissler's first
Doane college squad on Wednesday EVEN
ing and Hastings the following Friday
Omaha basket ball enthusiasts are as
much at large as ever as to the real
strength of the two local teams Where
it was expected that the packer squad
ron would win a close battle from the
Bluffs team Thursday night. Patton's
men, as per usual. failed 10, come UP
to snuff In the real test and allowed
the dope to take It's old position, Judg-
/ ing from scores Central, High has the
stronger team This is strengthened by
the fact that they met Coach Puryear's
! seven-footers on their own floor across
the river with a typical Bluffs crowd
roofing against them, What each team
I will do against Nebraska City later in
the season will probably show up their
! true relative strength.
Among the second class teams of the
state there are three leaders, who stand
clear above the horizon. Minden. the
fast five that lost the championship OF
division No. II at the state tournament
1 last year to the Hebron, quintet, by a
4 score of IS to Z. is showing up in splen-
( did form This team has cleaned up on
f several of the stronger teams in It's
| vicinity, including the Granville promi-
| nent Kearney five. Coach Parsons men
| lost their battle with this so-called sec
| ond class combination last week on their
| own floor, by a score Of AZ to q, an ig-
nominious defeat TO say the least. Hamp-
/ ton, the Hamilton county roller pin Is
still forging ahead in its schedule, leaN-
ing behind a long list OF victories for
| reviewing eyes. Hamptons p to Is win
| over Osceola on the latter's floor showed
| them 10 as considerable basket ball
team. Geneva, considered the strongest
team in the state to date, defeated the
osceola five. 80 TO 4, the night before
this game. however ~
! FairmOnt Ia strong.
Fairmont. secondary town In Fill
more county. has shown considerable
strength in defeating smaller towns in
the central eastern part Of the state
Arlington. the strong washington county
five. was defeated In one of the first
games OF the year. by a score of 4s TO
"a since then Grafton and scribner have
been added 10 the list of victories
Dispatches from lincoln concerning the
university management of the state tour
nament next March Indicate that the
entrants will be divided into three classes
"A, and C-with the first class includ-
ing eight or ten OF the strongest teams
of the state. The state championship will
eventually revert TO the contest between
, these eight first teams of the state.
Hence il win he the object OF those teams
that are elassed among the best 10 MAIN
tain their good record and enter in this
: division The selection will be made on a
: basis of the records made by the teams
. during the last season, the size OF the
town they come from and their past ex-
4 perience at state tournaments.
The restrictions viii make the selections
! of the state leaders far more difficult this
: season than ordinarily Afhiden. with
: identically the same team that played
= into the finals in class b division OF the
tournament last year, has not lost a
game this year after having played sew
eral strong teams. The smalhess Of the
: town will count against its possible en-
. trance ia this case. ON the other hand
d it would be unjust to allow i<earney. .
= much larger town. with not near the past
record OF Minden, 10 enter in the race
for the state championship and first silver
y cup. Geneva and Crete arc teams that
d viii suffer under the same restriction.
q Geneva has defeated Crete by decisive
Q score. while Crete has defeated both
e Hastings and Beatrice in fast hard
: fought games.
!. Two Other strong Teams.
q Nebraska City and Alliance are sure
leaders this year. Coach Crawford OF
: the latter school has several of his last