Omaha daily bee., 1917-02-25
HARD TASK TO DOPE
STATE FLOOR RACE
Pre- Tournament Contest Nip.
and. Tuck Affair Between
Many Fast Fives.
TEAMS THAT LOOK LIKELY
THE FIRST TWENTY-FIVE.
By KARL LEE.

by MAXI LEE.
Twenty SIX teams will make up the
first division lineup in the annual Ne.
braska state basket bafl tournament
at Lincoln next month. The above
twenty-five quintets. one would as
sume from records up thus far during
the season. have the edge for posi-
tons in this cherished division.
The pre-tournament contest has
been a nip-and-tuck affair, state wide
in its scope 1t has been one con-
tinuous series OF upsets, the result
being a mess of records hard to un-
scramble. The range of fight has ex-
tended principally along the Platte
valley through the center of the
state 1t has broken in places, TAX
ing into consideration the valley of
the Elkhorn, the South Platte and the
Loup river Along the Kansas state
line and the Republican river there
has been hot and varied competi-
ton, but the playing here for the
most part is considered second class,
Superior, Hardy and McCook being
the only towns that have compara-
lively strong teams.
The more intense competition has
taken place in the central east, a tri-
angular section south of the Platte
valley which is bounded by Sutton,
Osceola and Diller. Here at the very
first of the season Friend and Diiler,
previously unknown, created a SEN
sation by laying low such old stand
bys as Crete, Geneva and Beatrice
The first two have recovered suffi-
GENTLY during the season TO be her
aided as first division caliber, but it
is doubtful if the Queen City, state
champions Of last year, has any H.
cense at all to be listed with first
class teams. Few are the victories
this team has scored. At present He
bron and Sutton vie for leadership,
the latter apparently having the best
claim, with but one defeat by Geneva.
Fairbury, Stromsburg and Osceola
represent reliable stuff among first
class teams,
Statewide interest, of course, is
centered in the Omaha, Lincoln and
Fremont district As the season
closes the contest here remains as
close as ever, no team having undis-
puted honors. South High has de-
feated Omaha and has been defeated
by Fremont, University Place and
Lincoln. while Omaha has won from
the latter two and trounced South
High once, TO cap the climax Uni
versity Place has fallen twice be-
fore the Capital City and Schuyler
claims victory over Fremont. Ar
lington and Wahoo were two other
fives of the district that made bad
rent in the records of their bigger
opponents.
But two other districts come in
for more than ordinary comment.
Norfolk, O'Neill and Genoa held the
guarding lines of a territory In the
north that was as hot, locally, as any
other in the state. Newman Grove
was the leading spirit, with Norfolk,
Albion and Genoa leading contenders.
Ewing, Clearwater, Oakdale, Madi-
son and Pierce can be mentioned as
having excellent second-class fves.
The last specific territory where
the competition took the form OF a
home mill was in the central Platte
valley just where the main river
branches into its two sources. Ra-
VIENNA, Kearney, Gothenburg, Lexing-
ton, Holdrege and Harvard stood the
brunt of the fighting, with the first
two emerging leaders with an ex-
change of victories. Grand Island.
York and Central City of the district
Immediately to the east maintained
good records, the first Gaping a long
list OF wins, including victory over
the Kearney five.