The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-31

ball team, which plays the Bruins II
the first game of four-game series
for the state collegiate basketball It'll,
here next Friday night, has SO far en-,
joyed a remarkably prosperous season
That, however, is not unusual, at thu
Aggies have always won their bright.
est athletic laurels In the hoop game
Lest year the Bruins and Aggies did
not meet on the basketball floor, but
last fall, after athletic relations had
been resumed through the endeavors OF
Chancellor Elliott, four-game series
was arranged in order that the title
could be fairly settled. The first two
games will be played here Friday and
Saturday, while the final pair of bat
ties will be fought out in Bozeman on
March and 3.
The Aggies have always been noted
for the star basketball players turned
out from the farmer school, and this
to be as fast as any team that has ever
wore the blue of the state college, and
they are coming here confident in the
belief that they will be able to down
the fighting Bruins without much diff
ficnlty. The last Aggies basketball
team which appeared on the university
gymnasium floor was sent home in
disgrace, beaten. 33 to rs, and it is to
avenge this defeat that the Aggies
come to Missoula-
Fred Bennion. director of athletics
at the Montana State college and head
coach in all branches Of athletics, is
best known for the success he has
had with basketball teams. Bennion
received his early training at the Uni
versity Of Utah at Salt Lake City as
athletic director. Bennion was con-
sidered a good basketball coach and a
fair football coach at the Salt Lake
school, but some Of his policies did not
jibe with the ideas Of the Utah fac
ulty and he was turned loose in the
spring Of 1914, ostensibly for not hav-
ing maintained discipline among the
athletic squads.
Bennion was appointed athletic di-
rector Of Montana State college soon
after and took charge in the fall of
1914, turning out football team which
was beaten only once, then by the
Bruins. OFT Romney and Jack Trav-
ers, both of whom starred at Utah un-
der the Bennion regime, cast their lot
with their old chief at Bozeman. and
starred on the football team. Romney
also played high class basketball and
baseball and starred in the short
sprints.
Bennion had good basketball team
that winter. the quint playing such
fast CUNTS as the Troy five, profess
sional champions of the east, the
Triple BIS of Billings and the Univer-
sity of Utah.
The year of 1915-1916 the Aggies
dropped back into the old lethargy In
athletics and their victories in football
and basketball We're dnything but con-
spieuous. In 1916 the Agsies surprised
themselves by playing the Grizzly foot
ball team to a tie, and their basket
ball team is a good prospect.
The eleven men named on the Ag-
gies list as eligible for the games
against the Bruins are Jorgensen
Cannon, Crum, Taylor, Pitts, Rice
Bush, Ross, Harris. Bergman and Bur-
CESS. OF these, five are veterans OF
other years. They are "Husk" Rice
Homer Taylor Ross, Bergman anG
Burgess.
Jorgcnsen is the regular left for.
ward. lie is one of the many athletes
who have come from the southland tc
aid Bennion's hopes, and Is a fas,
floorman. who gives his guard al
kinds OF trouble. Homer Taylor Of
last years team plays at right for
ward. and has plenty of experience un.
der the Bennion regime. Pitts. substi-
tute forward, played with Belgrade
high school last year, while Cl-un
showed up well with the Firsyth five
in 1916. Cannon is another substitute
forward.
Husk Rice Star.
Husk Rice is playing his fourth and
last year on the Aggie team. Rice
played at guard in his first year, but
since that time has jumped center with
great success. Rice is well built to
withstand the attack of almost any
opposing player and has shown un-
usual ability as a basket shooter. He
received his primary basketball edu-
cation at the Flathead county high
school.
Bennion has had remarkably fast