Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-02-02
ALL SIDES ARE
F0RTUNATEIN
TOURNEY PLACE
Little Nineteen Teams 10 Batf,e :.
Best Floor In Conference,
City Also Benefited.

(The Rock Island Argus has -.
cured Howard v. Willard Of N.
sporting staff Of the Peoria Star ~
write a series of articles on N.
Little Nineteen college baskethsn
tournament that will be held n fhs
Augustana College Gymnasium
March II. ~ and l3. Willard ia veli
Known in the conference, hayin,
played with Illinois Wesleyan from
1914 to 1917, being captain Of Ina,
team the year Augustana won ths
championship. Since graduation he
has become a well known foothan
and basketball official in this state
-Editor.)
BY HOWARD V. MILLARDA
The basketball fans of the n,
cities and especially Rock Island
were indeed fortunate when N,
athletic directors of the uniyer,.
ties and colleges Of the Illinois In.
tercollegiate Athletic association
better known as the Little Nine.
teen" set aside precedent and
awarded the annual basketball
tournament to Augustana at their
December meeting held in Peoria.
With the finest gymnasium in the
conference. if not among the minor
colleges Of the country, they could
not have selected a better site from
a playing standpoint or seating ar.
rangement. However, Augustan,
is over 200 miles away from some
of the schools and it was that fac,
tnat >set many Of the coaches to
thinking after the classic had been
voted to the Rock Island college.
Every tournament that has been
held in the past has been played
on the Bradley. Millikin or Illinois
Wesleyan floors because OF the
central location of these cities and
during that time the tournament
has become known as the greatest
basketball tournament in the world,
in fact the only one of its kind.
Have Been q Success.
From the start these tourna-
ments have been huge success
ard each year hundreds of college
athletes and their supporters have
travelled to Peoria, Decatur or
Bloomington to witness the play for
the greatest honor in the Little
Nineteen.
Augustana and Rock Island have
a big task before them on the DAYS
of March II, IL and Is. the dates Of
the tournament. for Coach Swed-
berg was forced to guarantee each
team so per cent of their expenses
in order to secure the event and
that will reach an enormous figure
with Is teams travelling to Rock
Island from all parts OF the state
besides other expenses that come
with such atournament.
Faith IN Tri.Cities.
1t wasn't the fact that Swedbers
guaranteed so per cent of the ex-
penses or that Augustana had such
a wonderful gymnasium that caused
the coaches to award the annual
classic TO Augustana. but the fac
that they had all heard OF the TIL
cities as wonderful sporting CEN
ters.
They knew that none OF the
three cities had ever entertained q
high school tournament, let alone
q college tournament known tne
world over and it was their feeling
that the event would he welcomed
and supported by all the lovers OIL
clean sport in Rock Island. Moline
ard Davenport that got the De
event for Rock Island.
Basketball has been growing N
popularity by leaps and bounds the
PAST few years and the game is now
looked upon as a major sport III
most of the schools OF the conn-
try. 1t wasn't so far back that th'
fellows thought it a girls game
ard frowned upon it but now ever
prep school. college and town =
proud of their basketball quln'e'
and play to enormous crowds.
The game is on a high plane, the
days of the home official and thp
home team winning is over 'ns
fans like to see high class gam
even though it might mean deled'
for their favorites.
Must Make Good.
Augustana enjoys the reputation
CT always sending out good cleah
fellows to represent them in atn-
letics and there isn't school in Inc
conference that doesn't enjoy nav
ing the good natured Swedes meei
their teams.
There are quite a number oi
schools in the Little Nineteen WAY
would rather lose to Augustiapa
than any team in the organizatloL.
It may be due somewhat to the iao'
that the Augies are quite ais.
lance away and the rivalry has nol
been developed but what ever tuT
cause may be they are favorites.
Augustana did big thing iol
their school. town and the othel
two cities when they bid for tns
annual tournament Of the Lit'is
Nineteen and they are deserving o.
the support of every fan in the VI,
cities so that they may make good
in staging the event.