The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-05
Blues Expected To Give Con-
 ference Cage Champions
 Tough Game In First Con- s test Of Local Schedule

The Mississipp Maroons. the"class" of southern intercollegiate basket ball last season. will arrive in Bir- mingham Saturday morning from Memphis, where Friday night they saturday night at s:30 will go onto the Birmingham Athletic club floor in combat with Coach Ervin's Blues. X. The Blues finished up their preiim- mary worK for the game Friday night with a brief workout and are the lineup will be for the local quintet was not announced by Coach Erwin and the starters will prob ably not be notified until just before the game. However the lineup most likely to get under way at the first whistle for the Blues is as follows: Norman Mandy and Hugh Montgomery, forwards; Captain Hub Hahn, center; Clemmie Laughin- house and Martin Ferguson, guards
 Although no lineup was given ott the personnel of the reserve B. A. C' squad that played in the city league Friday night would indicate that this combination was the choice ot Coach Erwin with probably one, or at the most, two changes.
 The team that will represent the Athletic club on the court this sea son may develop into great five or it may only play in mediocre form. If work and more work, with good coaching, can get it out ot them the squad will round out a great quintet, for Coach Erwin has been driving the men relentlessly for the past week. and although this lis the first game the team will be Tn good shape physically. The team work that has characterized the $. faa nf will, of course, not be developed we'll enough to bring forth the machine like play that turned back many strong teams last year, as only ex- perience can give that. However. with Captain Hahn running the the floor and Norman Mandy, alsa a good floor man, the passing or the team should not suffer.
 Hugh Montgomery has an accurate eve and handles the ball well, While Doe" Laughinhouse is rugged e.uard who is eternally after the ball. Ferguson is an admirable backguard and made all-statcA at the petition on i1s i6ss. S'"p''" '"""''''''
 With this combination the Blues should suffer neither for lack of of fensc nor defense and although the Aggies won the Southern Intercoi- iegiate conference, basketball cham piOnShip last year ana ildNe iooI DN Y one regular man from that great combination still the locals are doped to give them some real opposition.
 Coach Erwin has promising bunch of reserves from which to make substitutions so the team IS not likely to sl fer. Among the men who will be ready for the call, either as starter or sub, are: Slick" Vim cent. all-state high school. guard O: the championship Simpson team last vear. Armstead Leake, former Uni yersity of Alabama guard. Ollie Hn- burn. former Central Y. M. c A. star forward. Mabry. former Wisconsin plsyer, and any number of others.
 Starting lineup for the Maroons is doubtful. After the game in Mem phis and in the face of the game in Tuscaloosa against the University of Alabama five next week, the Aggies may shift the lineup some to allow some of the men a rest.
 The most likely lineup Is: Perkins ana Norris towards; Sikes. center. Cantain Gatchell and Turner, guards However. there is Catha. . big six fcot euard, and four or five grad uates from the freshmen team or fort season and veterans of the squad that will be ready for the signal to
 The ga me is tough one for cur tain raiser and the local fans will get ample opportunity to size up the I3lues in the face of stiff competi- tion in the game Saturday night